Today in churches children will enter worship services carrying palm leaves whether real or made of paper and shouting out Hosanna. It makes for a cute endearing moment as parents and grandparents watch. Today is Palms Sunday the Sunday we commemorate Jesus entering Jerusalem and people throwing palm leaves on the road shouting Hosanna.

The people were looking to Jesus to be the Messiah who would drive the Romans out and restore Israel. They were looking to Jesus to become King of Israel. They wanted Jesus to save them from the Roman occupation and tyranny. But Jesus knew before going into Jerusalem what was going to happen. He knew the crowd that would shout Hosanna while he entered would turn around and shout Give Us Barabbas five days later.
He told his disciples what was going to happen in Matthew 20:17-18:
Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
Jesus knew he would be tortured and crucified. He knew the suffering he would endure to become our Savior. He knew it all and he chose to enter Jerusalem anyway.
That is what I will remember during worship service at my church this morning. My focus will be on Jesus knowing all that was about to happen and choosing to enter, choosing to save us from sin and eternal separation from God.
Thank you for reading. God Bless.