Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week and Jesus' entry into Jerusalem

Cultures · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal arrival of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, signaling the beginning of Holy Week. While modern traditions often involve processions with palm branches, the day serves as a somber prelude to the Passion, the detailed final events of Jesus' life that define core Christian belief.

Palm Sunday is the Sunday preceding Easter, serving as the liturgical gateway to Holy Week. The event it commemorates—the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem—is recorded in all four canonical Gospels. While the Gospels differ in specific details, they consistently frame this entry as the opening of the final week of Jesus' life. This period, known as the Passion, is described with far greater chronological detail than the accounts of his early years or public ministry, reflecting the immense significance early Christian congregations placed on these final days.

The term 'passion' originates from the Latin passio, meaning suffering or enduring. Following his entry into the city, the Gospels describe Jesus teaching his followers and engaging in conflicts with scribes and Pharisees. As the crisis deepened, Jesus gathered the Twelve Apostles for the Last Supper, an event many theologians, such as Joachim Jeremias, interpret as a Jewish Passover meal. This meal established a new covenant, marked by Jesus offering his body and blood, a central tenet of Christian liturgy.

The narrative of the Passion is complex, involving the betrayal by Judas Iscariot and a two-fold trial. Jesus was first examined by Jewish religious authorities for alleged blasphemy, and subsequently referred to the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate for a civil trial. Historians continue to debate the legalities of these proceedings and the extent of responsibility held by Jewish versus Roman authorities. Ultimately, Christian theology has often interpreted the joint action of these groups in the crucifixion as a symbolic representation of the guilt of all humanity.

Artistic depictions of these events have persisted for centuries, ranging from Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century Last Supper to 14th-century works like Ugolino da Siena’s depiction of the Apostles. These representations, alongside the liturgical reading of the Passion, ensure that the events of the final week remain a foundational element of Christian practice, inviting ongoing reflection on the motives of figures like Judas and the political pressures faced by Pilate.

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