Palm Sunday: The Lord has Need of You. Rejoice!

4/13/2025

by Kaylee Edmunds and Carolina Diaz

SCRIPTURE

Luke 19:28-40: The Triumphal Entry

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’”

So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.

As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

DEVOTION

Have you ever had someone call to you and say “I need your help!” or been asked to do something by a friend, teacher, parent, spouse, or official? Or have you ever had the Holy Spirit place upon your heart a calling to serve another person? How did you feel after helping that person or how did you feel knowing that someone needed your help? If you've ever wondered why this happens, I can give you a simple answer: The Lord has need of you.

In Luke chapter 19 verse 34, the young colt's owner asks the disciples of Jesus why they are untying and taking his colt, and they simply reply with “The Lord has need of it.” Why would The King of Israel, the King of Kings, want anything to do with a lowly, stubborn donkey? Well the same question may be applied to us as well.

Some of us might ask, “I’m just an ordinary person; why did God choose me?” “What can I offer God that someone else can offer better?” We have seen throughout history that God uses the most unlikely, stubborn, ordinary people to work wonders and carry out His plan for the world, so why would He not be able to use you, too? The Lord knows who you are on the deepest, most personal level imaginable, so he will never give you too much to carry and there is no need to hide your concerns or worries about what He may be asking you to do; all you need to do is trust Him. We can never know what God is thinking, but what I do know is that He has need of you; no matter who you are or what you do. Your skills, talents, and ideas are valuable to Him.

So, as you begin the journey through Holy Week, start out with praise and rejoicing that our King has come and that He has need of you. Take the time to ask God right now, “What do you need of me today, tomorrow, and for years to come?”

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your one and only Son to make the ultimate sacrifice for us, even though we don’t deserve it. As we begin Holy Week, I pray we never forget the true meaning of why we are celebrating it. Please open our hearts so we can continue to walk with you. Allow our gifts and talents to display light and bring glory to your Kingdom; remind us that we are valuable to You. Thank you for walking with us through times of joy and times of darkness in our lives. I pray to you, Lord, that we continue to grow our relationship with you and rejoice in your name. In your Heavenly name Lord, Amen.

POETRY

Palm Sunday by Malcolm Guite

Now to the gate of my Jerusalem,
The seething holy city of my heart,
The saviour comes. But will I welcome him?
Oh crowds of easy feelings make a start;
They raise their hands, get caught up in the singing,
And think the battle won. Too soon they’ll find
The challenge, the reversal he is bringing
Changes their tune. I know what lies behind
The surface flourish that so quickly fades;
Self-interest, and fearful guardedness,
The hardness of the heart, its barricades,
And at the core, the dreadful emptiness
Of a perverted temple. Jesus come

Break my resistance and make me your home.

Analysis: This poem, written beautifully by Malcom Guite, captures the highs that Palm Sunday brings, along with the sorrow that is soon to come later in the week. Malcolm Guite wrote this poem to exemplify the spiritual journey of Christians and the questions that come along with it. This poem goes deeper than just what happened on Palm Sunday, and displays what it means to have the faith of Jesus to enter one’s heart. Palm Sunday was a day of rejoicing, as Jesus, our Savior, entered triumphantly into Jerusalem. As followers of Christ, we must face our struggles and not run astray from Jesus. Rather, we should allow Jesus into our hearts and rejoice in him!

MUSIC

Mozart - Coronation Mass - Benedictus - The English Concert

Analysis: Listening to this song, you get the feeling that something big is coming, but not in the way you would expect. Mozart seems to start off slow and smooth, but towards the end we get loud and exciting sounds; sounds of a triumphal entry! We chose this piece because of the imagery it gave us when thinking about Jesus' triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. Jesus is the King, and yet He rode into town in the most humble way imaginable. Yet even though He did this, we should still praise Him and worship Him like our one true King has come! We should rejoice and be glad!

ART

Analysis of the Picture: This oil painting on canvas, done masterfully by Anthony van Dyck in the year 1617, portrays the triumphal entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. In this painting, we can see the use of many colors, the contrast between light and dark, and the meticulous attention to detail. As we all know, colors have meaning. Looking specifically at Jesus, we see He is wearing red and blue. The red symbolizes blood and the ultimate price that Jesus had to pay for the atonement of our sins; the blue symbolizes Jesus’ divinity and holiness. Jesus is the perfect and only price for our sins, and we must rejoice in His coming.

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Palm Sunday: The Lord has Need of You. Rejoice!

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