PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Mark 11:1-11
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna!’” (Mark 11:9)
The word ‘hosanna’ originally was a prayer for God to ‘save’.
Over time it became a praise word, expressing confidence in the ‘Saviour’.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, the people before and after him cry ‘Saviour’.
This is not only true in this moment, but has been true throughout history.
The people who went ahead of Jesus (the OT) cried ‘Save!’ and ‘Saviour!’
The people who follow after Jesus (the NT) cry ‘Save!’ and ‘Saviour!’
I belong to the group that follows after Jesus – praying to and praising Jesus as Saviour.
I follow Jesus as he humbly prepares to graciously love and serve all sinners.
It is striking to me that the temple (or the church) is the where the battle is.
Instead of following the humble Saviour, the church threatens and resists grace.
I meet many desperate people outside the temple desperately crying ‘Save!’.
I join with them in praying to and praising the Saviour, despite the ‘temple’.
The religious leaders may refuse them, but Jesus will not… and neither will I!
I follow Jesus with the desperate shouting ‘Saviour’, that all may put their hope in him.
PRAYER
Lord, you are Saviour to those outside the temple. Though the ‘temple’ may oppose this, I will continue to testify to salvation by grace alone. Hosanna!
It started out with a ‘miraculous’ acquisition of a donkey, then all the special treatment with all the shouting and praise and then ended up in what seemed to be an empty temple: “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.” Seemed like an anticlimax – or no reception at all at the temple. It is telling to me that there was no acknowledgment at all – not like the people along the way who acknowledged: “Hosanna![a]”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[b]10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” I’m sure the temple people heard the commotion – did they deliberately disappear so that Jesus came to an empty temple – and then just turned around to go to the people in Bethany whom he loved and was accepted by? Was this another jab to torment Jesus. Jesus knew what He was up against and He carried on – for you and for me!
Hosanna is a Hebrew expression which means SAVE! which is also an expression of praise as exclaimed in verse 10. They went before Him and after Him showering Jesus with their praises. I too this day need to be in His presence walking with Him in all I do and say. It is in His power I can live for Jesus and I need His presence every hour. I too am a follower of Jesus and other need to see Him in me as I live for Him. The twelve travelled with Him, following Him everywhere and I need to do the same.
When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.