Today is a day of great activity, a day of celebration, anticipation, and wonder. Yet, it is also a day of sorrow, shock, and horror. We began with our procession into the church singing aloud, “All glory laud and honor, to You Redeemer King,” as we rejoice and recall our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the cries of the people longing for the salvation He has come to bring. But by the time we get to the Gospel reading, we find ourselves hearing the excruciating story of our Lord’s sacrifice. We read about the brutality, the beatings, and the crucifixion. We hear about mankind’s mocking and disrespect, even as Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” It is a lot to process, I know. It is like this Sunday is sending our emotions on a rollercoaster ride where we are not sure what is coming next.

But it is fitting to engage in all this. This Sunday is not like others. This is the beginning of the most dramatic and powerful week in the Church Year. Today’s activity is simply a preview of what is to come. The ups and downs, the twists and turns, this is the very journey we will engage in as we gather on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. Honoring the ancient traditions of the Church, we experience the significant events which rest at the heart of our faith and our confidence in the promises of eternal life. The Good News comes to us through real suffering and sacrifice, and it is good for us to slow down, to take some time out of our busy and hectic schedules and meditate on the grandeur of our Lord’s gifts.

So, Jesus rides into the city and is welcomed as a king, and rightly so. This is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The long-awaited Messiah comes to His own. They shout out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” Hosanna is on their lips, and it ought to be on our lips as well. Hosanna means “save us.” It is a call for salvation, for liberation, for security in a world of chaos and uncertainty. But this king is no temporal king. He is not coming to establish an earthly kingdom. He comes to proclaim a kingdom that is not limited to this age, a kingdom which will endure even when this world passes away. This King’s rule and reign stretches from the earth’s foundations to eternal paradise itself.

And your King’s passion is for you, for your inclusion in His Kingdom. So, He will do what is necessary to open those gates for your entry. Which means your King will do the most shocking thing, He will empty Himself of all that is rightly His. He will take the form of a servant, and He will labor under the weight of your sins. The King becomes the sacrificial lamb who will atone for your transgressions. His passion leads to suffering and pain. He is whipped and beaten, and he is dressed up as a broken and shameful king. From all outward appearances, He is cursed and cut off from God. And Jesus willingly does all of this. He does it for you, for your salvation, for your hope, and for your reconciliation with God.

Christ’s passion leads Him to take on sin, death, and the Devil, to fight the great enemies of the people of God. And he does it by taking all of their venom, all of their brutality and hatred into Himself. Your King comes and He comes to die for you. This is not the king at the back of the army directing his forces where to go and this is not the king who schemes from the safety of his fortress to gain land and titles or himself. No, He is on the front line, for only He can endure what is necessary for your victory.

The thief on the cross cries out to your King and says, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” There is no work he can do, no manipulation to be made, and no possibility of offering any great works. But if Jesus would only welcome him, if Jesus would only grant him inclusion in that Kingdom, why then, everything would be different. In a way, this is you and me. This is our role. We wait for a word from the King. We long for the completion of His passion. All your works fade into the background, all your glory and prestige amount to nothing when compared to His love. But His love, His passion, is for you and for your salvation.

So, as He tells the thief, He also says to you, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Paradise is to rest in His love, in His gifts. The work is completed. You are forgiven.