Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter that begins Holy Week, remembering Jesus riding into Jerusalem while crowds waved palm branches and cried Hosanna. Many churches give out palms and read the account, opening the week that leads to the cross.

How do I find a Palm Sunday service near me?

Use the free church finder at living-bread.org/find-a-church to find a real, welcoming church near you, then check its page or call ahead for this year's Palm Sunday and Holy Week service times.

Holy Week begins

Palm Sunday services: Hosanna, and the road to the cross

Palm Sunday opens Holy Week, remembering the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem as crowds waved palm branches and cried Hosanna. It begins the week that leads to the cross and the empty tomb.

Palm Sunday begins Holy Week, remembering the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem as crowds waved palm branches and cried Hosanna. In many services palms are given out and the story is read. It opens the week that leads to the cross and the empty tomb, and everyone is welcome to come.

What happens on Palm Sunday

Many churches hand out palm branches, sometimes folded into small crosses, and read the account of Jesus riding into the city on a humble donkey while the crowds spread their cloaks and shouted for joy. It is a service that holds both celebration and a shadow, because the same week that begins with Hosanna leads to the cross.

“And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”
Matthew 21:9 · King James Version

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”
Zechariah 9:9 · King James Version

A humble King

Jesus did not enter the city on a warhorse but on a borrowed donkey. The King who was cheered that day would give His life a few days later. Palm Sunday invites us to welcome Him honestly, and to walk with Him through the whole week that follows.

Jesus, humble King, I welcome You. Hosanna, save now, is my prayer too. As this week begins, let me not turn away when the road grows hard, but walk with You all the way to the cross, and to the morning beyond it. Amen.

Find a Palm Sunday service near you

When you are ready to be there in person, you can find a Palm Sunday service near you. We do not list service times here, because they change every year and from one place to the next. Instead we point you to real churches close to where you are, so you can go and see for yourself.

Find a church near you

Every church shown is a real place you can visit. Check the church’s own page, or call ahead, for this year’s service times.

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