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A Prayer of Great Hope, on Palm Sunday

     Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. Zech. 9:9-12

Dear Lord Jesus, I’ll exhaust the wonder of this passage as soon as I drink Niagara Falls dry; as soon as I memorize the names of every star you’ve launched into the heavens; as soon as I finish climbing all the Alps in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and France. So great is your glory, matchless your mercies and lavish your love!

On this Palm Sunday morning, I’m overwhelmed with everything this Scripture says about you—your humility, sovereignty, your generosity. What other king could conquer warhorses and warriors by riding the foal of a donkey? What other king could break the battle bow and the backbone of all warfare by the brokenness of the cross? What other king could ever replace all politics of tyranny and power with a dominion and reign of peace, everywhere and forever? No other king but you.

What other king would offer his life and death for the redemption and restoration of rebels, fools, and idolaters like us? What other king could possibly make prisoners of sin, death, and “waterless pits” into prisoners of hope? No other king but you.

Who is the King of Glory? It is you, Lord Jesus, and only you. Who is the King of Grace? It is you, Lord Jesus, and only you. Who is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? It is you, Lord Jesus, and only you.

I join my brothers and sisters today in great rejoicing, for you have come to us, righteous and victorious; and you’re coming again to finish every good work you have begun. Yet our hosannas are laced with the sobering news of every costly thing required of you for our redemption. As we survey your cross this week, may it fuel within us gratitude for so great a salvation and hope for the fullness of your kingdom.

Lord Jesus, may your cross and your crown continue to free us from all other imprisonments, so that we may live as prisoners of hope and agents of redemption. So very Amen we pray, in your peerless and triumphant name.

 

 

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