Hosanna!

1000BC — United Kingdom

920BC — Divided Kingdom (North & South)

721BC — Northern Kingdom falls to Assyria

586BC — Southern Kingdom falls to Babylon

538/537BC — Some exiles begin to return to Jerusalem

Expectation

*** N/S Among those who are active when people return is Zechariah

*** Image: Zechariah begins to speak of a ruler of God’s people who will come to Jerusalem

Zechariah 9:9 NRSV

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

*** Image: Jesus entering. As he enters, on a donkey, the implication is that what God’s people have waited for is now before them

Psalm 118:27 NRSV

The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.

God save us!

Psalm 118:25 NRSV

Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!

*** “Save us please!” is the prayer that the crowd believes is answered in Jesus: “Hoshianna!”

Image: Jesus entering on a donkey

Matthew 21:5–10 NRSV

“Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?”

*** Image: Jesus entering.

Who is this?

What does it mean that God has met his people’s expectations?

God has saved us. God has come near.