In this fourth and concluding session on How to Read Scripture Like the Ancient Church, we turn to Palm Sunday and ask what it means to begin with a New Testament passage and then trace its roots backward through the Scriptures. Focusing on the triumphal entry, we explore the significance of the palm branches in John’s Gospel and how their meaning unfolds across the Old Testament.
By following the imagery of the date palm—from Tamar and the royal line, to Elim’s seventy palms, to Jericho, the temple, and Isaiah’s vision of a house of prayer for all nations—we see how palms become a rich symbol of Gentile inclusion, fruitfulness, and the widening scope of God’s covenant purposes. This imagery deepens our understanding of Palm Sunday as not only a coronation procession, but also a sign of the nations being gathered into the life of God.
The session also reflects on what this means for the Church today: how the Spirit flows outward through the people of God to bring life to the nations, and how the triumphal entry continues to shape Christian identity, mission, and hope in the new creation.