March 29: Palm Sunday: The Triumphal Entry
♫ Music:
WEEK SEVEN
March 29 - April 4
Holy Week
The story of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection is at the very heart of the Gospel. Every year Christians around the world wholeheartedly enter into the powerful sequence of Holy Week, spanning Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Christ’s passion becomes real as each portion of the unfolding drama is recalled. Some of the most meaningful and memorable worship experiences take place during this week as believers imagine through the eyes of first century witnesses what it must have been like to be there. According to the ancient writings of Egeria, “Great Week” rituals were well established by the 4th century and very similar to observances that take place today. Holy Week is a marvelous opportunity for us to draw closer to Christ with thankful hearts for His great sacrifice and victory over sin and death.
Sunday, March 29
Scripture: Matthew 21:6-10
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
PALM SUNDAY
The Triumphal Entry
By Theresa Crooks
An odd story
This account of Jesus
Riding triumphantly
Into Jerusalem
Surely He knew
What was to come
The turn of events
The cheers
Turned to jeers
The waving palm branches
Turned to instruments of flogging
The cloaks on the road
Turned to a robe
With a crown of thorns
The triumph
Turned to defeat
Why would Jesus
Put Himself in the middle
Of a story like this
Why would he
Set himself up
To be thrust down
To be humiliated
To be crushed
To be broken
Why would Jesus allow
The people
In Jerusalem
To get caught up
In glorious frenzy
When most likely
Their cheers
Were empty
Of the true reason
He had come
Why?
The Pharisees wondered why
They told Jesus
To silence the crowds
To put an end to the hype
To contain the praise
But He did not give the rocks
A chance to cry out
Instead
He provided an opportunity
For the people
To express their desires
For a king
To experience their hope
For things to be different
To show their affection
For Him
Even though
They may have been misguided
And did not understand Him
How often
Does Jesus choose
To enter my life
As he entered Jerusalem
That day
Hearing my shouts
Of “hosanna”
Seeing my cloak
Laid down
Willingly for Him
Feeling the brush
Of my palm branch
Cheering Him on
Knowing
What lies ahead
The misconceived expectations
The broken promises
The divided loyalties
The betrayals
The half-hearted efforts
The scourgings
The subtle sins
The curses
The blatant disobedience
The abandonments
The crucifixions
You would think
This would stop Him
From entering
Yet He comes
Time and time again
How odd this story
Of Jesus
Entering my life
Only to be crucified
Surely He knows
What is to come
But He comes anyway
He comes
Because He loves me
As He loved
Those who hailed Him
Long ago
Because He is able
To see beyond
The turn of events
To a new turning
From His own will
To His Father's
From hate
To love
From life
To death
So that I may live
Hosanna!
Blessed is He
Who comes
In the name
Of the Lord!
PRAYER
Jesus, King of the universe, ride on in humble majesty. Lord, this Palm Sunday may I recognize in you the Lord who comes to his world, and join with full heart in the children’s ‘hosanna.’ Ride on, through conflict and debate, ride on through sweaty prayer and betrayal of friends. Lord, this Palm Sunday forgive me my evasions of truth, my carelessness of your honor; my weaknesses which leave me sleeping even while in others you suffer and are anguished: my cowardice that does not risk the consequences of publicly acknowledging you as Lord. Ride on to the empty tomb and your rising in triumph. Ride on to raise up your Church, a new body for your service. Ride on, King Jesus, to renew the whole earth in your image, in compassion come to help us. Amen.
(East Indian Prayer)
Theresa Crooks, Alumna, Department of Art
The Triumphal Entry
J.M. Kase & Company
St Florian Church, Hamtramck, Michigan
Stained glass
About the Artist & Art
The St. Florian Roman Catholic parish was established in Hamtramck, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, in 1907. It was named after the patron saint of Poland, to serve the many Polish immigrants who lived in the area. The current church was completed in 1928 in the style of Polish cathedrals. The stained glass in the church was done by the J. M. Kase Company during the original construction. This panel depicts Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey, with palm fronds at his feet.
About the Music
Hosanna, The Savior has Come Lyrics
Narrator:
On the Sunday before Passover, as Jesus came nigh unto Jerusalem for the feast, he sent two of his disciples, saying, Go ye into the village; in the which ye shall find a colt tied: loose him and bring him hither.
Narrator:
And they brought the colt to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon him, and they set Jesus thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen.
Choir:
“The Promise of Ages” whom prophets foretold,
For whom we have waited e'er long,
Hath come to redeem us from slavery's yoke
And deliver His people back home.
Come, Israel, come and see He who shall reign,
In whom we will ever rejoice,
We hear the sound of the glorious refrain
And it echoeth back in our voice:
Hosanna! Hosanna! Thy Savior hath come, O Israel,
And blessed He'll ever be called!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Sing praises to God,
For our Hope, our Deliv'rer, our All!
Narrator:
And some of the Pharisees said unto Jesus, “Master rebuke Thy disciples.”
And He answered, “I tell you, if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out.”
Choir:
Oh, why should we wander as strangers from Thee
And turn from Thy bounteous hand?
Restore and defend us, oh, set us free,
That beside Thee we ever may stand!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Thy Savior hath come, O Israel,
And blessed He'll ever be called!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Sing praises to God,
For our Hope, our Deliv'rer, our All!
He looks, and ten thousands of angels rejoice,
And myriads wait for His word;
He speaks, and eternity, filled with His voice,
Re-echoes the praise of her Lord:
Hosanna! Hosanna! Thy Savior hath come, O Israel,
And blessed He'll ever be called!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Sing praises to God,
For our Hope, our Deliv'rer, our All!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Thy Savior hath come,
Our Hope, our Salvation, our All!
About the Composer and Performers
Rob Gardner is a contemporary composer. He has been playing instruments and singing since he was young. Gardener began writing music while attending university. He writes both sacred music and secular music, including film scores and musicals. Gardner is the president of Spire Music, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to encourage the composition of new works by creating opportunities for their performance.”
The London Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1904, is London’s oldest symphony orchestra. They have been recording albums since 1912, including more than 200 film soundtracks.