Palm Sunday Dzaghgazart / A Euphoric Celebration

Fr. Garabed Kochakian

After Lazarus’ return to the living, the Gospel narrative continues, noting that on the next day, crowds of people who heard of Jesus followed Him and came to greet Him, the Messiah, the Anointed One, as He entered Jerusalem for the last time.

The miniature Icon presents the Lord seated on a donkey, sitting sideways, with his head turned toward the Apostles and with a gesture of his hand blessing everyone. 

Interestingly, in this miniature icon, the artist places Christ at the center conveying the idea that He is the Messiah.  The Lord is shown in a unique position, sitting side saddle. Such a position was one used by kings and royalty, thus describing Jesus as the King of Glory.  

The crowd gathered at the gates of the Holy City are ordinary people and teachers of wisdom. Raising their voices, they greet Christ saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is Him that comes in the name of the Lord [Matt 21:9], thus acknowledging Him as the Messiah.

This scene also shows other interesting aspects of the story. There were children in the crowd along with the adults all together welcoming Jesus. Even though the Evangelists do not explicitly mention children, they are shown surrounding the Lord and are included and painted into this Icon by the artist.

Also, the use of certain colors in the icon is significant and symbolic. For example, the color red so often used for royalty, honor, and kingship identifies Jesus as the King of Glory. The children acknowledge Him as a monarch and are shown placing their red clothing on the ground before the Lord.   This echoes an expression we are all familiar with- “rolling out the Red Carpet”.  Taking off their red garments the children are using them like rugs.

At the bottom of the miniature Icon, as they spread red garments before Him, they have also placed cut palm branches, a tradition observed to honor royalty. Such a scene can be seen today in many parishes during the liturgical Tapor hymn of the procession at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy at which time children hold, candles and palms leading the clergy into the holy sanctuary. 

The artist has fully captured all the scriptural, theological, and liturgical aspects of the Great Palm Sunday event.  One final important component is a red Cross inscribed in Jesus’ halo. This is frequently used only for Jesus’s halo and portends what was yet to come His Crucifixion.

With Palm Sunday Jesus has come and entered not only the Holy city of Jerusalem but also the hearts of all of us; those who follow Him and the faithful today who remember and celebrate the day. And like the crowd we still sing and proclaim Ovsanna ee Partzoons/ Hosanna in the Highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.