Palm Sunday: Symbols, Significance, And Spirituality

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Holy Week is marked as Sun, Apr 13, 2025 – Sun, Apr 20, 2025 on the Christian Calendar.

The biblical event is mentioned in all four Gospels and is marked around the world with special church services and symbolic traditions.

But some may not fully understand the deeper meaning of the day, or its powerful symbolism.

Reverend Carla Culmer a minister at Trinity Methodist Church explained why the timing during Passover is significant.

REV. CARLA CULMER – MINISTER, TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH, FREDERICK STREET
“When Jesus journey into Jerusalem on the donkey, it coincide with the Jewish Passover. The Jewish people were preparing to celebrate Passover, and as they were selecting their lamb to remind them how they were delivered [from] slavery in Egypt, here was Jesus going in on a donkey declaring himself, in essence, to be God’s Passover lamb. It would lead to Good Friday, where he would die for humanity.”

The story tells of Jesus, who entered Jerusalem, and how the people welcomed him with palm branches. It was a moment believed to fulfill ancient prophecy.

REV. CARLA CULMER – MINISTER, TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH, FREDERICK STREET
“The palms symbolize victory. We read that you wave the palms of victory, that they were declaring him to be King. But for us, it reminds us that Jesus already won the victory.”

REV. CARLA CULMER – MINISTER, TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH, FREDERICK STREET
“The donkey also symbolizes that Jesus came as a Prince of Peace. Kings rode horses declaring they’d come to war, but the donkey in the symbolism of the story is the symbol of peace.”

Reverend Culmer added that Palm Sunday should be more than tradition. It should be a reminder of faith, freedom, and purpose.

REV. CARLA CULMER – MINISTER, TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH, FREDERICK STREET
“I think sometimes we don’t understand what the meaning is and why we’re doing it, and it just become a tradition. And if it just becomes a tradition and the meaning is lost, then people could say we don’t need to do this. And I think we need to rediscover what’s the symbolism, why the donkey, why did Jesus come, why Palm Sunday, because if Palm Sunday didn’t happen, the cross wouldn’t have happened.”