Hosanna – God Save Us!
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, so named after the palm branches the crowds waved and laid down as Jesus entered Jerusalem ahead of the Passover Feast. For ancient Israel, the palm branch would have been the closest thing to a national flag, so waving them ahead of Jesus riding in on a donkey was a very patriotic event. They were essentially proclaiming him their conquering king, but exactly who and how he was conquering was misunderstood. Likewise, their shouts of “Hosanna!” were also something they didn’t fully comprehend.
Hosanna means “God save us.” Unlike “Hallelujah,” which is a shout of praise, “Hosanna” is a cry for help. We too often misunderstand what we are saying when we sing or shout this word. That day, the people of Jerusalem were expressing their deep longing for deliverance from the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire. Their expectations were for a military-style defeat and a return to self-rule through King David’s long-prophesied heir. But what Jesus had been trying to communicate for the last three years was that the Kingdom of Heaven was much bigger than these expectations. When Jesus failed to meet these expectations, their cries of “Hosanna” turned to shouts of “Crucify Him!”
Oftentimes, we have certain expectations of Jesus, what we want him to do for us, that we feel are not fulfilled. In those moments, we can feel hurt, angry, or disappointed. I know this because I have been there. Yes, your pastor had at times been angry with God. First, let me tell you that God is tough enough to handle you being angry with Him. Second, let me tell you, He doesn’t get angry back; He loves you even when you are angry with Him. God knows our weakness; He understands it because He took on flesh and lived among us. There is nothing we experience that He does not know from firsthand experience. But when we put our expectations on God rather than surrendering our expectations to Him, we only rob ourselves of the unimaginable blessing He wants to give us.
The people of Jerusalem during that Passover couldn’t fathom the cosmic and eternal salvation Jesus was bringing them. Their imaginations were simply too limited. As we celebrate the beginning of Christ’s Passion of the Cross with the beginning of Holy Week, let’s not miss the message as well. God comes to deliver us from ourselves. This Easter, let Him do an unexpected work in your life.
Your fellow servant in our common Lord,
Jonathan Lawson
Lead Pastor, Christ Harbor Church