A Prayer in Awe of Who Jesus Is This Palm Sunday
By Amanda Idleman
“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” - Hebrews 13:15
Life has a way of numbing us to wonder. The weight of our to-do lists, the responsibilities that we carry, and the uncertainties around us can crowd our vision. They can suck all the emotional and spiritual wind out of us. Leaving us without anything to be in awe of. Palm Sunday is an invitation. A chance to clear our vision. To set aside the mundane and the urgent. It’s a chance to fix our eyes on Jesus and marvel once again at the wonder of the cross.
Don’t miss this chance. Don’t let the celebrations, family obligations, and religion distract from the simple beauty that we are called to behold. This day is a monument of the most important sacrifice made in the history of the world. Our God turned man gave himself over to the pain of being tortured and then gave himself over to death with one goal in mind; that we might be saved.
Who could imagine a God who holds all power to suffer on our behalf because he cares for us? Why were we not doomed the second we decided we did not need to trust our God? God had every right to destroy his creatures and leave us to our own desires and our dismal fate.
We are undeserving of such love. But in the rushing and the doing we forget. We forget that we serve an abundantly good God. Just the breath in our lungs we have been given today is a dispensation of grace. Nothing we do can be sustained through us alone. All things are made and given life through him (John 1:3-4). The only appropriate response to such power, beauty, sacrifice, goodness, and grace is praise! Only a heart full of pride would refuse to acknowledge the name that is above all names (Philippians 2:9-11).
This Palm Sunday, let’s set aside our agenda, our pride, and our self-reliance and lift up a sacrifice of praise to God, who by his immeasurable wisdom sent his son Jesus in our stead so that we would not perish but be offered a grand invitation into God’s forever family (John 3:16). While we may not understand all of God’s ways because his ways are higher (Isaiah 55:8-9) we can trust that Jesus loves us.
Ephesians 1:18-23 tells us that Jesus came so we could inherit with him the same power that raised him from the dead and seated him at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. This reality, along with our purchased salvation, should bring us to our knees. Let us embrace a holy interruption this Palm Sunday, filling our hearts with awe for the one who paid it all so we could be free.
Let’s pray:
Dear God.
Oh, how we need you! How we so quickly are like the wandering Israelites in the desert that forget how mighty and good you are. We let life steal away our wonder. We prioritize efficiency over worship. Forgive us for not seeing you. Would you, by your grace, fix the eyes of our hearts on you anew?
Without you, we are hopeless, doomed to death and destruction. We thank you that by your grace we are saved! Let us never stop being humbled by the truth displayed on the cross. Grow wonder and awe in our hearts again for your son Jesus and all your Word tells us he has given us.
More than anything, we thank you for hope! Life without hope past the grave would lack meaning. You give us strength and power to live with beauty in a world that is full of chaos. Thank you, Jesus, for who you are and the great power you have given us through your death and resurrection. Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Boonyachoat
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