It’s Palm Sunday. Today we commemorate that day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. He was welcomed by the exuberant praise of the masses. The people were excited about what they thought He was going to do for them.
As the people celebrated they shouted things like: “Hosanna!” which can be a plea for God to save them. It means “save now”. If that’s the idea they had in mind, they probably meant it in a different way than the way we might use it. It’s very likely that, since they were quoting a well-known scripture passage that was used at this festival, that they meant it more like “Praise the Lord” or “Hallelujah”. They shouted, “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!” Little did they know what all that blessing would entail. They also didn’t realize how much blessing His coming would bring to them.
We see this “Triumphal Entry” from a totally different perspective than they did. We know what blessings Jesus brought when He rode into that city. We know the meaning of His cross and how it really does “save now”. We know that He was truly blessed of God, and that because of all He did, we can now be called “the blessed of God”, too. We have far more reason than they did to shout, “Hallelujah,” “Praise the Lord,” and “Blessed be the One Who comes in the Name of the Lord!”
I know that we are not the shouting kind – at least not in church – but, I can’t think of a better reason to get excited and a little too exuberant than what Jesus Christ has done for us. I hope that this morning your hearts are filled with praise for the Son of God Who loves you and gave Himself up for you. I hope that – even if you can’t work up the nerve to shout out loud – that you’re shouting on the inside in worship to your Risen King. And, if you let out a little shout, so be it. You might have to revive the person next to you, but it will be good for them.
Blessed is He Who came and is coming again in the Name of the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
