Hosanna
We've probably heard this word a lot through the years... especially on Palm Sunday.
I love Palm Sunday.
I loved shouting, 'Hosanna! Hosanna! Praise the One who comes in the name of the Lord!' in my children's church classes when I was younger.
Yet, for me it seems that the past few Palm Sundays have all been different, there is no consistency in the sermons, always different worship songs (though this may be a good thing), one year we may all receive palm branches, another year just the palm frong crosses, and then other years... nothing, not that we all need palm branches to hold, but there was always something about that day that changed the environment of church as a whole for me.
Maybe it was the church tradition that I was raised in, but I always viewed Palm Sunday as a major day in the Christian faith.
So I can get disappointed rather quickly when I go to church on that day and no one else is as excited as I am.
To me, Palm Sunday is the beginning of the Easter season. Most Christians don't celebrate Lent anymore... it's become more ritual than worshipful... maybe that's why... so I would always begin my celebration of the Easter season when Palm Sunday rolled around.
I have awesome memories of getting those big palm branches when I was younger... and well... it was like church giving me a license to hit people, a weapon to use against my friends...
Smack!
A declaration of palm branch wars was imminent the moment church let out.
And you can't tell me the kids back in Jesus' day weren't thinking the same thing as soon as Jesus passed them and went into the temple.
Kids will be kids... and there's nothing new under the sun...And let me tell you something... I'm pretty good with those things. ;)
It was the entire environment about that day, not just the fun of what seemed like World War 3 and the feeble attempts by parents to stop us, but just how happy everyone seemed to be, everyone getting dressed up even fancier than usual. The Pastor usually reading the full account in one of the Gospels of Jesus riding in.
The message of Jesus being praised as the King he is, clearing out the temple and teaching. Always taking a new turn, a new idea from the story. (ie: What was the donkey thinking? What was Jesus thinking? What was God the Father thinking? What would it look like today if Jesus came riding through town, probably sitting in a brand new convertible sports car? but then probably not...) There was always some fun things to think about and discuss... and always leaving with joy unspeakable and conviction of what to do that week to make us more worship filled.
The worship songs seemed to always be a collection of my favorites.
But then something changed... I don't know what... but Palm Sunday stopped being such a joyous time... and I don't know why.
The day is still one of my favorite days of the year, don't get me wrong... however, my ideas of how celebrating the day should be aren't shared by many anymore.
I mean this was the day that Jesus entered into Jerusalem as a King. Jesus entered as all of his disciples were praising him, glorifying him, worshiping him on a young donkey.
Instead of the church acting like Jesus' followers... it seems like when Palm Sunday comes upon us... we act more like the Pharisees.
'Easter already? I guess we have to go to church... I guess we have to dress up a little more.'
'I guess we have to listen to the donkey story again...'
'I guess we have to go to that Friday service too...'
'I bet the church is going to ask for an extra offering too...'
I know this because just a few years ago, I grew cold to the Easter season too... I had these same thoughts... Easter had gotten old... I didn't want to celebrate. And I wasn't alone.
I was a Pharisee.
The Pharisees were upset at this grand entrance of Jesus, of course they were... those guys are always mad about something.
The robes were the wrong shade blue...
Jesus is speaking...
That guy didn't get a proper haircut...
Jesus is healing...
It's been a whole 5 days since there was a stoning...
Jesus is getting more followers...
The temple offering was a little too low last week...
Jesus is breathing...
Honestly I think they were chronically depressed, or just so irritated that they had to wear all of that clothing in the the hot temperatures of Jerusalem that they had to cause misery for someone else just to feel good about something.
I don't know.
But they were mad at Jesus again because his followers were worshiping him like the Messiah. They told Jesus to rebuke them.
And what did Jesus say in reply?
Do we remember?
"I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." -Luke 19:40 (ESV)
The stones would cry out if we won't.
To me this is a rather big statement to make for Jesus to just ride into Jerusalem.
