Hosanna-Save Now

The World Needs a Savior.

The events in our world can sometimes make our world look completely dark and hopeless. As we watch the news we see a world full of all kinds of evil. Deadly chemical gas attacks, people driving trucks into crowds appear to happen on a regular basis. Our television sets and our newspapers are flooded with stories of mass shootings and acts of terror. Locally we see people stuck in poverty, we see broken homes, lives and dreams. We see our friends and family fall victim to addiction. Indeed our world can sometimes look like it is beyond hope, but its not.

In Superman Returns there’s a scene I like a lot that illustrates the point I am getting to. Louis Lain a news paper reported is angry with Superman over a prolonged abscence from the city of metropolis. She writes an article in which she lays out that the world doesn’t need a savior.

Locally we see

Superman comes to visit Louis and ask about the article. During their back and forth Louis makes the bold statement “The world doesn’t need a savior, and neither do I!”

Superman in this scene is bothered by those words and steps aside for a moment. He turns around and says to Louis “Will you come with me?” Louis goes with Superman and flies her up over metropolis so she can see the city. Superman asks her can you hear that Louis? I don’t hear anything she responds. Superman says well I hear everything and all I hear are people crying out for a savior all day.

Hosanna is a shout of praise that means save now. As we watch the news, observe our families and communities there are times that we cry out Hosanna, save now! Our world needs a savior. We need a savior. God almighty hears everything and he has heard the worlds collective Hosanna cry and has given us hope through his son Jesus Christ.

Today we celebrate the triumphal entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into the city of Jerusalem. He is welcomed with shouts of praise Hosanna because the long promised messiah, king of the Jews has come. God has at last saved them from the oppression of Roman rule and is going to restore the throne to his ancestor David.

Toward the end of John chapter 12 there is another word that means saved, healed, delivered. That word is sozo. It is through experiencing sozo that we can shout praises of Hosanna. How have you experienced sozo in your life? What oppressive rule have you been delivered from? What things have happened in your life that have you shouting Hosanna this morning? Perhaps you’re overwhelmed with the brokenness of your life and Hosanna to you is more of a emphatic demand than a shout of praise. Throw open those gates to your heart for behold your savior, king of kings and lord of lords, the word made flesh, comes to you today humble and riding on a donkey.

The Context

John’s gospel the triumphal entry happens just after the raising of Lazarus. Bethany was on the way to Jerusalem on a busy route traveled by people going to Jerusalem for passover. During passover Jerusalems population just about triples in size. It goes from being a city of about 50,000 people to about 150,000. All these people traveling to Jerusalem either saw firsthand or heard about how Jesus had called a man who had been dead 4 days back to life. These people heard that he was approaching Jerusalem. So they lined the streets with people shouting Hosanna and waving palm branches.

Psalm 118:19–25 NLT

Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord. These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there. I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory! The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success.

Psalm 118:19-25

The word save us in is the same word Hosanna that the people are shouting as Christ enters Jerusalem. Some scholars and commentators say that Hosanna has become a shout of praise here verses the request it is in believe it is both. After seeing the dead come back to life people are responding and believing in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, therefore these are shouts of praise because finally the long awaited messianic age has come. They are requests, more like demands really, because all of Israel is still under Roman occupation, and rule.

When Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem he doesn’t come in riding a white stallion like a warrior king. No he comes humble and riding on a donkey. The donkey here is a symbol of Christ Kingship that he is indeed the long awaited Messiah, King of the Jews. At the time of Christ Kings rode horses into battle, and donkeys at times of peace. The donkey doesn’t just symbolize Christ Kingship but it also symbolizes that he comes in peace.

The people gathered along the road shouting Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! As he approached they laid down the palm branches they were waving as a sign of respect and honor for their triumphant king. At the sight of all the people who lined the streets to welcome Christ into Jerusalem, the Pharisees said to each other “See this is getting us nowhere. Look the whole world has gone after him!”

Because of the miraculous sign of the resurrection of Lazarus people filled the streets to get a glimpse of Christ. To rejoice because their long awaited king has finally come. But something happened between Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Shouts of Hosanna turn to chants of crucify him, crucify him. People expected their Messiah to deliver them from the oppression of Roman rule. To ride into the city and restore the throne to his ancestor David, they expected him to save now!

However God had other plans, he did the unexpected. When the people thought kingdom they were thinking kingdom as in the nation of Israel the only way they knew to understand kingdom. What God wants is a way to reconcile the whole world to himself and establish a kingdom that includes people of every tribe and race.

Jesus rides triumphantly into Jerusalem today because God has heard the collective cry of the world Hosanna-save now! Today Christ begins his journey toward the cross. His love and sacrifice have ripped down the barriers that keep humanity from his pressence. Through his shed blood we can now come boldly before his throne of grace and be part of his Kingdom here and now. Behold your king comes and is coming to you humble and riding on a donkey. His Kingdom is here now and is coming. When I look at our world and all that is hapenning I can’t but cry out Hosanna-save now. With that cry I cry out come lord Jesus establish your Kingdom where there is an end to these evil awful events that plague our world. Even so come Lord Jesus.

Sozo

John 12:47 NRSV

I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

John 12:47

-Jesus didn’t come to judge but to save.

-Sozo

-It is through experiencing Sozo we can shout Hosanna

-The project- How has God saved, healed, or delivered you?

Ride on King Jesus

Our world needs a savior all we need to do to see that is turn on the news, pick up a newspaper, and see the brokenness of our world, our society. God we cry out Hosanna-save now! That our lives, homes and our community can experience sozo, salvation, delieverance, and healing. Ride on King Jesus into our hearts, our homes and our communities that our world would experience the love, grace and transformation that are found in you.

Listen people of Rutland, sons and daughters of the one and only living God. Who was, and is, is to come, the almighty. Behold your King, the word made flesh, God with us, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ comes to you today humble and riding on a donkey. He is the King of Glory, fling wide the gates of your heart, and homes that the King of glory might come in.