Matthew 21:1-11
21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Hosanna is the word of choice for the celebration of Palm Sunday. Hosanna is a word of praise and exaltation. It would be like a crowd shouting hip hip hooray. Why this display of exuberance? The occasion is the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
The events start in Bethphage, the house of unripe figs. Jesus, in Matthew 21:18-22, would curse one of these fig trees that was barren. From here Jesus directs the disciples to procure a donkey as transportation into the Holy City. This small village was East of Jerusalem, just about a mile in distance. A nearby sister village was Bethany, house of affliction. This is the location of the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Here Mary had anointed the feet of Jesus. She was looking forward to Jesus' death and anointing Him for burial. The people came here, not to see Jesus, but to see Lazarus. He had been raised from the dead. Jesus had come to comfort the bereaving sisters Mary and Martha. Their brother had died four days earlier. Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb. This was a foreshadowing of His own death, and on Easter, His glorious Resurrection. Here is where Jesus was probably staying. Both Bethphage and Bethany are located on the East side of the Mount of Olives. Jesus often spent time praying on the opposite side of this Mount. The place was called the Garden of Gethsemane. This is the place Jesus was praying when the betrayer led the temple guards to arrest Jesus. The Temple was visible from across the Kidron Valley from this garden. Jesus would enter through the Golden Gate that was located right next to the Temple.
The procession begins with the acquisition of the means of transportation. You would think that the King of Kings would ride into Jerusalem on a chariot drawn with a magnificent steed or riding on a war horse. The battle will be fierce on Friday, but the battle will not be with the Romans. The battle will be for the souls of sinful mankind. Jesus will come riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. This is a symbol of a humble entry. Look at the Epistle from Philippians Chapter 2. This animal is also a symbol of peace. Jesus would be the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The donkey, as a symbol, is mainly portrayed as a beast of burden. Jesus will bear the sins of the world as He is sacrificed on the Cross of Calvary. All of this was to fulfill Zechariah 9:9, " Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Next, comes the rolling out of the "red carpet" as it were. Such events are reserved for dignitaries or someone important. When the White House entertains a foreign ruler, they will roll out the red carpet. The academy awards will roll out the red carpet for Hollywood's best stars. Yet in Jerusalem there was no red carpet. They gave homage to Jesus by putting their coats on the street. That is nothing new. Look at 2 Kings 9:13, "They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!” They also cut down branches from nearby trees. Thus the name of this special Sunday, Palm Sunday. Tradition has it that the palm branches from the current year be burned and used as the ashes for the next Ash Wednesday. Those that shouted "Hosanna" on Palm Sunday would be the same crowd that shouted "Crucify Him, Crucify Him" on Good Friday. Thus we need to confess our unfaithfulness.
The king comes triumphantly into the Holy City. We have two crowds. One that followed Jesus from the Mount of Olives, seemingly around both sides. There is also the crowd coming out of the city. Both shout, "Hosanna to the Son of David." David is the great king of the Old Testament. David was anointed by God to lead the kingdom. David is seen as mighty in deed and faithful in service. Part of the covenant with David was that God promised that one of David's family would sit on the throne forever. The house of David would not last. The inhabitants of Jerusalem had been looking for that leader who would deliver them from the hands of the Romans. He is the King of Kings, born from the house and line of David. Jesus was anointed at His baptism in the Jordan River to be God's prophet, priest and king. He is truly a gift from heaven. He comes in the name of the Lord. He is God's one and only Son. Confirmed at His Baptism and at the Transfiguration, "And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'” Matthew 3:17.
Hosanna! The word can be both adoration and supplication. The Hosanna ascends to the highest heaven, to the throne of God. Appropriately, God receives all honor and glory. We give thanks and praise for His great gift. His one and only Son would save all mankind. Hosanna! It is a prayer, "save now, we pray." Here it is in Psalm 118:25-26, "Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you." Within the coming week God will answer that prayer by offering salvation to all who believe in Jesus, the Christ: the penitent thief, the women at the empty tomb, the disciples, including doubting Thomas, the two on the way to Emmaus, and all who through the centuries believe in the one who IS the Resurrection and the Life. Jesus will go as a lamb before the slaughter. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the whole world. The second verse of hymn 162 says, "Ride on, ride on in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die. O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin Over captive death and conquered sin." The city is stirred and will be stirred up to an even greater extent. The overview of what Holy Week signifies is different in the eyes of God than that of men. Mankind sees Palm Sunday as the high point of the week. While they see Good Friday as the lowest point. God, on the other hand, planned Palm Sunday to be a day of triumph for His Son. Good Friday would be the high point as His Son was lifted up on the Cross to redeem all mankind.
The crowds shouted Hosanna and at the same time others asked, "Who is this?" Many did not know this prophet from Galilee. The disciples and other believers knew the answer. What a fantastic opportunity for them to tell the story.
Today, the word is still Hosanna. Hosanna for those who are asking, "Who is this?" They need this prayer. God wants to save them through Jesus. They need the forgiveness, life and the eternal salvation that Jesus offers. He earned it through His death and resurrection and offers this grace to all. We may have the opportunity to answer their question about who Jesus is. For us who believe, our Hosanna is one of adoration. Hosanna to God in the highest.