You rode into Jerusalem among crowds that waved palms and shouted, "Hosanna!"
Did they understand that You were the Lord, the Son of God,
a prophecy coming to pass?

Lord, You rode in triumphantly, majestically, and victoriously.
You were on a path that had been chosen by Your Father.
Did You know, then, that You would be tortured and murdered?
I believe You must have.
And yet, You chose to follow the path Your Father had laid before You.
The love, the respect, the honour, and the faith You showed for Your Father
touches me deeply and humbles me.
I do believe that most of us would have headed in the opposite direction,
filled with terror.
You rode on with dignity and honour.

Even when You were betrayed by Judas,
and were left alone as Your disciples fled into the night,
You, Lord, maintained Your dignity,
while still holding onto Your humanity.
You overwhelm me with Your courage and unwavering spirit.

How intense Your inner pain must have been,
in comparison to the physical that was thrust upon You,
as those You were willing to die for,
stood by,
or became a part of those who inflicted the agony upon You.

Still, even in Your last hours,
as Your tortured body slumped in agony
upon that cross, You asked Your heavenly Father
to "forgive them, for they know not what they do".
As You looked down upon those who loved You,
weeping at the foot of Your cross,
could You feel their hearts break,
as Yours stopped beating?

You were taken down from that cross of death,
and placed into another's tomb,
wrapped with cloth by the hands of those who had loved You always.
Their weeping, their sense of total loss
must have been overwhelming, unbearable.
Did they feel afraid of what was to come?
Or did they remember the prophecy?

Oh, what must have gone through Mary's heart and mind
when she returned and the stone was rolled away,
and angels stood there in glory,
and she walked into the tomb where You had been laid,
and no longer saw Your body!

Why? Where had the Lord been taken —
the Lamb Who had been slain for our wrongdoing,
the Lamb Who had endured agony for our sins?
The Lamb had risen to give us new life!
Our salvation is in the blood of the Lamb,
if only we believe and trust in You.
Praise to the Lord! Hallelujah!
The Lamb of God has risen.
Again I say, Hallelujah!

The Lord God is risen indeed! Praise be to God!

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About the author:

Marilyn Allanson <nk-wm@shaw.ca>
Kenora, Ontario, Canada
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