The week we now call Holy Week, started with Palm Sunday. Why was thisweek so important that three of the gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, andLuke) devote a full third of their contents to reporting this week, andThe Fourth (John) dedicates its entire last half? Jerusalem, which hada normal population of about 50,000 at this time, had at least tripledin size because of the influx of pilgrims celebrating the Jewishholiday Passover. Early Sunday morning Jesus made his baldly publicentry into the city. This was the end of all privacy and safety, andthe beginning of what would be an inevitable collision course with thereligious and political authorities. Crowds began to gather to see therabbi from Galilee. The procession began accompanied by shouting andsinging from the throngs as they threw down their garments on thepathway to cushion his ride - an Oriental custom still observed onoccasions - as well as palm fronds, the symbol of triumph. The OldTestament prophet Zechariah had foretold the arrival of the Messianicking in Jerusalem via the humble conveyance of a colt. Here the crowdhailed Jesus as "the son of David", a loaded name used at a loadedtime. The priestly establishment was understandably disturbed, as thepalm was the national emblem of an independent Palestine. These wereJewish flags. What if Jesus should claim to be the heir of King David?(Recent archiological excavations have turned up Roman coins, which havethe head of Tiberias (idolatrous to the Jewish subjects) but overstampedwith a palm.)
