THOUGHTS

April 5, 2020

PALM SUNDAY

This is the beginning of holy week

from Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, 

to Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins,

to Easter Sunday when He rose from the dead.

The word the fickle crowd shouted had two meanings.  The original is thought to mean a prayer, a plea for God to save his people in a desperate cry for deliverance: "Save, please!

Psalm 118:25, "Save now, I pray, O Lord;  O Lord, I pray."

  

Then it turned into a praise in Psalm 118:26, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"  The Hebrew children were oppressed under the rule of the Romans.  When Jesus rides in on a donkey, He is coming as a king.  He knows the symbolism.  But later when on trial he answers Herod, "My kingdom is not of this world." Twice, He said it.   

In a Civil War Reenactment we once attended, a Calvary officer rode up and gave a devotional from his horse.  He said that donkeys and mules were so smart that they refuse to go to battle.  It was the horse that could be trained as a war horse.  Jesus rode in that day on a donkey, but our coming king is riding in on a white horse.

So imagine the excitement of the Jews when Jesus entered into their city that day.  They exclaimed joyfully, "Hosanna, our Messiah has come.  We are saved!"  Little skinny boys ripped off their shirts flinging them to the ground so they could shimmy up palm trees to throw down fronds so the people could wave them.  What?  You always thought it was a Jewish thing to do to carry the fronds with them so to be ready in case a king arrived?  I am almost certain, it was many a child who began the parade by providing palm fronds to the crowd and perhaps even theirs were the first garments laid down before their king.  Remember earlier when Jesus had gone to the temple as the children clamored to be near Him, He quoted, "Out of the mouths of infants and babes, Thou hast ordained praise."

Today during this pandemic, it is our turn to cry out, "Save, please!  Save now, I pray, O Lord, O Lord, I pray.  Yes, Jesus is our king and we implore, we beg Him to overturn this pestilence.  However, we should also remember that He is not just an earthly king, but is our conquering king, an eternal king who desires to rule over our hearts because He died to save us from our sin.  

This morning I found on my bookshelf an old book of Common Prayer from the Church of England that I bought in a second hand store.  I looked up Palm Sunday and these poems were there.

"Ride on! ride on in majesty!

Hark!  all the tribes Hosanna cry;

O Saviour meek, pursue Thy road

With palms and scatter'd garments strow'd.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!

In lowly pomp ride on to die;

O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin

O'er captive death and conquer'd sin.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!

The Angel armies of the sky

Look down with sad and wondering eyes

To see the approaching Sacrifice.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!

The last and fiercest strife is nigh:

The Father on His sapphire Throne

Awaits His own Anointed Son.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!

In lowly pomp ride on to die;

Bow Thy meek Head to mortal pain,

Then take, O God, Thy power, and reign.

Amen"

"All glory, laud, and honour

To Thee, Redeemer, King,

To Whom the lips of children 

Made sweet Hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel,

Thou David's Royal Son,

Who in the Lord's Name comest,

The King and Blessed One.

All glory...

The company of Angels

Are praising Thee on high,

And mortal men and all things

Created make reply.

All glory...

The people of the Hebrews

With palms before Thee went;

Our praise and prayer and anthems

Before Thee we present.

All glory...

To Thee before Thy Passion

They sang their hymns of praise;

To Thee now high exalted

Our melody we raise.

All glory...

Thou didst accept their praises,

Accept the prayers we bring,

Who in all good delightest

Thou good and gracious King.

All glory...Amen."