A Reflection on a Palm Sunday Hymn

Ride on! Ride on! in majesty, the winged squadron of the sky
Look down with sad and wondering 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, expects his own anointed Son. ~Milman, 1820

Three years ago, I had the pleasure of rehearsing the hymn that includes these verses with a class of seminarians who had a deep affection for poetry and theology. The reaction of one, imprinted indelibly on my mind, was tears at these two verses. It isn’t surprising-I’ve had the same reaction. One of a good hymn’s greatest traits, is its ability to speak of objective events without injecting the author’s subjective opinions of the event. There is no “I” or “Me” anywhere in this hymn. And yet, at the same time, it is suffused with deeply moving imagery, poetry, and devotion.

A few thoughts on these stanzas: the irony of the shared opening line must be embraced. The majesty is not what we would imagine. Rather than a glorious steed, the Davidic King, the one who had just raised Lazarus from the dead, approaches on the lowliest of animals. As long prophesied, he comes on an ass, meek and lowly. Some degree of mystery, a lingering sense that something was not quite right, must have overshadowed this otherwise joyous occasion. This is attested by the author’s reflection on the angel armies, the entire heavenly host gazing upon this spectacle with sadness and wonder. Wonder, because as the scriptures teach, the angels look upon the mysteries of salvation without full comprehension. (I Pet.1:12) Yet here, sadness too. The angelic band senses the inconsistency of His Majesty’s beast and the clamors of “Hosanna!”. An awareness exists that this scene will rapidly transition from celebration to crucifixion. This reality awakens sadness in the messengers of God as they realize the divine scheme’s most critical moments have arrived. And the author keenly grasps the precise reason for Christ’s entry into Jerusalem-he comes as sacrifice. More on this momentarily.

The idea that there was a “last strife” indicates this isn’t the first contest for Christ and the powers of darkness. And indeed, the fasting and temptation in the wilderness, the challenges by the Jewish elite, and other events in Christ’s life could all be counted as strife. But here, hell will summon all its powers. One last, grand effort is launched-a battle the devil seemingly wins, though we know in the words of Chrysostom that “hell took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took that which was seen, and was overcome by what was unseen.” Imagine, only one Warrior could prevail in this encounter-humanity united to Divinity in the Person of Jesus Christ. Hell would have succeeded in any other fight. But not with the Word made Flesh. No mistake should be made, however, it was a fierce strife. And no other power could be summoned to wrestle with sin and death-but Life himself. And that is why the verse ends with the glorious line “the Father...expects his own anointed Son.”

But this battle would not be waged with conventional weapons. A meek and lowly servant-a willing victim- fights with a love that could not be overcome. There are numerous interpretive lenses through which we can examine the atonement. But the chief one, and the one to which all other must be subservient, is that Christ is sacrifice. He willingly lays down his life. The Father does not execute him. Neither does Pilate or the rabble. It is a free offering which both fulfills and supersedes every other sacrifice made within the walls of the temple. The words of Jesus’ cousin and forerunner “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” are apt. Watch as the Lord, strong and mighty, the King of Glory rides to the everlasting doors armed with divine love to freely give himself.
Reflecting on these themes, tears seem an appropriate response.