“As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” – Zechariah 9:11
Palm Sunday is not for Jesus. It’s not for His good or benefit. Jesus isn’t riding in with all these shouts and praises because He thought He would need a little pick me up before the Passion, or anything like this. No, Jesus is fulfilling prophesy. That which Zechariah foretold is unfolding there on Palm Sunday.
And while a lot of this deals with Jesus will do, it’s not really for Jesus. He doesn’t establish a rule for Himself, He doesn’t cut off the battle bow for His own good. No, this Palm Sunday is for you. Jesus strides into Jerusalem for you, to win you forgiveness and salvation and freedom from sin and death. Jesus enters in, and you exit, free and redeemed. It is for you.
But this is true of all the things that Jesus does. He does them for you, for your good, for your benefit. It really is as simple as that. And we have such a hard time comprehending that. We are so used to ulterior motives and playing the angles and manipulating and using the leverage that we can’t even imagine such selfless love that Jesus shows.
But it is all for you. God promised to be Your God and Savior. That was the promise He made to you at your Baptism, by Water and the Word. He would save you from the waterless pit, and so Jesus rides on into Jerusalem for your good. He rides to the cross for you. He rises for you. It is all for you.
