The notion of Jesus riding a donkey has populist appeal — a man who proclaimed himself son of God atop the humblest of creatures.

But there’s a deeper layer that too many people overlook, says the Rev. Lewis Galloway of Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. In Biblical times, it was a custom for kings to ride donkeys in times of peace.

Giving the symbolism greater weight was the prophecy of Zechariah, familiar to people of the day, which essentially made the parade of palms atop the donkey — remembered at Second Presbyterian and around the world Sunday — a turning point in the ministry of Jesus.

“It is the moment in which he publicly accepts and proclaims his identity as the messiah, the son of God and the son of David,” Galloway said.

The procession is a bittersweet beginning of the holiest week in Christianity, a triumph ahead of great suffering. Every year, Galloway says, he notices how the poignant sight of palm-waving children behind a donkey frequently brings adults to tears.

“It touches something very deep within us,” he said. “Almost inexplicable.”

Robert King