Preparing For Palm Sunday

2. Acts of Humility (vs. 7 – 8)

• Laid their clothes … This was done as a token of respect. Thus acknowledging him to be their king, for this was a custom observed by the people when they found that God had appointed a man to the kingdom. When Jehu sat with the captains of the army, and Elisha the prophet came, by the order of God, to anoint him king over Israel, as soon as he came out of the inner chamber into which the prophet had taken him to anoint him, and they knew what was done, every man took his garment, and spread it under him on the top of the steps, and blew the trumpets, saying, “Jehu is king.”

• Put Christ above … For “the ass that was tied up was an emblem of the Jews bound under the yoke of the law; and the colt that had not been tied represented the Gentiles who were not under the law; and that Jesus Christ’s sitting on both represented his subjecting the Jews and the Gentiles to the sway of his evangelical scepter.”

• Spread branches on the road … Others showed the same respect by throwing their garments before him; others by cutting down branches of trees and casting them in the way. This was the way in which conquerors and princes were often honored. To cast flowers, or garlands, or evergreens before a warrior returning from victory, or a king entering into his kingdom, was a common way of testifying joyful and triumphant feeling.

Illustration: Humility was a Hebrew word meaning the lowering of the Nile River. Now I know a lot of Egyptians friends that use to come through Galilee and we would talk and they would tell me that the Nile River meant everything to them. They were totally dependent upon it. When the Nile River went down so did their quality of life and when it rose the quality of their life rose up. Jesus was so dependent upon the Father in the Spirit for everything that is where He got His humility. My first step was being over-confident in myself, forgetting how dependent I was upon my Father. How many times had I memorized Scripture? In Proverbs it says, “Guard over your heart with all diligence for from it flows springs of life.” How many times did I need to hear, “A haughty Spirit precedes falling?” How many times did I need to hear it as I walked miles and miles every day with Jesus? But I didn’t hear it.

3. Acts of Proclamations (vs. 9 – 11)

• Hosanna to the Son … They were now proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah and he let them do it. “Hosanna” means “Save, we pray thee.” They repeat words from the Hallel (Psalm 148: 1) and one recalls the song of the angelic host when Jesus was born (Luke 2: 14). “Hosanna in the highest” (heaven) as well as here on earth. In the chanting or singing of those psalms, the Jewish writers inform us that the people responded frequently “hallelujah, or hosanna.” Their use of it on this occasion was a joyful acclamation, and an invocation of a divine blessing by the “Messiah.” And the word is corruptly made of two, for we should say, "Hoshiang-na", which is as much as to say, "Save I pray thee".