“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.
Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends— those who see me on the street flee from me.
I am forgotten as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.”
Psalm 31:9-16 NIV

Palm Sunday stands out in stark contrast to the appearance of the rest of Passion week. It is an indication of the readiness of the people to be saved, but it is also a reminder that they still don’t know what it is Jesus is about to do. This revolution He is heading up isn’t against the people that they feel they need freedom from. He is standing up to much bigger enemies. This battle against sin and death is a far greater struggle than the fight between oppressor and oppressed on the physical scale. This fight is for all the marbles, this is the beginning of something completely new, a new covenant that will be written in His blood.

And where we sing songs of triumph today, in just a few days time, we will remember those cold cries of ‘Crucify Him!’, ‘Give us Barabbas!’ and ‘Let His blood be on our heads, and the heads of our children!’

Today is a pointing forward to that final true day of triumph, a foreshadowing of final glory and we celebrate The Lord and His mighty hand, raised in victory at the final battle. We look ahead to the renewal of all creation and the final abolishment of corruption. It is a day we long for, a day we deeply desire to see the day when He finishes the work of making all things new.

But first comes Palm Sunday, the next few tumultuous days and confrontations, betrayals, denials and abandonments that pave the way to Golgotha. His crucifixion, in a coronation of mockery and abuse, stands just days away, and we know that Jesus understood what was beginning.

May our hearts be ever with His this week as we make our way through the final days and moments of this beautiful season of Lent. May His suffering not escape our minds and attention. May our souls retrace His steps and sing faithful Hosannas to our King. And may we devote ourselves in the daily pursuit to GoLove others in Hs precious Name.