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 11:9-10 (ESV)
Palm Sunday
Well, the timing on this one worked out just about perfectly, right?!?! Palm Sunday is this coming Sunday and we just got to Mark 11 when Jesus enters triumphantly into Jerusalem and people spread palm leaves before Him on the ground.
My daughter has been learning about the Middle East and Northern Africa in social studies lately. One of the things we have studied is the importance of the date palm tree.
The people groups in the region where Jesus lived are dependent on the date palm not just as a source of nutrition and sustenance but also to provide shelter, clothing, food for people and animals, and much more.
They use every part of the tree to live. Seeds, dates, leaves, bark, trunk, vines, I’m talking every single part!
Hosanna!
The people honored Jesus, Worker of Miracles, with the an offering of the very thing that was the source for every area of their lives. They laid it down before Him as they shouted, “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!”
And speaking of the word Hosanna. I did a little research and found out something I never knew before. I always thought that Hosanna just meant “Praise the Lord!” That would be great, but evidently it is so much more than that.
Hosanna started out as a plea for deliverance. Deliverance from bondage and from enemies and from danger. Through time, it took on a new meaning as the people of Israel experienced the miraculous deliverance of the One True God.
Hosanna came to mean “Praise God for His deliverance!” or “Praise God because He has saved us!”
When I think about the people throwing palm leaves before Jesus and shouting Hosanna, I can’t help but think how very appropriate. Jesus was the very personification of deliverance. Eternal salvation. God’s gift to humanity.
Hosanna indeed!
This week, leading up to Palm Sunday and Easter, do we surrender our very lives to Jesus, laying ourselves before Him as an offering, because He is our only hope of deliverance? When we see His work in our lives, are we shouting, “Thank You! Praise God for His deliverance in my life! Hosanna!”?
Action Step:
Live a Hosanna life this week! Let’s talk about and find joy in the deliverance of our God through His Son everyday. Find one moment everyday to pause and say “Hosanna, thank you for my deliverance!” Take one moment everyday and marvel to someone around you about our Savior. Two things to refocus our hearts this week as we head toward Palm Sunday.
Prayer:
God, Thank you for sending Jesus as our Salvation and Deliverance. We praise You and remember Your sacrifice on our behalf! Help us to live lives that are an offering before You as our spirits and our lips shout Hosanna to the living God. In Jesus’ name, amen.