Zechariah 9:9-10, Matthew 21:1-11, 26:1-5

Palm Sunday, 5 April 2020

The Rev. Todd R. Goddard, Pastor

Rush United Methodist Church

Prayer.

 

The Lord provided the prophet Zechariah with great vision.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!” he wrote.

“Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!

Lo, your king comes to you;

Triumphant and victorious is he,

Humble and riding on a donkey,

On a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

(Zechariah 9:9-10)

 

Thus, the Lord had spoken.

The Lord spoke to Zechariah’s generation,

Ending their exile and captivity,

Returning them to Jerusalem,

Restoring the Temple,

Breathing life once again into God’s chosen people,

Reviving the faithful.

 

God has done it before.

Expect God to save God’s people again!

 

The Lord’s words spoken by Zechariah

Were also directed to the crowds welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem.

The crowds of would-be followers and disciples of Jesus

Faithfully fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy.

Rejoice!

Shout aloud!

Your king comes!

The king is triumphant, yet humble, riding on a donkey.

 

The faithful know God’s word and are willing to follow God’s every command.

 

Our Palm Sunday worship today is this generation’s

Faithful desire to know God’s word,

To follow God’s every command,

To take our place in God’s unfolding salvation history.

 

Rejoice! Beloved faithful!

Join together in a virtual cloud,

For our isolation and quarantine is time limited.

 

God has done it before.

Expect God to save God’s people again!

New life will breathe into our breasts.

Resurrection and life abundant is at hand.

 

“Hosanna!” the Palm Sunday crowd roared.

Hosanna is a Hallel Psalm,

Taken from Psalm 118:25-26.

It is sung at Passover,

Meaning “Save, we beseech you!”

“Save now!”

Hosanna is a cry

A prayer

For deliverance.

 

Rarely has Hosanna been more meaningful and to the point than right now.

As we wave our palm branches and

Join the ancient chorus

In the isolation of our homes,

We are praying that God will deliver us,

God will save us, and

God will restore us.

 

Our gentle and humble King

Who arrives today on a donkey and a colt

Gives us,

His would-be disciples, followers, and supporters

Hope and promise.

 

Christ has come to save us!

It may not be the salvation we thought was coming,

But it is the salvation and liberation that God has planned all along.

 

Hosanna! To the health care workers.

Hosanna! To our first responders.

Hosanna! To those sick and dying, and their families.

Hosanna! To all isolated, anxious, and discouraged.

Hosanna! Jesus.

Blessed are you who come in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna! In the highest.

Amen.