Palm Sunday; Lamb Selection Day and The Great Hosanna (part 1)
- overcomer41
- Apr 12
- 17 min read
Updated: Apr 14
(From the internet.)
“Palm Sunday in the Bible commemorates Jesus' [so-called] triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where He was greeted by a crowd waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna,” marking the beginning of Holy Week and the events leading up to His crucifixion.”
The last 3 years of Jesus’ life make up the majority of the Gospels
The last week of Jesus’ life makes up 1/3 of the Gospels (43% of John)
When the Holy Spirit is focusing that much on something, we need to pay attention.
Luke 9:51 – Jesus knew why He had come, and that it was the “appointed time” for His return back to the Father (i.e. ascension) after redeeming mankind through the bearing of the cross (see the Bible study Simon of Cyrene and Cross Bearing). He was determined to go where the flesh (i.e. natural man) would run from. It was the Father’s will and He had come into full submission of that will. His submission to the Father’s will was the key for Him being given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18-20).
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely [4741] set out for Jerusalem.
NIV
NT:4741 sterizo (stay-rid'-zo)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from a presumed derivative of NT:2476 (like NT:4731); to set fast, i.e. (literally) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figuratively) to confirm:
KJV - fix, (e-) stablish, steadfastly set, strengthen.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
a. to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix (Luke 16:26)
b. to strengthen, make firm;
resolutely – “in an admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering manner”
(From the internet regarding “What is Palm Sunday?”)
“Here's a more detailed explanation:
Biblical Context:
The story of Palm Sunday is recounted in all four Gospels (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19), describing Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, a fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.
The Triumphal Entry:
A large crowd, recognizing Jesus as their Messiah, greeted him with palm branches, which were a symbol of victory and rejoicing, and shouted "Hosanna" (meaning "Save us now!").
Holy Week:
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter, which focuses on the events surrounding Jesus's suffering, death, and resurrection.
Significance:
Palm Sunday serves as a reminder of Jesus' humble entry into Jerusalem [I would here, “revealing Himself as the Messiah”], his kingship, and the events leading to his sacrifice for humanity's salvation.”
Lamb Selection Day; Nisan 10
This just happens to be the day that Jesus came riding into Jerusalem. He was saying to the Jews, “Pick Me!” The majority of those who were claiming Him as their Messiah with their mouths would then turn on Him in just a few days when events didn’t occur according to their will. They were looking to be set free from the external oppression of the Romans. Jesus came to set them free from the internal oppression of their sin. (See Matthew 15:1-9; “…These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”) This is a principle upon which the Kingdom of God operates; from the inside out. Those who function by the power of the flesh will look at the outward appearance of things.
Exodus 12:1-6 – These are the commandments of the Lord for selecting the lamb to slaughter on Passover. It’s all a picture of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. In fact, John the Baptist called him “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36).
1 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
2 "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.
3 "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household.
4 'Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb.
5 'Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
6 'You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.
NASU
The following insights are from the article “Lamb Selection Day,” by Lori Wilkerson Stewart;
“…As Christians, we’re all familiar with Palm Sunday, but did you know that in the time of Jesus, the Sunday before Passover was “lamb selection day?” In other words, it was the day that Jewish families would come to the temple in Jerusalem and choose their “perfect lamb” for the Passover. Then, the family would bring the lamb home to live with them, knowing that within a few days, their new pet would be slaughtered for the Passover meal (Exodus 12:3,5,6).
So, when Jesus entered Jerusalem on lamb selection day, it was as if He was presenting Himself to the people and asking them, “Will you choose me?” And Jesus wasn’t just riding through the streets for attention, He had a destination. As the Lamb of God, could it be that Jesus was headed to the temple to present Himself before His Father and to be approved for sacrifice (Leviticus 1:3)?
As Jesus approached the city, His disciples “began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen” (Luke 19:37). However, when the crowds joined in, the atmosphere changed and became more like a political rally. The people shouted, “Hosanna” and waved palm branches. In Death and Resurrection of the Messiah, author and minister Ray Vander Laan writes:
Hosanna meant “Please save us! Give us freedom! We’re sick of these Romans!” They waved palm branches, a symbol that once had been placed on Jewish coins when the nation was free. The branches did not symbolize peace and love, as Christians usually assume; they symbolized Jewish nationalism, an expression of the people’s desire for political freedom.”
And for the second time in Scripture, Jesus wept (Luke 19:41). The Lamb of God was there, the only One worthy to be slain for the sins of all mankind, yet the people only wanted a political deliverer.
What will your response be on Lamb Selection Day? Will you choose Jesus as your perfect Lamb? Will you believe in the power of the Lamb’s blood, which is able to take away your sins and make you truly free?”
