HOSANA, HOSANA, HOSANA, BLESSED BE THE ONE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD…. NO WAIT!
The story is reported in all of the “synoptic” Gospels: (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-1, Luke 19:28-40, and John 12:12-16.
“Now, when they drew to Jerusalem and came to Bethpage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village in front of you, and immediately, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord needs them, and he will send them at once.’
This took place to fulfill what the prophet said, ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
(Zechariah 9:9)
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and their cloaks on them, and He sat on them.
The unridden white donkey colt in the Hebrew lexicon symbolized purity, humility, and peace. Meditate on the choice of the colt. By contrast the mighty Roman rulers rode in flamboyant and glamorous chariots pulled by the most pure and thoroughbred horses. The leaders of the Temple were adorned in the finest clothing and jewels.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords chose a lowly donkey colt. Visualize some of the extravagant and ornate, gold-encrusted Churches today in comparison.
Most of the crowds that went before Him and followed Him were shouting Hosana (From the Hebrew: wavva, meaning please save us. It is also a word of adoration.) to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! “
(Matthew 21:1-9)
Mark and Luke reported that the crowd spread their cloaks on the ground and waved palm branches as Jesus passed. There was evidently a grand procession and celebration with the crowd shouting praises to Him.
Thus, the name: “Palm Sunday”.
It seems that this celebration was generated by the eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Lazarus just a few days earlier. The word had spread that the mighty Messiah had raised a man from his tomb and was on the way to tackle Jerusalem and its oppressors.
What the children of Israel believed and wanted was a warrior king to overthrow the Roman government, who had their boots on the throats of the Jews, and the rulers of the Temple, who were just as bad and in cahoots with the Romans. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and members of the San Hedrin, their Supreme Court, might have been worse than the Romans. They took payoffs and bribes like many of our modern-day politicians and made life for their flocks miserable. The Jews were oppressed, repressed, and depressed. Their lives were miserable. They had placed themselves under the impossible-to-keep Ten Commandments and the attached six hundred and thirteen man-made ordinances.
There was no joy. They struggled spiritually because they could not keep the laws. They were slaves to the Roman occupiers. They were taxed into poverty. They had no hope except in the belief that their Warrior Savior would set them free. They believed that their Warrior Savior would turn everything upside down and make them the rulers of the World.
Less than a week later, when they learned who Jesus was and what He would not do, these same folks who shouted Hosana chose a violent criminal zionist over Jesus and shouted at the same volume for His execution.
The Jews wanted out. They created the belief in their minds based on misinterpreted prophecies that the Messiah would deliver them and overthrow their tormentors violently, which would have led to a horrible, bloody, morbid end for most of them.
Jesus told them exactly what He would do, but they did not believe Him because they were spiritually blind. He told them how to accomplish their goal without loss of life. Jesus told them how to receive eternal peace, joy, and gladness. He promised to give them much more than they expected, which He did at the cost of His life and blood.
Jesus freed the Jews from the Laws that bound, condemned, and oppressed them and bought us all Eternal salvation, the price of which is to believe and believe in Him, The indwelling Holy Spirit, All things that pertain to life and godliness, including His faith, His exceedingly great and precious promises, the power to speak things into and out of existence, healing of all of our diseases, forgiveness of all of our past, present, and future sins, the ability to do the same things He did and even greater things than He did, victory and power over the evil one and all of his minions, the ability to gain wealth, abundant life, joy, peace, gladness and His eternal unconditional love.
(John 3:16-18, 2Peter1:1-4, Mark 11:22, Psalm 103:1-3, Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:16-17, John 1:29, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:10-18, Revelation 1:5, John 14:12, Luke 10:18, John 6:38, 1Corinthians 9:6-14, John 10:10, John 17:13, John 14:27, John 16:13)
Instead of ruling over them and the world as their earthly King, which would be a temporary solution, He bought them and us an eternal solution to all of our problems.
If you were there, would you have believed and believed in Jesus and pleaded for His life, or would you have been angry that He did not meet your expectations and pled for the freedom of Barabbas?
