On that Sunday when Jesus came into Jerusalem, it was a moment of celebration and excitement for many Jews, particularly those who had come to believe Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah (their Savior). They believed he would soon become their new king and would overthrow Rome. Their oppression would finally be over!

And to add to their confidence, the way Jesus came into town was right in line with how the prophet Zechariah had predicted some 400 years earlier that the king would make his entrance.

The gospel writer Matthew was an eyewitness to these events and gave us a summary of what happened that day. He started with what happened right before Jesus rode into town, when Jesus was with his closest friends in a small town just outside Jerusalem. Matthew also told us why this particular Sunday would later be known as Palm Sunday, when Jesus traveled along a small path of palm branches that people laid out for him