RIDE ON, O KING ETERNAL: A SERMON FOR PALM SUNDAY

A Contemporary Byzantine-Style Icon of the Triumphant Entrance into Jerusalem for This Palm Sunday

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West)

INTRODUCTION

Today, in Jerusalem, the air was thick with prophetic resonance! Both Passover and Sukkot were at the front of mind for all those who saw the unfolding scene. The streets felt alive with expectation. Cloaks were thrown down like royal carpets; palms waved like banners in a triumphal procession. And there - riding not on a warhorse, but on a borrowed donkey colt - came a King. No trumpet sounded, save for the cries of children and the rustling of hope: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Jerusalem had seen kings before, but never one like this. They did not know that He rode, not to seize power, but to surrender; not to conquer by sword, but by the shame of a Cross.

This paradox - the glory of a coronation cloaked in the garments of sorrow - unfolds before us today. As Saint Paul reminds us, Christ Jesus, “being in the form of God…humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.” The palms that line His path will soon be traded for thorns; the crowd that sang will soon scream. And yet, this is no failure of kingship—it is its very triumph. For through His suffering, He rends the veil of death and flings wide the gates of paradise.

So today, beloved, we ride with Him in a flash of temporary glory, before the horror and the power of Holy Week, through the cheers and into the silence, from the cloaked streets of Zion to the broken and skull-like Hill of Calvary. Let us go not follow as spectators but as disciples, bearing within us the same mind that was in Christ: the mind of humility, obedience, and redeeming love.

“Ride on, O King Eternal!”

SCRIPTURE READINGS

THE EPISTLE READING: PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW 27:1-54

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: and when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. 

And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me. 

And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. 

Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 

When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 

And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 

Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 

And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. 

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. 

Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 

SERMON

I will say these things to you now, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Beloved in Christ, on this Palm Sunday, we commemorate our Lord's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, an event laden with profound significance and rich symbolism. As we reflect upon the Scriptures appointed for this day, let us delve into their depths, drawing wisdom from the sacred texts, the teachings of the Church Fathers, and the treasures of our Christian literary heritage.

The Triumphal Entry: A Fulfillment of Prophecy

Our Gospel reading presents the scene of Jesus entering Jerusalem, greeted by crowds spreading their garments and palm branches before Him, proclaiming, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" This act fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah: "Behold, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, humble and mounted on a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9). The humility of Christ is evident as He chooses a lowly beast of burden over a majestic steed, signifying the nature of His kingdom—not of earthly grandeur, but of meekness and peace.

Christ's Humility and Obedience

The Epistle to the Philippians exhorts us: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). St. John Chrysostom reflects on this passage, emphasizing that Christ, though in the form of God, "emptied Himself, taking upon Him the form of a servant," demonstrating unparalleled humility and obedience unto death.

The Deliverance from Bondage

Turning to our Old Testament reading from Exodus, we witness Moses and Aaron confronting Pharaoh with God's command: "Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness" (Exodus 5:1). This plea for liberation prefigures Christ's mission to free humanity from the bondage of sin. As Pharaoh's heart was hardened, so too did the world resist the Savior. Yet, through His Passion, Christ becomes the true Passover Lamb, leading us from captivity to freedom.

Steadfastness Amidst the Tempest

The account from Acts narrates Paul's perilous sea voyage, culminating in shipwreck. Despite the dire circumstances, Paul exhorts his companions to take heart, assuring them of God's providence: "There shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but only of the ship" (Acts 27:22). This episode mirrors the trials we face, reminding us that, though the vessel of our worldly securities may be shattered, our souls remain secure in Christ.

The Passion: The Ultimate Sacrifice

In the Passion narrative according to St. Matthew, we behold the culmination of Christ's earthly ministry. He stands before Pilate, silent amidst accusations, embodying the Suffering Servant foretold by Isaiah. The crowd's choice of Barabbas over Jesus underscores the blindness of fallen humanity. Yet, through His voluntary sacrifice, the veil of the temple is rent, signifying the restoration of communion between God and man, and Christ’s function as the Great High Priest, entering into the Heavenly Holy of Holies, offering up His Self for the Life of the World!

