Mensa Otabil - Hosanna in the Highest (11/01/2025)
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna, hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. I hope you have your palm branch this morning, wherever you are-in church or in your neighborhood-waving to honor the Lord Jesus Christ as he enters triumphantly into Jerusalem. Our shift, our reading, moves from the Gospel of Luke to the Gospel of Matthew to capture this moment.
Matthew chapter 21, verse 9: «Then the multitudes went before and those who followed cried out, saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! '» The word «hosanna» means «save now.» It is a cry for salvation; it is people crying for deliverance, for relief from wrongs that have been done to them or from evil. It is also a proclamation of faith in the ability of God to deliver and to set people free.
As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, there is a multitude — a large number of people — that started with a small group. Now, it is a multitude, and within the multitude, there are three kinds of people. First, there are those who have been with Jesus from Galilee. They began with him on his journey to Jerusalem. So that’s the first group — his disciples and followers. They believed in him, had faith in him, and were proclaiming him as the Messiah, declaring, «Hosanna!» The second group consists of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They had heard about Jesus off and on; most of them were very suspicious of him because any time he comes to town, he disturbs the power systems in Jerusalem. So these people are not too enthused about Jesus. That’s the second group. The third group comprises visitors who have come from other parts of Judea and other Jewish communities to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast. Most of them probably had not heard of Jesus Christ.
As they proceed, be mindful of these three groups, as each one is acting differently. Sometimes you hear people say the crowd that cried «Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!» also cried «Crucify him!» No, that’s not true. The crowd that cried «Hosanna!» were his disciples, and they never stopped saying «Hosanna!» The crowd that said «Crucify him!» were the inhabitants of Jerusalem, threatened by the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. So it’s not one group changing their views; it’s two different groups expressing two different opinions.
When people cried «Hosanna!» to the Lord, they wanted Jesus to do something. You can imagine that most of them have heard that he worked miracles. So when they say «Save now,» some people are probably in debt; they want «Hosanna!» from debt. Some people are probably sick; they want «Hosanna!» from sickness. Others might be under bondage in one way or another, and they are crying «Hosanna!» Each one has their own expectation. But on this particular trip, Jesus was not there to meet their expectations; he was there for something far bigger and more significant. He was there to fulfill the destiny of the human race, to become the sacrifice that will be made for the salvation of mankind.
There are times when we cry «Hosanna!» Lord, do something for us, and he doesn’t do it because there is a higher purpose, a greater purpose. He is still going to go ahead and fulfill that greater purpose. There are times when we call on him, «Hosanna!» and he heals us or saves us or delivers us, but there are other times when he says, «I acknowledge your need for me, but there is something bigger I need to accomplish,» and he goes out to fulfill it.
So today, as we welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, we welcome him into our lives, into our hearts, into our homes, into our churches, into our families, and we say, «Hosanna in the highest!» He, the highest, is the only one who can save; he’s the only deliverer. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! What an exciting day to remember Jesus Christ, our Lord!
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, my help comes from you. I look to you, Lord Most High, for total deliverance. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»