hosanna

BY Raechel Myers

Text: Matthew 21:1-11, Psalm 118:19-29, Revelation 7:9-12

As humans – as limited beings – we experience most of life “in the moment.” Sure, hindsight is 20/20, but when it comes to foresight, we can be blind as bats. We have no way of knowing for sure what will come next. And more or less, we process our lives as they happen, building one experience on top of another.

In the flesh. In the moment.

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13:9-12, describes this as seeing in a mirror dimly, but “when perfection comes,” we will see the whole scope – like it’s right there in front of us.

I try to picture Jesus, fully man and fully God, looking at the crowd that was shouting, “Hosanna!” at Him. 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 could also see and hear pure worship of the angels and He could have (even then) perfectly described the day when He will eventually receive our pure worship at His return – like it was right there in front of Him.

They cried “Hosanna” (a shout of adoration in the New Testament, but also found in the Old Testament Hebrew to mean “help” or “save, I pray” in Psalm 118:25). They threw their cloaks down and, as the donkey’s feet trod across the palm branches, only Jesus knew the full weight of what they were saying – what their cry of “save us” was really asking.

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

I picture the 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 also 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 our salvation indeed comes from Him?

For now, to know Him better, the best we can muster is to look behind and 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 was thousands of years ago as He rode 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.