Matthew 21:9. Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Ah friends, the snow is over now and it’s dry and sunny, though somewhat chilly, on this blessed Sunday. And it’s one of the special Sundays in our Christian Calendar, that we call Palm Sunday, when Christ our Saviour rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on a king’s ride back then, a donkey, heralding His Messianic kingdom to come. So today we’ll sing a song expressly written in 1820 for this particular day with lyrics by Henry Millman and music by Lowell Mason. And it’s become such a favourite down through the years, that in 1907, John Julian, in his Dictionary of Hymnology, stated it was the most popular Palm Sunday Hymn in the English language at the time.
And I believe it is still amongst the most popular, with it’s wonderful title which acknowledges and celebrates Christ’s kingship, His upcoming battles and triumphs. So let’s sing ‘Ride On, Ride On In Majesty!’ Yes my faithful brethren, let’s sing it in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version, allowing our sweet sacrifices of praise to rise to high heaven with victory in our hearts and minds as we continue this Easter journey in Holy Week, that will lead to the most important foundation stone, the very core of our Christian faith, Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday!
Singing: ‘Ride on! ride on in majesty! Hark! all the tribes Hosanna cry! O Savior meek, pursue Thy road, With palms and scattered garments strowed. Ride on! ride on in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die! O Christ! Thy triumphs now begin Over captive death and conquered sin. Ride on! ride on in majesty! The angel hosts beyond the sky Look down with sad and wondering eyes, To see the approaching sacrifice! Ride on! ride on in majesty! Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh; Thy Father on His sapphire throne, Awaits thee, His own, LOVED, anointed Son! Ride on! ride on in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die; Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain! Then take, oh God! Thy power, and reign!’
Wow! What powerful lyrics my people! The hymn is so powerful that it was described by composer Stanley L. Osbourne as “Objective, robust, confident, and stirring, it possesses that peculiar combination of tragedy and victory which draws the singer into the very centre of the drama. It is this which gives the hymn its power and its challenge.” And he doesn’t lie, for just think of these unlikely juxtapositions of words and thoughts: ‘O Savior meek, pursue Thy road, With palms and scattered garments strowed…. ride on in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die! Thy triumphs now begin Over captive death and conquered sin.’
I like that line ‘in lowly pomp ride on to die.’ Since when has pomp ever been lowly eh, for it’s basic meaning is ‘ceremony and splendid display, a show of magnificence.’ But our Jesus wasn’t ready to put on His splendid display, His show of magnificence just then. He’s waiting for when He comes as the righteous judge, astride His white stallion called ‘Faithful and True, with eyes as a flame of fire, and many crowns on His head, His name known only to Himself, clothed with a robe dipped in blood, while His heavenly armies dressed in fine, clean white linen follow Him on snorting white chargers. And out of His mouth extends a sharp sword, with which to smite the nations and then rule them with an iron fist. And on His robe and on His thigh the mighty and sovereign name is written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS!’ (Rev. 19:11-16)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s when our Lord and Saviour will really come with true pomp and glory! In the meanwhile, He’s keeping a low profile, being the sacrificial lamb, for our benefit. And we all know the Palm Sunday story, when Jesus came riding triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey and it’s colt, thus fulfilling the prophecy spoken by Zechariah: ‘’Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just (righteous), and having salvation; lowly (humble), and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.’ (Zech. 9:9)
And Jesus certainly fulfilled that prophecy on Palm Sunday! And did the daughters of Zion and Jerusalem ever rejoice and shout! Listen to how the Bible tells it: ‘And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed (spread) them in the way (road). 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. And when He was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.’ (Matt. 21:8-11)
Mama oh Mama! What a great sight that must have been in ole Jerusalem eh! Jesus riding stately and sedately on His kingly donkey, with clothes and tree branches strewn all around Him, and the multitude giving Him a welcome fit for the King He was. I wonder if He was waving to the crowd as royalty do these days. (smile) The poor and downtrodden must have LOVED Him immensely that day, especially as some time shortly after His triumphal procession, Jesus went into the temple and cast out all the crooks and con artists who sold and bought in the sacred house of God.
He overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves, telling them: ‘It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased (indignant). And said unto him, hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings (nursing infants) thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.’ (Matt. 21:13-17)
By the way, the quote above there, comes from above there, come from Psalm 8, where Bruh David writes:. ‘Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings (nursing infants) hast thou ordained (established) strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightiest still (silence) the enemy and the avenger.’
Oh friends, what a day that first Palm Sunday must have been, with Jesus coming into Jerusalem offering Himself to the nation of Israel as their long-awaited Messiah. Then cleansing the temple of the organized religious corruption found there, and then in typical Jesus fashion, simply walking away to find rest for His spirit. And yes, I know that by Friday, we’ll be holding our heads and bawling because of the crucifixion, but let’s remember that there could have been no Easter Sunday resurrection without the Good Friday crucifixion! Much LOVE!
don’t worry…our cries of Hosanna…please save…will be answered next Sunday…
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