‘And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ (Matthew 21:9).
People shouted at the top of their voices, ‘Hosanna!’. Centuries earlier, Zechariah, one of Israel’s prophets, had spoken about this event (Zechariah 9:9).
The original meaning of the word ‘Hosanna’ is: ‘Help us’. We find this cry for help in Psalm 118:25. This request was directed to a king, but also to God to bring salvation. During the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the major Jewish festivals, ‘Hosanna’ was shouted and sung every day. Palm branches were carried as people walked around the altar used for burnt offerings in the temple. In this way, ‘Hosanna’ increasingly became an expression of praise.
Jesus was cheered on with cries of ‘Hosanna’ as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. As a tribute, people waved palm branches and spread their cloaks on the road. The cheering crowd eagerly expected Jesus to come and deliver them from the Romans. Jesus did enter Jerusalem as the King who came to save Israel. However, He would bring about a different kind of deliverance and peace than people longed for and expected. Jesus did not ride on a warhorse, but on a donkey. He came to Jerusalem as the messenger of peace. But no one saw the true peace that Jesus was about to bring.Food for thought: ‘Hosanna! The Son of David who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Imagine yourself part of that crowd. What would you do? Speak to Jesus about it.