“Hosannas” Public Praises
The Christian’s Public Praise
Under the preoccupy The Triumphal Entry in the Bible we read, “…the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting ‘Hosanna!’ Blessed is he who has come in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!” (Mark 11:7-10) In Luke 19: 37 on the Triumphal Entry we read “…the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! The language here is very grand, intended to express a burst of admiration far wider and deeper than ever had been witnessed before. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 120). Logos Research Systems, Inc.; Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Lk 19:36–37). InterVarsity Press.)
Our focus is the public praises of the people boldly proclaiming Jesus! I would propose to you that if there was any time when shouts of Hosannas should be raised, it is now. For Jesus Christ is still the Savior of the world and He is coming as the King to rule and reign over all who has received Him as their personal Savior and Lord.
A very loud declaration of the reason why Jesus came to earth was proclaimed at our Lord’s triumphal entry. In Jerusalem, Jesus would be wrongfully treated, brutally beaten, and experience the sting of death. While in Jerusalem, Jesus proclaimed beyond any question that He was the Pascal Lamb of God. And what a better place? Jerusalem was the capital of Palestine and the temple itself was there. Jerusalem was the hub and center of Jewish life and worship. In the temple was where the sacrifices were to be made. Therefore, Jerusalem was the place where Jesus would give His life as payment for the sins of the world. Just a few days earlier, our Lord had stated the reason for coming to earth; “For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (Luke. 19:10) The word “Hosanna” means “save us now.” The crowd along the road was literally proclaiming the purpose of Jesus’ coming, knowingly or unknowingly God was using them to declare a truth which affects people’s lives for eternity. No doubt many of them had the wrong perspective on Jesus coming at that time, yet still God was proclaiming, the Son of God had come to save people from their sins. Regardless of where the people’s heart was at – a loud proclamation was made and everyone around them knew who was being praised.
The fact is, the Jesus who rode on the colt of the donkey, who worked the miracles, who healed the sick and raised the dead, is the same Jesus today. He still intervenes in the lives of people today. He is still capable of doing miracles, heal the sick, and he has raised many from the dead spiritually, to eternal life making them born again. God has given many a fresh clean start, because of what Christ did on the Cross of Calvary.
The mission of Christians is to publicly praise Jesus just as clearly as the people on the road did at the triumphal entry of Christ at Jerusalem. God has given Christians the privilege to praise Jesus in spoken word, printed word, or words in a song and especially in how you live your life under His guiding hand. Peter reminds us of what we are to do. He writes; “But you are a chosen people a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
In what ways can we praise Christ publicly?
1.) Put in a good word for Jesus. When the Lord brings someone into your life who is overcome by sin, you can tell that person, how Jesus will not only forgive repentant sin, but He can also cleanse their hearts of that sin. And by the power of the Spirit of Christ, He can break the dominion of all sin in a person’s life.
2.) You can say good things about Jesus, and tell what he has done for you. Remember what Jesus told the demon possessed man, of who He had cast out many demons. “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” (Luke 8:29) It is exciting to tell people how God had delivered you from yourself, the world view, and the devil had on you.
3.) With a joyful noise proclaim who Jesus is. Please understand, we are to publicly proclaim the “Hosanna’s”; Christ Jesus is the Savior, not our church, not your pastor or a new church program. When Christians do that, they appear as being another church group, competing for numbers.
The people along the road shouted their joyous “Hosannas” without regard of what the Pharisees and Roman soldiers thought. When the time is right, Christians should cry out the praise of God. God deserves uninhibited praise, especially from His chosen people.
There is the tell of a man name Roberto Benigni, an Italian, whom had won an Oscar. When his named was announced, Roberto ran down the aisle waving his arms, shouting and he bound upon the stage and gave Sophia Loren a bear hug. This is the very same man whom when he met the Pope gave him a bear hug, upon which the Pope gave the reply, “You are very Italian.” Now at the same Academy Awards, another man, whose name has not been mentioned, also got an “Oscar” of some kind. Right after Roberto got His. This second man, after having his name announced and received his award, replied with a dignified response. He said; “Well, inside, I feel like Roberto.”
The difference between the two men is temperament. Both grateful, expressed it differently. Yet what was expected from both was a public response of what was in their hearts.
Pentecostals should not expect Methodist to express their excitement in the Lord the same as they do. However, the Lord expects a public Hosanna, if you will, from all His children. Praises to Jesus can be offered in many different ways, just as sincerely by someone who raises their hands and dances as someone who just bows his head in reverent respect. However, when it is appropriate and when needed, everyone needs to make a public proclamation of the saving grace of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. There was a popular Christian song with these words; “I will throw my hands in the air, here is my heart – cause, I don’t care, what they say about me - I gotta praise Him.”
Our Biblical challenge is to be like Peter and the other apostles, who was confronted by the Sanhedrin and questioned by the high priest. Peter, and the other apostles had been given strict orders, they were not to teach in the Name of Jesus. (Acts. 5:28) The Sanhedrin said to them, “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” (Acts. 5:28) The world view and the devil want us to be publicly shut down – the faithful publicly proclaim Jesus Christ saves.
Christians proclaim the coming of Christ as Lord and King when they express a burning desire to be in the Lord’s presence. They run to meet Him as the people did in His Triumphal Entry. Christians run to get into the Word of God because Christ is Logos, the revealed will of God. They can publicly proclaim Him on their face book page, through modern-day media such as TV, radio, internet, twitter and watch for other modern-day tools for communicating. The Christian who is in the right state of heart will proclaim Jesus Christ as their Reformer, one who is saving them from the bondages of sin. Their souls cleansed no longer polluted with the things which break God’s heart. Their hearts refined through the trials of life which have matured them with faith, trials which have proved them genuine as Satan tries to weaken and wear them down from whole-hearted service unto the Lord.
Christians mention the Lord, Jesus Christ with rejoicing, they are jubilant, enthusiastic and extol Him as they pray, “Lord! Save us now from everything which keeps us from the center of your perfect will.”
Let the Holy Spirit mature your heart with these questions:
• Just what are you doing to publicly proclaim the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
• How well are the churches in your town doing in using all the public media to remind people it is the Easter season, proof the Christmas season really did come?
• Are you excited to get into the Word of God for revelation, correction and guidance?
• Do you publicly share what Christ has done for you?
• Are you seen as a person whom is a Kingdom seeker?
