Some may wonder why we have chosen to discuss this subject rather belatedly when Palm Sunday is over. Palm Sunday was an event before Good Friday when Christ Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem to face his eminent crucifixion and eventual death and resurrection. This story is recorded in Matthew 21: 1-11; Mark 11: 11; and John 12: 16.
In summary, Jesus rode to Jerusalem on an ass also described as a colt. The crowd spread their garments on the road, and others did likewise from the branches from the trees. The crowd before and after him shouted, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest. In the Christian circles, this event is called the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and commemorated as Palm Sunday.
We are humbled by the Holy Spirit to believe that although our discussions on this subject should have proceeded Good Friday and also Easter Sunday, we would better appreciate the relevance of this journey of Christ after Christ’s death and resurrection and why the people shouted Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest. Some past events are better explained and understood upon occurrence of future events.
What is Hosanna?
Hosanna is a Jewish word of praise or honour usually ascribed to God. Giving such an attribute to Jesus meant he was accepted among his faithful ones and followers as the Son of God or that he was approved by God for what he stood for. Hosanna also means praise God. The people praised God for Christ Jesus in their lives. By the Hebrew phrase, Hosanna also meant, we pray, save us. So, others praised Christ Jesus as God incarnate, the expected or awaited messiah to redeem Israel.
Israel had long expected a Messiah through prophesy to redeem them from Roman domination. They recognized Jesus as the one, hence they asked Jesus in Matthew 11:3-5 are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another? In affirmation, Jesus said, go and tell John what you hear and see, the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. These amply explain why Christ Jesus was called King of the Jews, a fact which Pilate affirmed by his royal inscription, King of the Jews on Jesus’ cross.
Pilate’s Hosanna to Jesus
Pilate was asked to tear that statement down but he refused and rather said in John 19:22, what I have written I have written. Nothing could change the mind of Pilate who probably believed in Christ yet was afraid of the people or feared losing his position of prominence just as a number of us are. Jesus’ redemption was not of our physical world or political comfort but our souls in the spiritual world, a fact many of his followers missed or misconceived and continues today. We must be bold to say Hosanna to Christ Jesus the king and redeemer of our souls. We must appreciate Jesus and say, Hosanna!
Jesus was and still is the spiritual king of our souls. He redeems us in times of need when all hope seems lost or too late as he did in the book of Daniel 3:12-30; 6: 12-24 for the Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel. Psalms 118: 25 says save us, we beseech thee, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech thee, give us success! It was a prayer to save Israel from imperial domination and all other forms of oppression, hate, discrimination and fear.
Jesus said in Luke 19:10 for the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost. Zechariah 9: 11 says because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your captives free from the waterless pit. Waterless pit is a lifeless place of unquenchable thirst, which symbolizes hell or destruction.
Living the faith of Hosanna
The Jews welcomed Jesus into their most sacred and holy city of Jerusalem with joyful sounds of Hosanna because they were ready to receive Jesus as such. We have just witnessed and celebrated the Christian solemnity and rituals of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We cannot claim ignorance of Jesus Christ any more. Shall we also in truth affirm Jesus as our Lord and Saviour with the shouts of Hosanna as the Jews did in truth and with meaning to reflect in our deeds?
Our most holy place is our hearts just as Jerusalem was to the Jews. We must invite, receive and acknowledge Jesus as the redeeming Christ and king into our hearts with unlimited joy and truth of confession just as those who said Hosanna did. We must receive Christ Jesus into our hearts with belief of redemption from the shackles of sin and bondage of evil just as the Jews believed of Jesus as the expected or prophesied messiah or do we prefer to shed tears for his denial at his second coming?
Matthew 12: 37 says by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned. John 4:24 says God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Revelation 3:20 says behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Christ Jesus is here this hour to save us; let us welcome him home with joyful sound.
Psalms 66: 1; 95: 1-2; 98: 4, 6; 100: 1 say make a joyful noise to the Lord. Do we make a noise of truth and honesty or noise of deception and lies as Judas Iscariot did? Jesus said in Mathew 23: 28 so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. The word Hosanna was a prayer meant to invoke God’s highest and eternal blessings from heaven unto the people. It was for God’s steadfast love and goodness which they saw in Christ Jesus. We ask the Lord to open our hearts to accept Christ Jesus as our King who is ordained to redeem mankind to eternal life.
PrayerDear Lord Jesus, we appreciate your readiness to visit our state of affairs. We cheerfully invite you to dwell with us in the sanctuary of our hearts as our redeemer and victorious king over our souls and eternal death. From this moment forward, let our joyful heart sing Hosanna to your honour in all situations because of your redeeming blood. In your blessed holy name we pray, Amen!!
