"Ride on, ride on in majesty.
In lowly pomp, ride on to die.
O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O'er captive death and conquered sin."
- "Ride On, Ride On in Majesty" by Henry H. Milman
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday, also called Sunday of the Passion. Palm Sunday seems like such a joyous day, doesn't it? After all, the crowds cheered on Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem. Even though the Pharisees tried to rain on the parade, Jesus still had an answer to their criticism.
Even though the day seemed joyous, as Henry Milman points out, Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem to have a big party. He rode into Jerusalem to suffer terrible punishment for crimes He did not commit and a cursed death on a cross. He came to bear the sins of the whole world. This is in stark contrast to the joyous celebration on Palm Sunday.
Fortunately for us, the story does not end there. Christ's death conquered sin and his glorious ressurrection on Easter morning triumphed over death. So, maybe Palm Sunday can be a joyous day after all as a day pointing to both the ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate victory.
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