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John 12:12-19: The Symbols of Palm Sunday: Part 4 Palm Branches

 Image 4 of 5: Palm branches: John tells us also that the people lining the streets aren’t just yelling, ‘save us king’. This is important.  They are waving palm branches. Today is Palm Sunday. Can anyone tell me the significance of palm leaves at this time and place? The palm branches are important.  What do the Palm branches represent?


They didn’t just pick up palm branches because palm branches happen to be near-by; they pick up the palm branches because palm branches are a nationalistic symbol (cf. 1 Maccabees 13:51, 2 Macabbees 10:7; cf. also Leviticus 23:40, Psalm 92:12, Matthew 21:8; Mark 11:8). Recently in Canada our National Flag was lowered for months and it looked like it may never rise again. Later it was used in a massive protest on Parliament Hill. These are significant. The use of the palm branches in our text is even more significant.

It would be like if Canada was going to seek independence from the US or someone else and we were waving maple leaves or flags with the maple leaf on it – everyone recognises that as a symbol of Canada. This moment probably would have had an even greater effect on the authorities of Jesus’ day than a similar one did on Canadian authorities in 1967 (Canada's Centennial) when France’s President Charles de Gualle cried out, ‘Vive le Quebec Libre!” while visiting Quebec. The palm branch is a national symbol being raised in the traditional capital of an occupied territory. This is where John drives home that Jesus isn’t just a metaphorical or a spiritual king, Jesus is a political king as well. He is the King of Kings and His Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, is at hand. (And John’s placing of vv.14-15 after v.13 further conveys Jesus’ and John’s approval of this claim.)

How do we respond to Jesus as King? 




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