HOSANNA Palm Sunday Card (John 12:12-15)

Palm Sunday is the sixth and last Sunday of Lent and ushers in Holy Week, the seven days leading up to Easter. Specifically, Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem a few days before His crucifixion. + In keeping with Jewish law and custom, Jesus and the Apostles journeyed to Jerusalem as pilgrims arriving on the “Great Sabbath” (the Shabbat HaGadol) to celebrate Passover. According to Scripture—and the event is recounted in all four canonical Gospels (Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–19) although details differ—Jesus rode into the city on a borrowed donkey’s colt. This means of transportation was highly symbolic. The act parallels Solomon’s entrance into the Holy City riding his father King David’s donkey at his enthronement and fulfills a prophecy of Zechariah (9:9)., At the city’s Eastern Gate, a gateway with Messianic connotations (Ezekiel 44:1–3), Jesus was greeted by His supporters waving palm branches, laying down their cloaks before Him as a kind of ‘red carpet’, and shouting cries of praise laced with prophetic allusions. "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” + Saints_Aplenty’s minimalist designs for Palm Sunday items feature palm fronds, of course, tied with ribbons in purple, the colour of royalty and Lent augmented with the word Hosanna in gold, purple, green, and black and/or a crowned Chi Rho. The Chi Rho, also known as the chrismon or sigla, is formed by the superimposition of the first two capital letters of the Greek word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (Christos), the Greek translation of Messiah. The Chi Rho is formed by the centre of the chi (Χ) being intersected by the vertical stroke of the rho (Ρ). The crown is self-explanatory. + Image Credits: Palms from studio2013’s palm leaf portfolio via Pixabay; bow by Elionas also via Pixabay. + Quote (John 12:12-15): The Open English Bible (OEB), which is in the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license.