This
is Holy Week, which runs from Palm Sunday (yesterday) through Saturday. So this
week I’m concentrating on one of my favorite Palm Sunday hymns: “Ride On, Ride
On in Majesty.”
The
term “majesty” has several meanings, but the ones listed first in my dictionary
are 1) “the greatness and dignity of a sovereign” and 2) “the sovereignty and
power of God.” On Palm Sunday, Jesus came in humility, riding on a donkey. In
those days, kings rode into a city on a donkey if they were coming in peace and
on a horse if they were coming as conquerors. Yet even though Jesus came in
peace, His entry on a donkey also foreshadowed His role as conqueror/.
The
hymn contrasts Jesus' greatness and dignity with His humility and obedience,
while showing that they were really the same thing. Here are the words:
Ride on, ride on
in majesty!
Hark! all the
tribes Hosanna cry;
O Savior meek, pursue
Thy road,
With palms and
scattered garments strowed.
Ride on, ride on
in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride
on to die.
Oh Christ, Thy
triumphs now begin
Oe’r captive death
and conquered sin.
Ride on, ride on
in majesty!
The angel armies
of the sky
Look down with sad
and wond’ring eyes
To see the
approaching sacrifice.
Ride on, ride on
in majesty!
Thy last and
fiercest strife is nigh.
The Father on His
sapphire throne
Awaits his own anointed
Son.
Ride on, ride on
in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride
on to die.
Bow Thy meek head
to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy
pow’r and reign!
__________
The
image at the top of this post, titled “Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem,” originated
as a fresco from the hermitage of St. Baudelius of Berlanga and was
subsequently transferred to canvas, which is now at the Indianapolis Museum of
Art. The fresco was created in the 12th century. I don’t know when
the copy was made, but the image is in the public domain because of its age.
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