(From the internet.)
“John 12:12-19 is the only Gospel explicitly mentioning palm branches. It highlights the crowd meeting Jesus with palm branches, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” John connects this event to the recent raising of Lazarus, indicating the crowd's enthusiasm stems from witnessing this miracle.”
John 12:12-16 – The people were actually quoting Psalm 118:25-26 which is a prophecy of the Messiah. The second witness was that Jesus came riding on the colt of a donkey, fulfilling another prophecy of the coming Messiah in Zechariah 9:9. At the very end of this study we will see the final, manifested intent of the Lord for palm branches by those whose hearts are grateful for the salvation of the King of kings and Lord of lords they have just experienced.
12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, "Hosanna [5614]! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel." [They’re quoting the messianic prophesy in Psalm 118:25-26; see Matthew 21:9, 23:39; Mark 11:9; and Luke 13:35.]
14 Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written,
15 "FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT." [Zechariah 9:9]
16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.
NASU
NT:5614 hosanna (ho-san-nah')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
of Hebrew origin [OT:3467 and OT:4994]; oh save!; hosanna (i.e. hoshia-na), an exclamation of adoration:
KJV - hosanna.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
hosanna; be propitious (Matthew 21:9) [propitious: “favorably disposed toward someone; tending to favor”; for great details on God’s favor at His specific “appointed times,” see the Bible study Elul; The Season Of Preparation and 40 Days Of Favor. The favor of God will be “propitiously” poured out on mankind during His final call to repent. It will be the last time that He will respond to the call of “Oh Lord, save us we pray!”]
(Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
hosanna [NT:5614] – in the Hebrew, means “save, we pray.” [He actually did, but not quite as they thought He would. The order of salvation is; spirit, soul and then body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). They wanted physical salvation from the Romans. We’ll see further in this study, in Revelation 7:9-17, the final result of salvation when “The Great Hosanna” will be fulfilled.] The word seems to have become an utterance of praise rather than of prayer, though originally, probably, a cry for help. The people's cry at the Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9,15; Mark 11:9,10; John 12:13) was taken from Psalm 118, which was recited at the Feast of Tabernacles (see FEAST) in the great Hallel Psalm 113 to 118:1-29 in responses with the priest, accompanied by the waving of palm and willow branches. “The last day of the feast” was called “the great Hosanna”; the boughs also were called “hosannas.”
The Great Hosanna
“The Great Hosanna, or Hoshana Rabbah, is the seventh and final day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. It is a special day marked by the recitation of seven Hoshana prayers, signifying “Save now!” The day is known for the priests circling the altar seven times during the procession, contrasting with the once circling on the other six days of Sukkot. This practice is believed to emphasize the repeated cry for salvation and marks the day's significance.”
The following insights are from the article “The Great Hosanna”; (https://www.thejoshlink.com/article105.htm)
“Hoshana Rabbah (The Great Hosanna or The Numerous Hosannas) is the seventh and last day of Sukkot. As Hosanna means "Save now, I pray Thee" (Psalm 118:25), the Great Hosanna therefore means the Great Salvation.
It is so named for the fact that more Hosannas are said on this day than all the previous days of the festival. On each of the six previous days, the priests circled the altar once in a procession, singing Psalm 118:25. On the seventh day of the feast, the people circled the altar seven times. That is why the day is called Hoshana Rabbah, as the cry "Save now!" is repeated seven times. [We’ll look at the connection with Jericho further on.]
On Hoshana Rabbah afternoon, the Jews will bring their vessels from their sukkot back into their houses in preparation for Shemini Atzeret [see note below], the following day. Its primary purpose is to move and plant the spiritual message of the sukkot into their homes for the remainder of the year.
[“Shemini (shem’-i-nee) is a Hebrew word that means “eighth.” The Hebrew word atzeret (at-zare’-et) is generally translated as “assembly,” but shares a linguistic root with the word atzor, meaning “stop” or “tarry.” Shemini Atzeret is characterized as a day when the Jewish People “tarries” to spend an additional day with God at the end of Sukkot.”
“Shemini Atzeret, which falls on the day after Sukkot ends (i.e. the eighth day), is when the prayer for rain is added to our daily, structured prayers. Rain sustains crops and is integral to strength and survival, as water levels are dangerously low in Israel.”
“In Hebrew, “Atzeret” (עצרת) means “assembly” or “gathering.” In the context of Jewish holidays, “Shemini Atzeret” (שְׁמִינִי עָצֶרֶת) means “Eighth Day of Assembly” and is the holiday that follows Sukkot. Simchat Torah, which means “Rejoicing with/of the Torah,” is also celebrated on Shemini Atzeret, marking the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle and the start of a new one.” In biblical numerology, the number 8 means “new beginnings.”]
