Five Statements Of Praise

Everyone loves a parade!

The community we lived in – in Vermont had a huge 4th of July parade. It was not too hot there to do a parade like it would be here. I would guess the population of Randolph tripled for that one day.

Today is Palm Sunday. When Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday it had to feel like a parade. Thousands of people lined the street as He rode by. As I read the accounts of it in scripture this week, I was particularly drawn to the praises the people were shouting. Some of them were the same and 6 of them were different.

All four gospel accounts record this story for us. Between the four accounts we have six different statements people shouted in praise to Jesus. In your bulletin it says five statements of praise. When I was revising the message Friday night, I found the statement in Mark and realized I had left it out. I want to take each phrase and look at what that statement really means and says about Jesus. We shall begin with Matthew 21:9. Please turn in your Bible or look at the screen.

1. Hosanna to the Son of David

The word Hosanna is a shout of praise. The people were praising and glorifying the Son of God with these phrases. The definition of the word Hosanna is “save us or save now.”

The second half of the statement of praise is the title “Son of David.” King David had been given a promise from God that his line and linage would be where the Messiah would come from. After seeing the miracles Jesus performed and hearing His remarkable teachings, many people had finally become convinced Jesus was the Messiah and deserved the title Son of David. The people hoped Jesus would be the King to bring the glory back to Israel.

On this day, we know as Palm Sunday, Jesus was given the treatment of a King. People laid their outer garments or cloaks on the ground and cut and laid palm branches on the ground and waved them in the air in honor of Him. These are the kinds of things they would have done for a military victor or royal King. During the Feast of Tabernacles, they would cut palm branches and wave them in the air in praise to God.

There is another issue at play here. The phrase “Hosanna, save us Son of David” has many historians believe when the people were shouting it to Jesus - they wanted Jesus to overthrow the Romans and create a free Israeli state with Himself as the King. Therefore, this phrase was a call to revolution to free them from Roman rule.

This would make more sense of how they could praise Jesus on Sunday and by Friday shout to crucify Him. They came to understand Jesus was not the kind of King they wanted Him to be.

Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem with no army, no evidence of any kind of military and riding on a donkey instead of a powerful stallion and yet the people confused Him as being a military ruler.

The Bible theologian James May came to this conclusion: “The Jews did not want a sacrifice for sin; they wanted a King. They did not want a spiritual deliverer; they wanted an earthly deliverer. They did not want a Messiah that would be a lamb led to the slaughter who would die on the cross for them; they wanted a Messiah that would lead them in battle and live for them as a conquering hero.” (sermoncentral.com)

2. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord

Matthew 21:9 - this statement of praise comes out of Psalm 118:26. In Luke’s account he changes the word He to King. “Blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Jesus had made it clear during His earlier ministry that He was a spokesman for God. So now the people were giving back to Him the blessing or praise. Jesus had shown them a better way to worship the Father.

3. Hosanna in the Highest

Matthew 21:9 - Once again, we find the word hosanna. The meaning of the word is “save us.” To add the words “in the highest” they were calling on the Lord God or the Highest God to save them. This phrase was a prayer and appeal to the Lord God to send down His power to save them from the Roman rule and occupation. The people were not thinking a spiritual kingdom, but a literal physical and political kingdom – like King David had.

Before we get too hard on these people, I wonder if we are really any different. We profess Jesus as our Savior and we call on Him to deliver us from sin, but to also bail us out of debt, to heal all our diseases and make our life comfortable and easy. Too many Christians are looking for the health, wealth, and happiness gospel. When Jesus calls us to discipleship and to deny self and take up our cross.