Mensa Otabil - Hosanna
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Well, today is Palm Sunday, so we celebrate the triumphant entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem with a shout of «Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!» John, chapter 12, verses 12 to 13: «The next day, a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him and cried out, 'Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.'»
«Hosanna» means «Save now.» It is a word that the Jews developed as a result of their time of captivity, and when they experienced bondages, suppressions, and political control, that language became a rallying cry for God to save them, to deliver them. So that cry is now applied to Jesus because, at this time, the people believed that Jesus had something within Himself to deliver them. They cried, «Save us now! Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.» Those who followed Him expected that He would deliver them.
There were those who thought He would deliver them politically from the Romans, and there were those who thought that He would deliver them spiritually. But whatever the expectation was, they believed that Jesus was a Savior and a Deliverer, and that’s what «Hosanna» means. Interestingly, Jesus entered Jerusalem sitting on a donkey. A donkey was not the animal of choice if you wanted to make an entrance; He should have used a horse, as a general would have done. But Jesus came in humility; He is a humble King.
I want you to also note that when they said «Hosanna,» they said, «Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.» So «Hosanna» comes in the name of the Lord; it does not come in our own name, or in the name of your pastor, or your church, or by your own will. This is God who delivers us; it is in the name of the Lord that we experience deliverance; it is in the name of the Lord that we experience peace.
Then they said, «Hosanna in the highest!» «Hosanna» goes to the highest; «Hosanna» goes to God. Many times when we want somebody to help us-when we want somebody to «Hosanna» us, to deliver us-we’re looking to a human being, but these people understood it’s in the name of the Lord and it’s in the highest. So if you expect God to deliver you in any way, remember «Hosanna» is in the name of the Lord and it is in the highest.As you go to church today to join the throng of believers to sing «Hosanna,» remember this momentous occasion when Jesus entered Jerusalem with palm branches. As you wave your palm branches, remember the Deliverer is not just coming; He has already come, and He will deliver you, He will save you, and He will help you.
Today, allow Him to enter your life; allow Him to enter your marriage, allow Him to enter your finances, allow Him to enter your home, allow Him to enter your church. Because wherever He enters, there will be deliverance; there will be salvation. «Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.» I wish you all a happy Palm Sunday, because pretty soon it’s going to get dark as we start talking about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, and then it will be magnificent as we celebrate His resurrection next Sunday at Easter.
Let us pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, You are my Deliverer. Today I proclaim, 'Blessed are You, O Lord! Hosanna in the highest! ' In Jesus' name, amen and amen.» Go to church, celebrate the Lord, sing His praise, and let your heart warm up with the throng who welcomed Jesus Christ this day. I am Pastor Mensa Otabil. I’ll catch you again tomorrow. Shalom, peace, and life to you.