There Was a Time When Children Sang

On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel." John 12:12-13

Today is Palm Sunday, the day we commemorate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem just five days before He went to the cross. He came to Jerusalem riding on a young donkey, just as had been prophesied many years before.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9

In the days of Jesus, it was common custom in that land to cover, in some way, the path of someone thought worthy of the highest honor.

Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" Matthew 21:8-9

In his gospel account, John specifically mentions the spreading of palm branches to cover the road.

On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel." John 12:12-13

The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and of victory in Jewish tradition, as we see in Leviticus and Revelation.

Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. Leviticus 23:40

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands. Revelation 7:9

How ironic that after all this royal treatment, just five days later, the people of Jerusalem would send Jesus to be crucifed. And when given the chance, they chose to release a known criminal instead of the King of the Jews as Pilate offered them.

"But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?" So they cried out again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas." Now Barabbas was a robber. John 18:39-40

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Palm Sunday was a beautiful day of rejoicing at the Savior's presence. As this hymnwriter says, all the hills of Judah rang with the children's exulting jubilee. Oh to have been there!

He still loves to hear our praise - children and adults alike. As we contemplate the last few days before Good Friday and then Easter, let us lift our voices to praise our glorious King, who paid the price for our sin and now is seated at God's right hand.

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD,Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1

There Was a Time When Children Sang
Words by Thomas R. Taylor

There was a time when children sang
The Savior’s praise with sacred glee,
And all the hills of Judah rang
With their exulting jubilee.

O to have joined their rapturous songs,
And swelled their sweet hosannas high,
And blessed Him with our feeble tongues
As He, the Man of grief, went by!

But Christ is now a glorious King,
And angels in His presence bow;
The humble songs that we can sing,
O will He, can He, hear them now?

He can, He will, He loves to hear
The notes which loving children raise;
Jesus, we come with trembling fear:
O teach our hearts and tongues to praise!

We join the hosts around Thy throne,
Who once, like us, the desert trod;
And thus we make their song our own,
Hosanna to the Son of God!