How did the arrest and trial of Jesus affect Palm Sunday?

Answer 1

The gospels tell us that when Jesus was arrested and taken before Pontius Pilate, the Jews bayed for his crucifixion, even preferring to free Barabbas rather than free Jesus. There seems to have been no one among the Jews who would be satisfied with anything less than his crucifixion.

Mark's Gospel was the earliest of the New Testament gospels and in this Gospel, it is not palm leaves, but leafy branches that are spread on the road as Jesus rode into Jerusalem, just as the Jews used leafy branches in the celebration of the Sukkoth festival. Mark 11:8 says (NAB), "Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields." The words used at the Sukkoth are reflected in Mark 11:9: "And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

John Shelby Spong (Jesus for the NonReligious) says the story came from a Jewish festival actually held at an entirely different time of year: The ]ewish eight day celebration of the harvest, known as Sukkoth, and also called the Festival of the Tabernacles or Booths, was probably the most popular holiday among the Jews in the first century. In the observance of Sukkoth, worshippers processed through Jerusalem and in the Temple, waving a bunch of leafy branches made of willow, myrtle and palm. As they waved these branches in that procession, the worshippers recited words from Psalm 118, the psalm normally used at Sukkoth. Among these words were "Save us, we beseech you, O Lord." Save us in Hebrew is hosianna or 'hosanna'. This is typically followed by "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. (Psalm 118:25-6).

Mark took the Sukkoth traditions and transferred them from autumn to the Passover season for the procession story. Because the Passover season is too early for 'leafy branches' (except palms), John changed this to 'palm branches', creating our modern tradition of Palm Sunday. In the earliest account of Palm Sunday, leafy branches were used, but these were not really available at that time of year, leading to the conclusion that this story is an elaboration to demonstrate a capricious and unpredictable character in the Jerusalem people, who would shortly demand the crucifixion of Jesus.