Palm Sunday — Palmarum
“Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey.” (Zech 9:9-12; Mt 21:1-9) Our Lord rides in this humble fashion because He is entering Jerusalem to humble Himself even to the point of death on a cross. (Phil 2:5-11) His kingly crown will not be made of gold but of thorns, the sign of sin’s curse. For His royal reign is displayed in bearing this curse for His people, saving us from our enemies by sacrificing His own life. The sinless One takes the place of the sinner so that the sinner can be freed and bear the name “Barabbas,” “son of the Father.” (Matthew 26 and 27) It is at the name of this exalted Savior, Jesus, that we bow in humble faith. With the centurion who declared, “Truly this was the Son of God!” we are given to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Introit: (Psalm 22:1, 7-8, 11; antiphon: Psalm 22:19-21)
Pastor: But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
Congregation: Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
P: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
C: All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me;
they wag their heads;
P: “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
C: Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
P: But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
C: Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
(Note: The Gloria In Excelsis is not sung during Lent.)
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
- Zechariah 9:9-12 +
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. (10) 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. (11) As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. (12) Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.Gradual: (Psalm 73:23b-24, 1)
You hold my | right hand.*
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to | glory.
Truly God is good to | Israel,*
to those who are | pure in heart. - Philippians 2:5 -11 +
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (6) who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (9) Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, (10) so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11) and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Tract: (Psalm 22:1, 4-5)
P: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
C: Why are you so far from saving me,
from the words of my groaning?
P: In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
C: To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
- Matthew 21:1- 9 +
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, (2) saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. (3) If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” (4) This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, (5) “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” (6) The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. (7) They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. (8) Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. (9) 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!”