Where Does The Name “Palm Sunday”Come From?
Turn in your Bibles to John 12:13 “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” As you can see, the people greeted Jesus Christ with Palm tree branches. But, you may not realize the significance of this. About 150 plus years previous to this, was the last time Israel had been independent. This was when Judas Maccabeus, nick named “The Hammer,” son of a Jewish priest, had led the people in a war of independence and defeated the Syrians and became King. He adopted the palm branch as a symbol of his victory and Israeli independence. In the Apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees 13:51 we read about his victory. “And entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month in the hundred seventy and first year, with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and with harps, and cymbals, and with viols, and hymns, and songs: because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel.” (1 & 2 Maccab
