Hosanna is such a powerful word. Hosanna was part of the cry of the disciples and the crowds as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. “Hosanna” or literally “Hoshi ‘ah ‘na” was a cry used in many of the Psalms, most specifically 113-118. It means: Lord save us! “Hoshi ah na” sounds like very much like “ya-shu-a” which means “God saves”! It is the answer to the prayer! Ya-shu-a is actually the Hebrew name for Jesus. “God saves.” Here in Jesus, He does.
Our first hymn was “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna, the Little children sang”. The children in the temple cried this prayer as Jesus cleansed the temple of the sellers and money changers. Jesus was answering the prayer: God save us! He was cleansing the temple and pointing to the fact that its purpose had been abused but now its time was at an end. Now the true temple had come among them. The true presence of God among His people now abides in the person and bodily temple of Jesus, Yeshua, the Christ.
The sellers and traders whom Jesus upset had set up shop in the area of the temple that was supposed to be designated for Gentile catechumens. Yes, the Hebrews had catechumens: a bit different from what our catechumens are today, but these were converts to Judaism. Gentiles that had been converted by the Word of God and the promise of the Messiah but had not yet taken part of the full rituals to become quote “Jewish”. They had not been ritually baptized, purified, and circumcised. Yet, they were considered believers and were allowed to come to outer courts of the temple, but they were not yet allowed full celebration and participation with the whole company and fellowship, it is somewhat comparable to our closed communion practices for children and those Christians outside our confession. They are Christians but they are not yet ready for full participation. Yet we do not say, to those who are not Lutheran do not come here, or go wait out there, nor do we dismiss the children during the sermon or the rest of service, but we believe that the full fellowship of the Lord’s temple come to earth in the Sacrament of the Altar can be for them too, when they are fully prepared.
These sellers in the temple whom Jesus chased, by their presence, had effectively pushed out and prevented the Gentile believers from their rightful place of worship and the participation allowed them. These sellers had become a stumbling block to the Gentiles. Much as the disciples had been who had wanted to chase the children from Jesus as a stumbling block to them. Hosanna to the Son of David who comes to fight for the Jews and the Gentiles and the children!
When Jesus was entering Jerusalem, the people cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest”. They saw in Jesus the Messiah of some kind, a deliverer of some sort, but what kind? They were not just saying a meaningless word.
It is possible that some had an idea that Jesus was sent from God, that soon He was going to accomplish something for God’s people. But it is highly unlikely that any of them understood that He was truly God’s son, and that as God’s son, He was also the appointed innocent Lamb to be led to the slaughter, to be sacrificed for the sins of the world so that the righteous wrath of God upon sin would be satisfied. Few of His followers could have suspected what would soon transpire. Some may have thought He was coming to renew the physical kingdom of David by fighting and leading a rebellion against Rome or Herod. Maybe an overthrow of the spiritual authorities in Jerusalem and a renewal of the old covenants.
These were the thoughts also of many of the Scribes, Pharisees, priests, and others who then transpired and plotted against Jesus to have Him betrayed, arrested, publicly punished, and killed. To them in their thinking, He was a threat. Jesus came not as a threat to their person, but He came to fulfill. He was the answer to those cries of “Hoshee ah nah”, “Lord Save us” the cries both current and ancient. He came to fulfill God’s ancient will and promise to save people and crush their enemies. He came to do battle, He came into Jerusalem with shouts proclaiming Him as Messiah, as a victorious king sent from God, and so He would be. This was God in human flesh lowering Himself in deep humility to do what you and I could not. To contend with temptation, to crush the power of the Devil over this creation, to redeem the world and sinners by bearing their sin. Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what lay before Him, yet He processed into Jerusalem to make that supposed “Holy City” truly Holy by His presence. To redeem the Old Testament sacrifices by the fulfillment of His own. So He was betrayed, arrested, punished and crucified. So that you, me, all people, even those who conspired against Him in life could be saved from their sin and delivered unto salvation by faith in Him.
We now sing the word “Hosanna” in our Divine Service. Just about every Sunday in fact. We repeat it often as we sing “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He, Blessed is He, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.”
We may not even notice it or think about it, but we should. As I said earlier, Hosanna is a powerful word. It is a powerful word because it is a word of prayer which comes from faith. As defined earlier, Hosanna has rich meaning. For this prayer “Hosanna” means “Lord save” or “Lord help now”. It is a plea for Divine deliverance.
It is a confession of sin, a confession of our weakness, our frailty, the fact that we need help. In our song and prayer, “Hosanna”, we admit that whatever we are going through, we have nothing if we don’t have salvation and God’s help. We admit that we cannot save ourselves. We are confessing Jesus is our Messiah. And we are saying, Lord, help, Lord save us now.
God does contend for, strengthen and protect His people even today. He does hear our simple prayer of Hosanna. Even before we were born or knew Him, while we were yet dead in our trespasses and sin, He sent Jesus to be our Savior. Now, when we who have been baptized, given faith, and redeemed by the Word of God and the blood of Jesus Christ, find ourselves in temptation, stress, fear, anguish, uncertainty spiritually, physically, emotionally, let us not forget where God points us: to the cross, to Yeshua/Jesus and His victory over death and the devil for us. He points to His Word, to the place where He promises to come to His people in His Sacraments. To Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper where God delivers His grace to you and me. This is where He shows in a very real way that He is with you, that you needn’t fear in life. This is where He comes to sustain, strengthen, and uplift you with His righteous right hand. So we gather together to confess our sin, Hear His Word, confess the creed, and sing the Hosannas.
When we sing those Hosannas in the Divine Service, we are admitting that God is coming to us, and we are in His Divine Presence as Jesus comes processing into our midst, by the power of His Word of promise present with His body and blood in the bread and the wine. He comes with His healing presence, with His forgiveness. He comes to contend for and defend and protect His people once again. He is not crucified once more but He brings once again the power, might, and benefits of His triumphant grace and mercy accomplished once and for all at the cross. He brings it to serve the weak, weary, repentant believers in His true presence. So that by His crucified and risen sacramental presence, the believer here on earth would be encouraged, transformed by the forgiveness of sins, strengthened and upheld by God’s righteousness given here.
Then we can know that in the battles of this sin weary world, we have already been given Christ’s victory. That He will give us the strength to carry on. That He hears our every prayer asked in Jesus’ name. He knows your every need and well provides you. He will carry you through this life through faith in Christ. You needn’t fear, Christ is here for you. He does help, He does save. He will keep you steadfast soul and body giving you forgiveness of sins and all that you need. Then He promises to come once and for all triumphantly with a shout! To deliver and gather all His faithful. To raise up all the dead and bring all the faithful to life everlasting through Jesus Christ who is the ultimate answer to our prayer, Hosanna, God save us. Amen.
Pr. Aaron Kangas