"The news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city, and a huge crowd of Passover visitors took palm braches and wet down the road to meet him, shouting, 'The Savior! God bless the King of Israel! Hail to God's Ambassador!'

"Jesus rode along on a young donkey, fulfilling the prophecy that said, 'Don't be afraid of your King, people of Israel, for he will come to you meekly, sitting on a donkey's colt!'"

~ John 12:12 - 15 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "We celebrate this day of Jesus' triumphal entry as Palm Sunday (this Sunday!). Jesus entered his last week on earth riding into Jerusalem on a donkey under a canopy of palm branches, with crowds hailing him as their king. To announce that he was indeed the Messiah, Jesus chose a time when all Israel would be gathered at Jerusalem, a place where huge crowds could see him and a way of proclaiming his mission that was unmistakable.

"The people who were praising God for giving them a king had the wrong idea about Jesus. They were sure he would be a national leader who would restore their nation to its former glory, and thus they were deaf to the words of their prophets and blind to Jesus' real mission. When it became apparent that Jesus was not going to fulfill their hopes, many people turned against him."

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