Palm Sunday is a Christian feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. It commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  Its name originates from the palm branches waved by the crowd to greet and honor Jesus Christ as he entered the city.  Why did the people wave palm branches?  According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, the branches and trees actually have a significant meaning. People didn’t just grab whatever leaves they could find for no reason.

“Its branches are a symbol of victory (Revelation 7:9). "Rising with slender stems 40 or 50, at times even 80, feet aloft, its only branches, the feathery, snow-like, pale-green fronds from 6 to 12 feet long, bending from its top, the palm attracts the eye wherever it is seen." The whole land of Palestine was called by the Greeks and Romans, "the land of palms."

The Jewish people wanted victory, victory over the Romans who had invaded their land. Jesus did come to enact a victory, but not quite the one they had in mind.

When we use palm branches in our services, we can remember how Jesus conquered death for us to have a chance of salvation through Him.  Jesus rode a donkey on that day into Jerusalem as a symbolic fulfillment of prophecy and a declaration of His true mission. This act directly fulfilled Zechariah 9:9, which prophesied that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem “righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey.” By doing this, Jesus publicly announced that He was the long-awaited King, but not in the way many expected. In ancient times, rulers rode horses into battle, but a donkey symbolized peace. Jesus did not come as a warrior to overthrow Rome; instead, He came as a humble King bringing salvation.