want to tell you the History of Palm Sunday & Easter (Passover) as it Concerns us.

The children of Israel had relocated to Egypt for 430 years as a result of severe famine. The Pharaoh at the time accommodated them nicely but over the years, the subsequent Pharaohs maltreated them and turned them to slaves. With time, God had compassion for His people and decided to have them returned to their land but Pharaoh, king of Egypt would not let them.

God decided to break the backbone of Pharaoh and asked each household of the Israelites to kill a male lamb with no spot and smear the doorpost of the house with the blood of the lamb. God allowed two small neighboring houses to share a lamb. No bone of the lamb was to be broken.

God promised "When I see the blood I will pass over you" (Ex. 12 13).

At night, the angel of death killed all the firstborn sons and firstborn male animals of the Egyptians but spared all houses, which has its lintel and door posts smeared with blood of the lamb. So Pharaoh asked the Israelites to depart led by Moses otherwise called Musa.

The night, which this story occurred is referred to in History as "Passover" It occurred at about 1450BC

This incident was only a forerunner or mimic of the method and procedure representing Christ to effect our pardon in order to escape eternal destruction.

A human blood, without blemish, without sin is the only thing that is acceptable to God to cleanse our sins and only Jesus blood meets this condition. His blood was to be spilled and any person from all over the races and languages of the world who believes in Him, marked himself with this blood would be saved from condemnation and eternal doom just as all people in the houses in Egypt marked with blood were spared by the Angel of death.

The Lord commanded the house of Israel to observe the month of this incident, which was the 1st month on the Jewish calendar every year as a remembrance and it is called the feast of Passover (Ex. 12: 42; Numb 28:16).

Jesus said that He had not come to abolish any of the laws but to fulfil them (Matt. 5: 17-20). So, God did it that it was on such an occasion of "Passover" that the blood of Jesus was split (St John 19:31-36).

This particular Passover sacrifice, which Jesus re-enacted with His blood is what we Christians refer to as "Easter" today.

For the commemoration of the Passover, every Jew must compulsorily assemble in Jerusalem. So there used to be a mammoth crowd in Jerusalem during this festival.

And this particular Sunday, less than a week before the Passover sacrifice, Jesus knew that the time to make Himself the perfect sacrifice was up, He entered Jerusalem, riding on a donkey.

So the massive crowd, who were already in Jerusalem from all nooks and corners of the country for the feast (John 12:12), spread their clothes on the road, while others cut palm branches and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (Matt 21:8-9), (John 12:12-13), This is why this Sunday is called "Palm Sunday"

It was in fulfilment of the prophecy of Zechariah (Zach. 9:9).

The crowd hailed Jesus having heard of how He went around, in the last 3 1/2 years healing all manners of sicknesses and breaking funerals but certainly, none of them had the knowledge that it was only a matter of days when the religious leaders was going to torture and murder Him. But His blood will be for the atonement for our sins. And this is why we Christians refer to that entry into Jerusalem as "Triumphant" though it was going to be a week of agony for the man, Jesus riding on the Donkey. But for those who will accept His plans of salvation, it is "triumphant" from hell.

You have just heard the plan of God for the salvation of your soul. Will you ignore it? I pray that you believe and be saved from hell.

Sam Aweda, Pastor, Jesus for the World Revival Mission (Peoples' Church)