Palm Sunday (Year A)
©2026 Gloria M. Chang
From Hosanna to Crucify him: Christ’s fidelity endures amid our fickleness.
Gospel (At the Procession of Palms)
Matthew 21:1-11
When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, ‘The master has need of them.’ Then he will send them at once.” This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
Say to daughter Zion,
“Behold, your king comes to you,
meek and riding on an ass,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;
hosanna in the highest.”
And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?” And the crowds replied, “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Gospel (Excerpt)
Matthew 27:15-26
Now on the occasion of the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had handed him over. While he was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because of him.” The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus. The governor said to them in reply, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They answered, “Barabbas!” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” But he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Let him be crucified!” When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves.” And the whole people said in reply, “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.
Exchanging a King for a Criminal
How fickle and fragile is the human heart! From “Hosanna!” at the start of Passover week to “Crucify him!” after the sacred Seder, the response of the crowd flips dramatically from royal welcome to murderous rejection.
On Palm Sunday, enthroned on a donkey as the gentle king, Jesus enters Zion triumphantly. Cloaks and palm branches carpet the road, prophecy is fulfilled (Zechariah 9:9), and the city asks in wonder, “Who is this?
By Good Friday, Jesus stands as a prisoner beside a notorious criminal, Barabbas. The festival crowd explicitly chooses the criminal and demands the “king” be flogged and crucified.
From Coronation to Condemnation
What accounts for the dramatic flip?
First, the chief priests and elders, intent on destroying Jesus, actively “persuaded the crowds” (Matthew 27:20). Popular enthusiasm proves to be fragile once authority figures intervene.
Second, many had hoped for a political Messiah who would overthrow Rome. By contrast, Jesus cleansed the temple, taught non-violence (“All who take the sword will perish by the sword”), and submitted to arrest (Matthew 26:52). Even his own disciples fled in disillusionment and anger.
Third, mob psychology shifts like the wind and waves. Matthew shows how a throng can swing from adoration to barbarism in minutes. When Pilate asks, “Why? What evil has he done?” the crowd uncontrollably demands, “Crucify him!” leading Pilate to wash his hands of responsibility.
Fourth, in an ironic twist, the same title “king” that prompted celebration on Palm Sunday is now used to justify execution. The gentle king on a donkey becomes the condemned “king of the Jews” on a cross. What began as genuine (if misunderstood) royal welcome ends in royal mockery and execution. The same label that prompted celebration becomes the basis for condemnation.
Christ’s Fidelity and Our Fickleness
This contrast is why Palm Sunday and the Passion are read together: it exposes the superficiality of crowd enthusiasm and the danger of following Jesus only when it aligns with our expectations. The readings for Holy Week invite us to contemplate the steadfast faithfulness of Jesus under fire and the fragility of our human hearts when tested. Do we have the faith and grace to stand with Christ when the whole world condemns him?
“Hosanna!” The flock hailed Jesus as King,
Hope soaring high for their Savior in spring.
“Crucify him!” crowds cried five days later
As Christ shed his blood after the Seder.
Traditional Chinese Translation
《基督的信實與我們的善變》
「和撒那！」羊群高呼耶穌為王，
春日裡，他們對救主的盼望高飛。
五天後，群眾高喊，「釘死他！」
像這樣基督在逾越節晚餐後流下寶血。