Jesus and his disciples decided to go to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, a Jewish holiday that celebrates the long ago time when God, with the help of Moses, freed the Jews from slavery in Egypt.   As they grew close to the city, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead to find a donkey and its colt.  Robes were laid across its back, and Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey.

There was a big crowd of people waiting for Jesus.  When they saw him coming, people in the crowd began to lay their robes on the ground, and some people cut palm leaves from the trees and laid them on the ground. Some people ran in front of Jesus shouting "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Jesus' arrival really got people talking, and the richest and most powerful men were particularly concerned about Jesus' popularity. His grand entrance into the city set the stage for the awful week that was to come. It marked the beginning of his last and most difficult days on Earth. Within a few days, Jesus would be betrayed, tortured, and would die on the cross.  We remember Jesus entering Jerusalem on the last Sunday before Easter, celebrating the joy of that day, while at the same time we prepare to remember the pain he would suffer and the sacrifice he would make in the days to come.  We call this Sunday "Palm Sunday," because of the palm branches that people laid on the ground before him.