It was on the last day (Hoshana Rabbah), that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." John 7:37-38
According to some Jewish traditions, all people are judged on Rosh Hashanah [see the Bible study Elul; The Season Of Preparation and 40 Days Of Favor]. The righteous are given a favorable judgment. Those found wanting, but not totally evil, are given until Yom Kippur to repent. If they fail to do so, the verdict against them is written and sealed but not delivered till Hoshana Rabbah. This day, the Jews will assemble in prayer, dedication and supplication. The joy of Succoth will reach its climax. In mercy, God finds ample reason to tear up the parchments bearing the harsher sentences, and replace them with brighter verdicts. The following chart illustrates this thought:
Rosh Hashanah (Judgment Day): The judgment is rendered
Yom Kippur: The judgment is sealed
Hoshana Rabbah: The judgment is delivered
The following morning after Hoshana Rabbah, the judgment is delivered and made known.
On Hoshana Rabbah, the Jews will beat the willow branches on the earth. Among the Four Species, the etrog is blessed with a good smell and good taste. It represents the Jews with Torah and good deeds. The palm, blessed with good taste but no scent, represents the Jews who have Torah but lack good deeds. The myrtle, blessed with an exquisite scent but no fruit, represents the Jews with good deeds but no Torah. The willow, with no taste and no smell, represents the Jews who have neither Torah nor good deeds.
The commandment is not fulfilled until we have all of the Four Species. Without any one of the four, it is incomplete. The message is this: Just as the Four Species require four different kinds of vegetation, so we need all the four different kinds of Jews, covering the entire range of people. Whoever thinks that we can ignore those Jews devoid of Torah and good deeds is wrong! Lacking the willow branch, the entire Four Species is worthless.
The significance of the willow branch on Hoshana Rabbah is not only that without it, the other three species are in serious trouble. The fact is that the entire focus of Hoshana Rabbah is exclusively on the willow branch. This is the day of the willows. On this day, the people of God will strike the willows upon the earth.
The striking of the willows bears an important truth about the lovingkindness of God. Willows grows along the banks of the river. It is at these edges where the lovingkindness of God is being confronted with His judgment. On one side, there is water which represents the love of God. On the other side, there is hard land which represents the strict justice of God. The land marks out and places limits on the water flow.
The prayer is not just for rain but for the rain to bring forth the growth of more willows. As more willows grow, the grace of God invades into the justice of God. At such moments, the willows are eye witnesses to this wonderful sight. If we desire God to show us His grace and mercy, we need to show grace and mercy to the willows, namely, those without Torah and good deeds. God knows our hearts and minds. Longsuffering, kindness and goodness are listed in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. God is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
On Hoshana Rabbah, the Jews beat the willow branches five times on the floor. The five-time beating of the willow branches symbolizes the breaking of the sin of bad-mouthing. The leaves of the willow are shaped like the lips. Therefore these twigs have the purpose of atoning for the sins of the lips. We beat them on the earth to symbolize our resolution that from now on, we will not sin with our lips again. When we do so, we are confident that no one's lips, not even Satan's (the accuser of our brethren), can harm us.”
Timing Is Everything
Is “The Great Hosanna” (Hoshana Rabah), the seventh and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), when Jesus’ prophecy (right below) will be fulfilled by the final, Jewish portion of the Body of Christ at the “appointed time” of the Lord, rather than the wrong motives of many of the Jews associated with “Palm Sunday”? Jesus said;
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’”
(Matthew 23:37-39/NASU)
The Israelites timing was off (i.e. the “appointed time” of the end). This prayer was to be declared at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles. This was during the Feast of Passover. They wanted a physical saving, from the Romans. What they didn’t understand was that, first, there had to be a spiritual saving. Without the saving of our souls first through the crucifixion of Christ and the shedding of His blood (i.e. Passover), there will be no physical saving at the appointed time at the end of this age represented by the Feast of Tabernacles.
The following notes are from Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament.
The Last Day of the Feast: Division (John 7:37-53)
“The seventh day of the feast was a great day of celebration. (The eighth day was one of “solemn assembly” – Leviticus 23:36; see Numbers 29:35; [see my folder titled Solemn Assembly for more]). Each morning of the feast, at the time of the sacrifice, the priests would draw water in a golden vessel from the Pool of Siloam and carry it to the temple to be poured out. This commemorated the wonderful supply of water God gave the Jews in the wilderness. This seventh day was known as “The Great Hosannah” and climaxed the feast. It takes little imagination to grasp what must have happened when Jesus cried out, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink!” (v. 37) as the priests poured out the water. Christ was the Rock out of which the waters flowed (Exodus 17:1-7; 1 Cor. 10:4). He was smitten on the cross that the Spirit of life might be given to save and satisfy thirsty sinners. In the Bible, water for cleansing symbolizes the Word of God (John 13:1-17; 15:3); water for drinking represents the Spirit of God (John 7:37-38).