I kinda wish to hear the stones cry out... because I guess God would be lucky enough to get even a hand raised when his people 'worship' him now-a-days.
My attitude got trampled on by church goers who don't like to celebrate God... and it pulled me into that feeling of complacency.
Why don't we worship AS IF the rocks REALLY ARE crying out?!
And not just on 'Holy days' but every day?
Hosanna! Hosanna! Praise be to the One who comes in the name of the Lord!
But before I get too sidetracked...
My reason for this post is not to share my thoughts on how to celebrate Palm Sunday... after all it's just a day... and really this idea of worshiping God should be a whole post by itself... hmmm... :) My purpose for this post is to share my thoughts on what happened 2000 years ago on Palm Sunday...and why it's so important.
Hosanna!
Hosanna!
"Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" -John 12:13 (ESV)
We say this word a lot, there are worship songs entitled it, sermons mentioning it all the time, we probably heard it at least once yesterday even if your church doesn't get too excited over Palm Sunday.
Hosanna... what does it mean?
For Christians it has a double meaning... or more of an expanded meaning than it does in it's original Hebrew context.
It means 'Save Now!' As a plea. Because we need saving.
But for Christians it is a shout of praise, adoration, worship, recognizing Jesus as the savior, the Messiah.
Every time we shout the word Hosanna, we are declaring Jesus to be our savior. Because He is.
He already has saved us.
And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!" -Mark 11:8-10
El-elyon
'Hosanna in the Highest!'
God Most High
YaHWeH-Melek
'Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David'
The Lord is King.
Two other names of God.
In this instance Jesus' disciples are declaring him as the Messiah and yet also declaring him to be God. Praise in the highest... the God Most High.
"I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High." -Psalm 9:1-2
His disciples declare that the Davidic line has been re-established... that Jesus is in fact the King that David writes about:
'The LORD is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.' -Psalm 10:16
God Most High is sovereign over all, God the King rules everything... he is worthy to be praised.
But did you catch what else his followers were doing...
Waving palm branches, yes.
Worshiping Jesus for who He is, yes
Kids dueling each other with their new tree toys... probably.
But they were also laying down their cloaks and coats on the road... on the dirt, the mud, the grime, the stones...the dust.
I believe something else was going on here.
Adam and Eve sin, and they realize they are naked.
God is walking around the Garden asking where they are.
Pursuing them.
They are ashamed to stand before their maker, naked. Even though they were created by him... naked.
God covers them with clothing.
These people in complete worship to Jesus don't even care... they are ripping off everything extra and praising God... uncovering themselves.
Taking off the old and putting on the new.
Isn't that what Jesus really came to do?
Stripping us of the burdens of the law... fulfilling it in himself so that we could live through HIM instead of regulations and rituals.
And these same people, these same followers who can't be silenced, glorifying God for Jesus... will in just about five days, hide, sit, and stand, in absolute silence as everyone else shouts, 'Crucify Him! Crucify Him!'
And He is crucified.
Jesus is crucified.
For everyone.
For those who shouted murderous saying, hate filled words.
For those who sat in silence when He needed them most.
On the cross Jesus said these words:
'Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.' -Luke 23:46-49
More silence.
More and More silence.
Matthew's Gospel records this:
'And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split.' -Matthew 27:50-51
No more silence...
"I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." -Luke 19:40 (ESV)
Jesus' words are truth... He has come into Jerusalem... He has come to us... He has come to take off the old and make us new.
Praise God this week... during this Easter season, for doing just that, making us new, alive in Him.
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I have two other scheduled posts for this week all surrounding the events leading up to Easter.
I'm giving a little teaser now by unveiling the titles:
What about Judas?
What about the Pharisees?
I truly do wish everyone a happy Holy Week, may we all live singing Hosanna to Him who deserves all of our praise!
And may the rocks continue to cry out... but may our praise be even louder.
One of my favorite worship songs, I thought I'd share.