Reflections from Our Heritage

The Caroline Divines and the Mystery of Joy and Sorrow

The Caroline Divines, in their deep devotion to the mystery of the Incarnation and Passion, often highlighted the paradox of Palm Sunday—that Christ is both the Triumphant King and the Lamb led to the slaughter. Their reflections draw us into the theological tension of this day, where cries of Hosanna give way to Crucify Him within the same week.

Blessed Lancelot Andrewes, in his Palm Sunday sermons, contemplates this paradox with solemn reverence:

“He rides, who shortly after shall be bound; He comes to die, who comes to triumph. A strange triumph, no doubt, where death is the trophy and the cross the triumphal chariot.”
(Andrewes, Sermons, Palm Sunday)

Andrewes continues by reminding the faithful that this entry into Jerusalem is not simply regal but also deeply sacrificial:

“He rides in, not in armour, but in meekness; not to a palace, but to a Passion; not to be crowned with gold, but with thorns.”

The Blessed Bishop Jeremy Taylor, another Caroline divine, in his Holy Living and Holy Dying, draws attention to the spiritual preparation required of the Christian in the face of such mysteries:

“A devout soul passes from hosannas to crucifixion, and from crucifixion to resurrection, with the grace of tears and the courage of love; for so walked our Lord before us.”

The Oxford Fathers and the Theology of the Passion

Building upon this tradition, the Oxford Fathers of the 19th-century revival, revived a patristic understanding of suffering and sanctification that was central to the Ancient English Patrimony. For them, the Palm Sunday procession is the liturgical entry into the Via Dolorosa, the path of redemptive sorrow.

Fr. John Keble, in his The Christian Year, captures this poignantly in his Palm Sunday poem:

"There is a softness in her eye,
And she is gone and pass’d away:
She comes to die, she will not stay;
She follows Him, and weeps to see
The shameful cross of Calvary."

This tender verse mirrors the heart of the faithful who see beyond the pageantry of palms to the shadow of the cross. Similarly, John Henry Newman, in his sermon The Cross of Christ the Measure of the World, writes:

“Christ’s Passion is not only the instrument of our redemption but the pattern of our life. To follow Christ is to follow Him to Gethsemane and Golgotha.”

In this way, the Oxford Fathers teach that resurrection joy is always born through Calvary’s sorrow. There is no Easter without the Cross; no Hosanna without the Crucifixion.

The Inklings: Allegory and the Triumph of Love

This theological pattern finds rich imaginative expression in the work of C.S. Lewis, who masterfully communicates the mystery of redemptive suffering through allegory. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the noble lion Aslan offers himself willingly on the Stone Table in place of the traitor Edmund—a powerful image of propitiation and atonement:

“Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know... If she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation... that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.”

Here Lewis enfolds classic Christian doctrine - Christ's innocence, atonement, and victorious resurrection - into a narrative that moves the heart and forms the soul. Aslan’s death is not defeat but the great Eucatastrophe, as Lewis’s friend J.R.R. Tolkien would call it: the unexpected and undeserved joy that breaks through despair.

A Poetic Reflection

In the words of the Divine, Fr. John Donne:

"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."

This verse encapsulates the duality of Palm Sunday - the celebration of Christ's kingship intertwined with the foreshadowing of His Passion.

Conclusion

As we journey through this Holy Week, let us emulate our Lord's humility, embracing the path of self-denial and obedience. May we, bearing the branches of righteousness, welcome Christ into the Jerusalem of our hearts, ever singing, "Hosanna in the highest!"

COLLECT

Almighty and everlasting God, who of Thy tender love towards mankind hast sent Thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of His great humility: Mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of His patience and also be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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