A Walk down Palm Sunday Road
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” Luke 19:38, echoing Psalm 118:26
(Photos: Along Palm Sunday Road, and the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem’s Old City)
Jesus, the King of Kings, entered Jerusalem humbly, riding on a donkey. Today, we can follow his path, starting on the Mount of Olives with its many graves. An enterprising man stands nearby with a white donkey on a halter, for photos. We start down Palm Sunday Road’s steep slope, passing some “bone boxes” called ossuaries. The Dominus Flevit Church, just off to the side, offers a window view from the traditional place where the Lord wept over Jerusalem.
(Photos: Ossuary boxes, and the window view from Dominus Flevit Church (the Lord wept)
At the base of the Mount of Olives, we come to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony, and the Church of the Nations.
(Photos above: Garden of Gethsemane. Below: Church of the Nations)
From there, Jesus would have walked on down through the Kidron Valley, looking toward the “Gate of Mercy” in Hebrew (often also called the Eastern Gate, Golden Gate, and Gate Beautiful). The road then continues, turning into an upward climb, headed for Jerusalem’s gates.
(Photos: Kidron Valley and the Eastern Gate, with several names including Gate of Mercy)
That day, the people laid their cloaks at his feet and waved palm branches, shouting “Hosanna” (meaning “Please save us,” in Hebrew). Less than a week after joyful crowds praised him on this ancient path, Jesus gave his life for our sins on the cross, then rose, leaving the tomb empty in his victory over death.
If you don’t yet know Jesus Christ personally, as your savior, this is a great week to do that, in faith, trusting him alone, by God’s grace alone, not anything you have earned.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Bible reading in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and/or John is a great place to start.
–Susan and Gary