Instead of heeding His gracious invitation to come, the people argued, and there was division among them [some things do not change…]. Some believed in Him, some rejected. (See Matthew 10:31-39 and Luke 12:51-52.) The soldiers could not arrest Him because His word gripped their hearts (v. 46). Because the Jewish leaders rejected Christ, they shut the door of salvation to others who followed their bad example (Matthew 23:13).
Nicodemus enters the picture again, and this time we see him defending Christ's legal privileges. In John 3, he was in the darkness of confusion; but here he is experiencing the dawn of conviction, willing to give Christ a fair chance. Because of this, Nicodemus learned the truth, for a willingness to obey the Word is the secret of learning God's truth (v. 17). In John 19 we see Nicodemus in the daylight of confession, openly identifying himself with Christ. How did he come to make this decision? He studied the Word and asked for God to teach him. The rulers told him, “Search and look!” and that is just what he did. Anyone who will read and obey the Word of God will move out of darkness into God's marvelous light.”
(From the internet.)
“What is the most important day of Passover?
While every day of Passover is significant, the first night and the seventh day (in Israel) are particularly important, with the first night marked by the Seder [i.e. traditionally known as “the last supper”], and the seventh day commemorating the crossing of the Red Sea.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
First Night:
The first night of Passover (and sometimes the second night in the Jewish diaspora) is celebrated with the Seder, a ritual meal that retells the story of the Exodus from Egypt.
[It was what occurred within this meal between Christ and His disciples that our “communion” service was formed.]
Seventh Day (in Israel): [I see the seventh day as a picture of the millennial reign of Christ, when His children have “passed/crossed over” into His rest.]
The seventh day of Passover is a special festival day in Israel, where no work is done, and it is traditionally believed to be the day the Israelites crossed the Red Sea.
The Seder:
The Seder is a ritual meal that is the focal point of the first night of Passover, where people eat matzah (unleavened bread), maror (bitter herbs), drink four cups of wine, and retell the story of the Exodus.
Dietary Restrictions:
During Passover, observant Jews abstain from eating chametz (leavened bread) and remove it from their homes, as a reminder of the Israelites' hasty departure from Egypt.
The Fast of the Firstborn:
Some Jews observe a tradition known as the Fast of the Firstborn on the day preceding the first Passover seder, which commemorates the salvation of the Hebrew firstborns.”
The Great Hosanna Fulfilled
Revelation 7:9-17 – See the note below.
9 After these things [the sealing of the 144,000] I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;
10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation [4991] to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."…
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?"
14 I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. [see Rev. 12:11]
15 "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle [4637- “to tent or encamp, to abide or dwell in, reside”] over them. [Interestingly enough, “The Great Hosanna” is on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.]
16 "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;
17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."
NASU
NT:4991 soteria (so-tay-ree'-ah)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
feminine of a derivative of NT:4990 as (properly, abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally):
KJV - deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation:
a. universally (John 4:22; Acts 4:12; 13:47; Romans 11:11; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim .3:15; Heb. 2:3; 6:9; Jude 3)
b. salvation as the present possession of all true Christians (see soozoo, b.) (2 Corinthians 1:6)
c. future salvation, the sum of benefits and blessings which Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will
enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated and eternal kingdom of God
(Romans 13:11)
In this passage, another multitude, this time a purified one from all nations, is worshipping the King of kings before His throne with palm branches in their hands. One of the elders who fell on their face before the Lord, worshipping Him, said to John, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
During Jesus’ so-called “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem, the heart-cry of the people would be short lived because of their tainted motives. It is here, though, after being saved out of the great tribulation, that the praise of these around the throne come from a purified heart of eternal gratitude for the blood of the Lamb that washed them from their sin, thereby granting them entrance into His eternal rest of salvation.
It’s interesting that verse 15 says, “and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.” Remember, “The Great Hosanna” is on the last day of Tabernacles. It is here that we see the “great,” intended, physical manifestation at the end of this age of the hosanna cry, “Lord, save us!” But as we saw, there cannot be physical salvation without their first being that which is placed on the inside, spiritually. Yes indeed, “Salvation [of spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:24)] belongs to our God!”
The next time Jesus comes back to Jerusalem, it will not be humble, riding on a donkey, but as the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords, taking back His rightful throne from the enemy of our souls who gained his access through deception. (See the Bible study Back To Jerusalem… Again for what, in type, is revealed to us in His second coming through the return of Christ back to Jerusalem in His first journey.)
(To be continued in part 2...)
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