What Palm Sunday Teaches Us About Staying Faithful

Imagine what it must have been like to live in biblical times and witness the ministry of Jesus Christ firsthand! The man… the myth… the legend.

After all the teachings, healings, and other miracles, Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem was announced like a headliner taking the stage at a sold-out concert.

“A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!'” (Matthew 21:8–9, NIV).

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowd shouted “Hosanna.” Hosanna, in this context, is a plea for salvation from the Messiah.

People were excited and jubilant. The tone would shift, wouldn’t it?

One of our Christmas traditions is to read the book of Luke by bedtime on Christmas Eve. Thinking ahead to Easter, this is the part of the story that always makes me cry.

Jesus was sacrificed by the very people he came to save, the same people who brought Him into town with a parade.

What did Jesus’ journey from praise to the cross reveal about commitment when circumstances change?

How can we, as Christians, connect Palm Sunday to our own call to remain faithful, even when following Jesus becomes difficult?

For starters, let’s look at the dichotomy between that high-energy Palm Sunday crowd and the psychological weight that Jesus was carrying at the time.

It’s hard to imagine, but remember, He knew what was about to happen.

When the “Hosannas” Fade

Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39, NIV).

I believe Jesus’ example here is the perfect model for what Palm Sunday teaches us about remaining faithful. He was human and afraid. If it were up to Him, He would have preferred not to die.

Arguably, it was easier to be out there among the people, doing what they wanted and needed—helping them—than dying for the same folks who seemed to forget all of those things when it counted most.

He knew, in those moments along the way, that they would forget and betray Him, yet He was faithful and served them anyway.

It’s easier to stay faithful when things are going our way, isn’t it? The real challenge is maintaining that faith when facing the difficult, scary, new, or impossible.

God’s answer to Jesus’ request was no. Jesus chose to respond by staying faithful and completing the task He was called to do, trusting in faith rather than fear.

Staying Faithful When Vibes Change

Why is it so hard for us to stay faithful when the vibe changes?

Jesus explained to his disciples that to follow him wouldn’t be an easy path. In fact, he told them that they “must deny themselves and take up their cross daily” (Luke 9:23, NIV).

Our deepest commitment is shown in how consistently we follow Christ. Let me give an example:

It’s praising Him after celebrating a milestone anniversary like a decade at your job, and it’s still having faith and praising Him when that job lets you go for reasons beyond your control.

My husband and I both lost our jobs in August. God has been reminding us over these past eight months that we must stay the course and remain faithful. We believe that when the time is right, everything will turn out for our good.

In the meantime, He has provided, and we praise Him every day.

Pioneering Faith

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) reminds us as Christians that we should be “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

By keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, we can stay faithful through those “vibe” changes because of His example on the Cross. His resurrection was, and still is, the promise.

The reality is that Palm Sundays lead to Good Fridays… But, even in pain and shame, we have a promise. The grave couldn’t hold Him. Resurrection Sunday came, and it will come again. We know that, and that is what Palm Sunday teaches us about staying faithful.

Beyond the Branches

We can move beyond Palm Sunday faith, which shouts praise from the rooftops in the bright spring sunshine when everything feels new and vibrant, to a true faith that whispers “Hosanna” in the dark, in the midst of hiking a steep trail with unexpected drops all around, and where rocky cliffs chip under the weight of our boots.

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12, NIV).

That crown of life is reserved for those who persevere long after the cheering stops, just like Jesus did when Palm Sunday ended.

Remember, Jesus wants us not only to follow Him into the city, but to follow Him all the way to the finish line.

Happy Easter, my friends!