Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday is a universal Christian feast celebrated on the Sunday before Easter, one week before the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This feast commemorates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on the Sunday before his arrest. This entry is mentioned in all four Gospels, which indicates significance ascribed to it in the church during the time when the Gospels were written. (Mark 11:1–11, Matthew 21:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–19).

According to the Gospels, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, to fulfil the prophecy that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem in this manner. The celebrating people laid down their cloaks in front of him, and also laid down small branches of trees. They sang part of Psalms 118: 25–26 –“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” In Eastern tradition a donkey is an animal of peace and a horse an animal of war. The triumphant entry of Jesus on a donkey proclaims him as a King, but as the promised Prince of Peace.

Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week when we remember the last days before the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Music that hails Jesus as Saviour and King is sung and we celebrate that the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God arrived at the altar on Golgotha to be slaughtered during the Jewish Passover, to die for our sins and set us free to serve in the Kingdom of God.

Hymns for Palm Sunday.
While children carry in the palm branches, the congregation may sing the following song from Songs of Fellowship 189, while the children wave the palm fronds:

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!
Lord, we lift up your Name,
with hearts full of praise;
be exalted o Lord our God!
Hosanna in the highest.

Glory, glory, glory to the King of kings!
Glory, glory, glory to the King of kings!
Lord, we lift up your Name,
with hearts full of praise;
be exalted o Lord our God!
Glory to the King of kings.

The following classic Palm Sunday Hymn is sung to the music of “The Church’s one foundation”:

All glory, laud, and honour
to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel,
thou David's royal Son,
who in the Lord's Name comest,
the King and Blessed One.

The company of angels
are praising thee on high;
and mortal men and all things
created, make reply.
The people of the Hebrews
with palms before thee went;
our praise and prayer and anthems
before thee we present.

To thee, before thy passion,
they sang their hymns of praise;
to thee, so high exalted,
our melody we raise.
Thou didst accept their praises:
accept the prayers we bring,
who in all good delightest,
thou good and gracious King.

Our closing hymn on Palm Sunday is sung to the music of “Glorious things of thee are spoken”. (My lyrics, but feel free to use them).

Jesus Christ, o Lord almighty,
David’s son, yet holy, free!
We will always praise, adore Thee,
God for all eternity.
Praise our Lord, He is our bounty,
our inheritance is He.
Sing hosanna, bring Him glory,
laud his gracious majesty!

Jesus Christ, o Lord, almighty,
reigns with God eternally.
Who forever aids and helps me,
saves His Church so graciously.
Sing hosanna, bring Him glory,
merciful and great is He!
He who leads His chosen people -
worship Him, praise ceaselessly!