hosanna!

Text: Matthew 21:1-11, Revelation 7:9-10

Intro

In this week of Jesus’ triumphal entry, betrayal, trial, crucifixion, burial and resurrection, we will find that the Holy Scriptures are rich and ample to narrate history and rend our hearts for the love of our Savior.

So often in our studies together, we seek to allow the scriptures to enter our hearts and ask, “What does this mean for me?” This is one important way to read scripture. But for this Holy Week, let’s allow our hearts to enter into the text – to live and breathe these real and historical events – and ask the Holy Spirit to teach us through it.

This is the story of Jesus. Let us be wrecked, be changed, and find ourselves in humble worship of our Savior.

Day 1: Hosanna!

We see moments, memories, and our days in these tiny singular scopes – as they are happening, how we are feeling, and what we are seeing. We go about both our day-to-day lives and our spiritual lives encompassed in the here and now, because our Father made us that way – human.

In the flesh. In the moment.

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13 describes this as seeing someone in a mirror dimly lit, but eventually we will see the whole thing – like looking at one another face to face.

I try to picture Jesus, fully man and fully God, looking at that crowd crying, “Hosanna!” He had the ability to be all in that moment and to receive their feeble worship, but He also had the scope of eternity through which to view this moment. He knew the pure worship of the angels from His heavenly Kingdom and He could have (even then) perfectly described the day when He will eventually receive our pure worship at His return.

When they cried “Hosanna” (which means, “Save us!”), as they threw their cloaks down and as the donkey’s feet trod across the palm branches, only He knew the full weight of what they were asking.

Only He knows the full weight of what we need when we cry out to Him today.

We can only imagine the beautiful and loving way He considered His children even then, even as He knew what was ahead – even as He knew that their cries of “Hosanna” would turn to cries of “Crucify Him!” in a matter of days.

I wonder: from His seat on the donkey, did His mind go to that blessed day to come when we will stand before Him in white robes, His bride – all nations and tribes and colors and generations, proclaiming and declaring that our salvation did indeed come from Him?

For now, to know Him better, the best we can muster is to look behind and look ahead based on what His Word tells us – like we are looking at His face in a dimly lit memory-filled mirror. And yet, we can be assured – just like He did thousands of years ago as He walked to Jerusalem to take part in the events that would utterly change the course of history – when we cry “Hosanna! Save us!”, He will.

When our hearts betray us like the crowds eventually betrayed our Lord – He still saves.

Hosanna in the highest! Salvation belongs to our God.

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