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Palm Sunday 2015: Reflections

The 2015 General Elections (Phase 1) has come and gone. We congratulate all Nigerians who have displayed so much patriotism yesterday in coming out to vote, bearing the harsh sun and rain, faulty card readers, late-coming INEC officials etc. Our hearts are with all those who lost their loved ones in the course of the election in the few places there was violence. May the good Lord console them.
It is no coincidence that today (a day after the Presidential elections) all over the world, Christians celebrate the Triumphal Entry of Jesus to Jerusalem (Matthew 21). The Spirit is laying a couple of things to mind:
(1) All this was done so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
"Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes to you, meek, and sitting on an ass, even a colt the foal of an ass." (vs 4-5)
We wish to announce to the Church, especially the Church of Christ in Nigeria that our King is coming to us! We do not place our hope in earthly rulers. It should not matter so much to us who the winner of this election will be, or who the next President will be: as long as the heart of a king is in the hands of the Lord, we're covered. No matter who is President, Jesus is King! And He shall reign forever and ever: King of kings, and Lord of lords. Hallelujah!
(2) Of particular interest to us is the cry of the Jews then: "And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest." (vs 9)
The multitudes - both those that went before and those that followed - cried the same thing. We wish to remind us that irrespective of the differences in religion, tribe, worldview, education, location etc., our basic needs and fears are similar. Food, water, electricity, security, world-class education, healthcare, infrastructure etc. are things we all crave for, whether we are among "those that went before" or "those that followed". Our cries are the same: Hosanna!
Hosanna! (Gk. Hoshia-na), although an exclamation of adoration, simply means "Oh, Save!" or in some quarters, "Save now!" The multitudes were in effect re-echoing the prayer of deliverance by the Psalmist: "Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD." (Psalm 118:25-26).
We are convinced that every well-meaning Nigerian, irrespective of tribe or religion, needs this salvation and prosperity that only the Lord can give. We are also convinced that the Lord is more than willing and able to save, and He will save to the uttermost. Therefore we enjoin you: accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and submit to Him. Let Him align you to the path of salvation and prosperity, and eventually the whole nation will be thus aligned. Remember, righteousness exalts a nation!
Jesus shall reign where'er the sun,
Doth its successive journeys run;
His kingdom reigns from shore to shore,
Till moon shall wane and wax no more.
Happy Palm Sunday!
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