Palm Sunday (Ps) March 24th

Psalm 118:15-29

¹⁵  Glad songs of salvation 

are in the tents of the righteous: 

“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, 

¹⁶  the right hand of the Lord exalts, 

the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!” 

¹⁷  I shall not die, but I shall live, 

and recount the deeds of the Lord. 

¹⁸  The Lord has disciplined me severely, 

but he has not given me over to death. 

¹⁹  Open to me the gates of righteousness, 

that I may enter through them 

and give thanks to the Lord. 

²⁰  This is the gate of the Lord; 

the righteous shall enter through it. 

²¹  I thank you that you have answered me 

and have become my salvation. 

²²  The stone that the builders rejected 

has become the cornerstone. 

²³  This is the Lord’s doing; 

it is marvelous in our eyes. 

²⁴  This is the day that the Lord has made; 

let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

²⁵  Save us, we pray, O Lord! 

O Lord, we pray, give us success! 

²⁶  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 

We bless you from the house of the Lord. 

²⁷  The Lord is God, 

and he has made his light to shine upon us. 

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, 

up to the horns of the altar! 

²⁸  You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; 

you are my God; I will extol you. 

²⁹  Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; 

for his steadfast love endures forever! 

The gates of Everlasting life have been opened to you. The Gates of the Holy City are opened to you. Come enter through the Mighty Gates. Enter through the blood of the Holy Sacrifice. Enter into the New Jerusalem. The Lord is truly doing a marvelous thing this day.

The LORD God comes to his people. He comes through the gates humbly riding on a donkey. This is not the first nor the last time He will step through those gates. He will exit through the gate carrying (with Simon) His own cross. He will be led outside these gates to be sacrificed. It is this cross and sacrifice that bar the gates open for those who are covered with his blood.

You have been redeemed in this blood. Sing praises to God Almighty who has done these great things for you. God opens the Gates for you.