A Prayer for 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 (NIV)
Dear Lord Jesus, we’ll exhaust the glory of this passage when the Amazon River flows backwards, the sun turns into a snow cone, and Yellow Fin Tuna yodel. Who is it that fulfills Zechariah’s magnificent vision? It is you, King Jesus, and we welcome you and rejoice in you on this Palm Sunday.
No other king could vanquish warhorses and warriors, riding the foal of a donkey. No other king could break the battle bow and backbone of warfare, by the brokenness of the cross. No other king could replace the dominion of darkness and the tyranny of evil, with an eternal reign of grace and peace.
No other king would give his life and death for the redemption of rebels and idolaters like us. No other king can possibly make slaves of sin into prisoners of hope.
Lord Jesus, you are that King—the King of glory, the Monarch of mercy, the Governor of grace, the Prince of Peace—the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Great is our rejoicing, because grace is our salvation! You have come to us and for us—righteous and victorious, loving and sovereign.
By the riches of your grace, continue to free us from waterless pits, broken cisterns and worthless idols. By the power of the gospel, enable us to live as prisoners of hope and agents of redemption, until the Day you return to finish making all things new. So very Amen we pray, in your holy and matchless name.
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