He came, riding a donkey.

They had waited a long time. Longer than you or your parents or your grandparents or even their grandparents were alive. They had waited and watched for millennia. During that time they had seen kingdoms come and go. They had had wonderful prophets of God and kings who built temples for them. They had wandered for decades and been sustained by bread from heaven and water from rocks. They had conquered, been conquered, enslaved and been enslaved. They had seen fire from heaven, plagues of frogs, and divided seas. They had been obedient to their God and they had foolishly followed after graven images. They had been scattered and partially gathered. And they were still waiting. And watching. They knew what they were waiting for. Their Mesiah. He would teach them, heal them and deliver them. 

 And then He came. At first they didn't know it.  At least most of them.  Some shepherds knew.  And some old people at the temple.  A few more probably.  Some Magi from far away found him and told a "king" about the baby.  Stories from another season.

He grew up.  Some saw Different in Him.  Most saw the son of Mary and Joseph.  Until he started dong miracles.  Water became wine.  Withered became whole.  The Way walked on water.  People with chronic infirmities were made well and whole-and more. The blind saw, the deaf heard.  The unclean were cleansed.  The dead were restored to life.

At first, a few listened and heard.  A few looked and saw.  More, even multitudes, saw the miracles and started following to be fed.  A few small loaves and fishes fed thousands.  They had found Him-their king! They would be delivered from the oppression of their current rulers and their earthly kingdom restored!  Hallelujah!  But not now.  He was here for a much more marvelous mission than deliverance from earthly oppression.

He knew His mortal mission was near its completion.  He arranged to make his final entry into Jerusalem as a prophesized King-riding on a donkey.  The people thronged him and laid down palm fronds and even their cloaks for him to ride on into the city.  Surely this was their King, Deliverer, the Messiah.  Hosanna to God and sing His praises.  Deliverance was nigh at long last! No longer would they be yoked by political oppression.  They had their God with them.  They would surely be saved!

And so they, we, were truly saved.  But not yet in the way many of His time thought or maybe even knew was possible.  By the end of that week which started with His triumphal entry into their holy city, we would all be granted blessings unimagined by most.  We would all be delivered from those monsters of death and hell. 

We still live in a fallen world and await His next coming.  What will we be expecting and hoping for?  Will we be there laying down our hearts for him to enter? Are we even now listening and hearing, looking and seeing and feeling?

Blessed Palm Sunday to you all.  I understand that next time He'll be in His chariot of fire.