Hosanna In The Highest!

4/6/2022

Written By: Margie Davis

April 10 is Palm Sunday. This is the week we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As children in Sunday School class, we heard the story of how Jesus rode into town on a young donkey and the people lay their cloaks and palm branches across the road as He passed by. They were giving Him an impromptu King’s reception.

Matthew 21:9 says “The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

Hosanna means “O Lord, save us!” They had been waiting so long for this day! Their Messiah was here! BUT…

If you know this story, then you also know that one week later, Jesus would be treated as a common criminal. From king to criminal in one short week. How did that happen? How could the people have seen Jesus heal their sick, feed their hungry and sit at His feet day after day and then turn on Him as soon as persecution came? How did they stop following Him and decide that following the crowd was a better idea?

I believe it’s because they had not yet seen the Cross that He hung on. They had not yet seen Him bleed or His body broken or heard Him cry out to His Father to forgive them in their ignorance. They didn’t yet understand that their forgiveness and eternity was in the hands of the One they were betraying. And they didn’t know yet that He would rise again and PROVE His authority over death! They expected a King who would lead them into battle. Not a Savior who would fight every battle for them.

But WE do know all of that.

We are on the other side of the Cross and yet aren’t we also prone to stop following Him and choose the crowd? How can we keep the “Hosanna” cry on our lips and not change it to “Crucify Him” in our next breath?

We all worship what we believe brings us hope, security and identity. And that’s why we’re so fickle with our “Hosannas.” If we believe that more money will give us security, then we worship that. If we think that our sexual orientation gives us our identity, then we make that our focus. If we believe that our hope is in a good test result or other good outcomes, then we won’t have peace if it goes the other way.

We have the Holy Spirit living within us that gives us all the strength we need to keep “Hosanna” on our lips at all times! When persecution comes, “Hosanna.” When depression and anxiety come, “Hosanna.” When temptation is more than we can bear, “Hosanna.” When we feel abandoned, damaged, forgotten and alone “Hosanna” knows. And He certainly hears you cry out to Him, “Lord, save us!”

As Jesus rode into town and the people threw their cloaks into the road, it was a very big deal. A cloak was not just a protective outer garment for travel during the day but was also a covering to sleep under at night. Throwing off the cloak was an act of surrender and submission. It was symbolically saying “I don’t need the protection of this garment. I only need YOU!” These people were ready to surrender their lives to their King on the day He rode into town on that young donkey.

So, how do we keep from following the example of betrayal we read about in the Crucifixion story? What if we START every day laying our “cloaks” down before Jesus? What if we start each and every prayer with HOSANNA? Lord, save us!

If we can remember that He is our only true Savior, then our “Hosannas” will resound from a deep place of thankfulness, and maybe little by little, our perspective will change. Maybe we will truly live as though Jesus and He alone is the source of our security, identity and hope. Maybe then our worship will be exactly what He longs to hear from us out of a heart that’s overflowing!

Hosanna, King Jesus. Hosanna, Lord save us!