Sometimes God’s plan may seem rather plain, but at other times we wonder what he is trying to say or do.

Today is Palm Sunday, when we celebrate Christ’s coming as King. On this day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey, and we may well wonder what that is supposed to mean. So it’s good to be reminded that God had a plan, whether we understand it or not. Writing about this event, John quotes an old prophecy (Zechariah 9:9) about a king coming on a donkey’s colt— and this applies to Jesus. God definitely had a plan!

The Canons of Dort describe the Lord’s planning and promise this way: “This plan, arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect, from the beginning of the world to the present time has been powerfully carried out and will also be carried out in the future, the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.”

As Jesus rode in on a donkey, the crowd cried, “Hosanna!” calling for salvation. But not everyone there was happy. The religious leaders saw Jesus as a threat to their power, and they wanted to get rid of him.

As we celebrate Jesus, the one who came “in the name of the Lord,” we must also remember that God calls us to respond with more than shouting, more than excitement. Our response to Christ’s coming, dying, and rising again calls for a believing heart and living faithfully as God’s children.