Palm Sunday (OT)

Isaiah 64:1-12
Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, 

that the mountains might quake at your presence— 

²  as when fire kindles brushwood 

and the fire causes water to boil— 

to make your name known to your adversaries, 

and that the nations might tremble at your presence! 

³  When you did awesome things that we did not look for, 

you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 

⁴  From of old no one has heard 

or perceived by the ear, 

no eye has seen a God besides you, 

who acts for those who wait for him. 

⁵  You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, 

those who remember you in your ways. 

Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; 

in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? 

⁶  We have all become like one who is unclean, 

and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. 

We all fade like a leaf, 

and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 

⁷  There is no one who calls upon your name, 

who rouses himself to take hold of you; 

for you have hidden your face from us, 

and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. 

⁸  But now, O Lord, you are our Father; 

we are the clay, and you are our potter; 

we are all the work of your hand. 

⁹  Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, 

and remember not iniquity forever. 

Behold, please look, we are all your people. 

¹⁰  Your holy cities have become a wilderness; 

Zion has become a wilderness, 

Jerusalem a desolation. 

¹¹  Our holy and beautiful house, 

where our fathers praised you, 

has been burned by fire, 

and all our pleasant places have become ruins. 

¹²  Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord? 

Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly? 

How easy it is for me to speak these words: "OUr holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire, and all our pleasant places have become rains." Jerusalem hailed my God as he rode through their streets. This Holy City has been burned, the Holy Temple been brought to ruin by the Romans. (Even the perfect temple was torn down, but that has already been rebuilt.)

Isaiah speaks of the Babylonian Exile, but could he not also speak of the 70 AD Roman devastation? The truth still holds true that God will rend the heavens and come down. Christ has come to his people. He has rode into Jerusalem with shouts of praise on the lips of the people. Jesus will yet rend the heavens and come down ont he clouds. The Son of Man will come to raise his people to everlasting life.

We may bring God palm branches, good works, our acceptance, or other works righteousness. But all of these are worthless and even polluted garments. God is the creator. God is the potter and we are but clay. Clay in God's hands to be made into something useful. It is not through our deeds or actions. But the Lord will come to save us through Jesus Christ. The Lord will come to make us new in the Resurrection on the Last day.

Christ has redeemed you in His blood and made you useful.  The Holy Spirit continues to sanctify you through he Word of God.