It's Only a Three-Syllable Word

As a child, I'd line up with my friends behind the doors of our church auditorium every Palm Sunday, and when our teacher cued us, we'd shuffle down the center aisle between the pews, waving the large palm fronds we'd been given, and we'd mumble: "Hosanna, Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest."

Our voices were often hushed and shy, and the fact that I'd get to take the palm frond home as a souvenir was usually the only reason I'd submit myself to the trauma of stage fright.

I was also a rule follower, so if my Sunday School teacher told me I had to say "Hosanna," I said "Hosanna," though my voice hardly crested above a whisper.

There's a scene in the movie-based-on-the-book: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever where one young girl is given the role of the angel of the Lord to play in the church Christmas pageant. Rather than the expected "appearing" she does to the shepherds in the pageant and the scripted line: "Unto you is born this day in the city of David..." she plays the role with her whole soul, runs toward the shepherds, and bowls them over with her exuberance as she shouts: "Hey! Hey! Unto you a child is born! There He is! He's in the manger! Go on, go on!" The whole church laughs at the sight, but the spirit of new life breathes into the ancient words.

Now we're at a difference scene, scripted out in other ancient words, and this morning, new life showed up in this text. Stay with me; I'm in John 12:12-19. Jesus has left Bethany where He's just had His feet anointed by Mary in the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and He's heading toward Jerusalem. 

Here's a quick geography lesson for people who, like me, need to see how this plays out. Bethany is approximately two miles east of Jerusalem on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives. Jesus must cross the Mount of Olives, head down its slopes, and then continue on toward the city where He will reach the Temple Mount as He enters Jerusalem through the eastern-facing Golden Gate that will take Him directly into the temple courts.

On his way over the Mount of Olives, near Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, He tells His disciples to go to a nearby village and untie a donkey they will find there. They are to bring it back to Him and explain to the animal's owner that "The Lord needs it."

Bless the animal's owner, there's no hesitation on his part. He immediately offers the donkey's services, and the disciples return to Jesus with the donkey. Jesus climbs onto its back, and they continue their procession toward Jerusalem. 

Why the fuss about a donkey? Why couldn't Jesus just walk it in? 

Because prophecy. Matthew 21:5 says: "This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet [Zechariah]: 'Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

As Jesus goes, excitement grows. See... Jesus had just raised a dead man to life, and the word had gotten out. At the end of yesterday's reading, John lays the groundwork: "Meanwhile, a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of Him, but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him, many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in Him" (John 12:9-11).

So as Jesus starts the two mile trek toward Jerusalem from Bethany, He's already got "a large crowd" of Jews who have come out from Jerusalem to see Him, and they're surrounding Him as He heads toward the city. 

Word gets out and makes its way into the city, which is already thronging for the Feast of the Passover, the annual celebration that floods the city with faithful Jews. "Jesus is on His way into Jerusalem!" So, they cut palm branches from trees, line the road into the city, and pave it with their cloaks.

Jesus comes into sight, riding the colt of a donkey to fulfill prophecy, and the crowd goes nuts.

Why? 

There's no room in this post to detail the whole history of the Israelite journey from their father Abraham to the day Jesus enters Jerusalem, so let's just say that the Jews -- who had been bowed under oppression from first the Babylonian Empire, then the Medo-Persian Empire, then the Grecian Empire, and finally, and currently, the Roman Empire --

The oppressed Jews are welcoming their King! Their own King. King Jesus!

We know that Jesus did not come to bring an earthly kingdom. But in His approach to Jerusalem, riding in as Solomon does centuries before on the back of a donkey as David's son claims his throne, Jesus fulfills prophecy. That ride He takes through the Golden Gate is a prophetic ride, and many words written about that moment by prophets of old snap into place.

No wonder the Pharisees are disturbed! "Look how the whole world has gone after Him!" (John 12:19). Look! I love that!

This is where it gets really interesting. Join me in my excitement for another Word-Nerd moment:

The people call out "Hosanna!"

Hosanna is the Hebrew word for "Save! Save us!" It is used both as a word of praise and as a word of petition. "Make your praises heard, and say, 'Oh Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel" (Jeremiah 31:7). The Hebrew word "save" in this spot in Jeremiah conveys a bookend meaning, a journey. At the beginning of the journey, you have a great need for salvation. At the end of the journey, you have been given salvation. All of this is wrapped up into one three-syllable word: Hosanna!

Hosanna! We the people need salvation, and You, oh God, are already moving to save us! We praise You! We need You! This is the day of salvation! Hosanna! Hosanna as we wave palm branches, Hosanna as the King rides into Jerusalem, Hosanna as King Jesus fulfills the prophecies written so long ago. We see before us salvation! Save us!

And then, (this is so awesome!) I flipped over to Revelation 7:9-10. Here's what it says: "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'"

Notice! The word Hosanna is missing from this passage! Why?!

Because it is finished! The battle is over! The saving has been done. Every nation, tribe, people, and language have had their saving! Now salvation belongs to our God! Now salvation has finished the work!

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see! What a day that will be when salvation is fully accomplished, when I stand with my brothers and sisters from every nation, tribe, people, and language and I wave my palm branch. There won't be any mumbling that day, there won't be any stage fright. "Salvation belongs to our God, Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

"Amen!" the angels will say. "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God, for ever and ever! Amen!"

The angels make heaven resound with seven attributes of the Ancient of Days. Seven, the Biblical number of completeness. It is finished. Salvation has been done. The battle is over!