I should have done this yesterday, but I decided to do posts regarding Holy Week and maybe share some personal experiences. Some of these events will have direct temple ties, some indirectly, and some will be outright diversions, but I feel Holy Week is the culmination of the entire Old Testament, and Come Follow Me focuses on Easter (as it should). Yesterday was Palm Sunday. First though, we have to consider the previous day.
John already has Passover set for Friday, which is a deviation from the Synoptics. Jesus is visiting the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany. Mary took “a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment” (John 12:3). This will parallel an event in the next chapter, where Jesus will wash the feet of His disciples. Thus, we have a parallel washing and anointing.
The anointing of the feet symbolizes the kingly functions of the Savior during Holy Week. This will shift to priestly functions midweek. This anointing of the feet sets up the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The role of the king is to go to battle for his people and subdue the enemy under his feet. We saw this with Jacob’s blessing of Judah:
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Genesis 49:10).
In the fulness of times, Jesus will “subdue all enemies under His feet,” perfect His work, and present the kingdom to the Father saying, “I have overcome and have trodden the wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God.” (D&C 76:106-107).
During the Triumphal Entry, palm branches are waved with shouts of “Hosanna.” The palm branches symbolize victory, as Jesus is victorious over death and hell. Paul said, “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). Hosanna means “save now.”
The Triumphal Entry fulfills two Old Testament prophecies:
“Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
“Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 118:25-26)
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9).
The Kirtland Temple was dedicated on a Palm Sunday. During this prayer, received by revelation, the promise was given, “That our garments may be pure, that we may be clothed upon with robes of righteousness, with palms in our hands, and crowns of glory upon our heads, and reap eternal joy for all our sufferings” (D&C 109:76). On the following Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836, the resurrected Savior stood on the breastwork of the pulpit to accept His house. Wow! What a Holy Week that was!
We can become eternal kings and queens and priests and priestesses because of Jesus Christ and His atonement.
