Ride On Ride On in Majesty
Ride on, ride on in majesty
The hymn captures the paradox of Christ's triumphal entry—riding as a king yet moving toward suffering and death—presenting the Gospel's central mystery of victorious humiliation. Lutheran theology finds here an expression of Christ's substitutionary work and the inversion of worldly power through sacrificial love.
History & Background
Written by Henry Hart Milman in 1827 for Palm Sunday observance, this hymn was first published in Reese's Catalogue of Religious Poetry and became widely adopted in Anglican and Protestant worship. It has remained a standard Palm Sunday hymn in Lutheran hymnals since its inclusion in English-speaking Lutheran collections.
Hymnal Appearances
- Baptist Hymnal — 257
- Chalice Hymnal — 192
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 344
- Glory to God — 196
- The Hymnal 1982 — 156
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 121
- Lutheran Service Book — 441, 967
- Lift Up Your Hearts — 152
- Lutheran Worship — 105
- New Century Hymnal — 214
- Trinity Hymnal — 235
- United Methodist Hymnal — 281
- Voices Together — 193
Bulletin Note
Composed by Henry Hart Milman in 1827, this L.M. hymn captures the paradox of Palm Sunday—Christ entering as King yet moving toward crucifixion, embodying the inversion of power central to Lutheran understanding of the cross.
Preaching Connection
This hymn crystallizes the Law-Gospel tension: our rejection of majesty when it comes in humility, and our liberation through Christ's victorious submission to death on our behalf.
Themes
Christ's passion and triumph Messianic kingship Humility and majesty Palm Sunday Redemptive suffering