God saves now in ways we least expect.

Hosanna- Save Now

Passover- saved from slavery in Egypt

God heard their cries.

Exodus 3:7–8 NRSV

7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

God still hears the cries of his people.

In the suffering of Covid19 God hears our cries.

In the suffering of mass shootings that have become too common. God hears our cries.

In the suffering of a divided country. God hears our cries!

In whatever suffering we face today! God hears our cries!

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. The salvation God had in mind was much different. Instead of over throwing the Roman government Jesus dies on a cross at the hands of the government. Because the salvation provided wasn’t what the people expected shouts of Hosanna today turn to chants of crucify him by Friday. Jesus isn’t riding in as the conquering King they have in mind, but as the passover lamb. The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

As we collectively cry out this morning Hosanna, God save us now. Let’s be prepared that God may save in ways we least expect.

Psalm 24:7–10 NRSV

7 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah

The Context

John’s gospel the triumphal entry happens just after the raising of Lazarus. This won’t end in death John 11: 4

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 NLTOpen 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.

The word save us in Psalm 118 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 Psalm 118. I 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. Zechariah 9:9 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.

Ride on King Jesus

Like the Israelites crying out in the midst of their suffering, God still hears our Hosanna cries. God save now!

God we cry out Hosanna-save now! That our lives, homes and our community can experience 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 God, 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.