"HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST"

HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST

            Palm Sunday, April 1, 2012, The Year of our Lord

Pastor Carolyn Sissom

Matt. 21: 9b:  “”Hosanna to the son of David; Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”      

John 12: 12-13:  “On the next day (5 days before Passover), many people came to the feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.  They took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord.”

Zeph. 3: 14-15:  “Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel, be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.  The Lord has taken away you judgments.  He has cast out your enemy.   The king of Israel, even the Lord is in the midst of you…”

Luke 19:38:  “Saying, blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.”

Jesus approaches Jerusalem from Jericho.  He reached Bethany on the east side of the Mount of Olives.  Deeming that the time was now ripe for Him publicly to confess His Messiahship, he decided to do so by an act which constituted a claim that the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 related to Himself.  Instead of entering Jerusalem on foot, as was the custom in the case of pilgrims, He resolved to enter mounted on a colt, and one, which had never previously been ridden.  This is in accordance with the prophet Zechariah’s description of such a creature as a new colt.

Mt. 21:2-7:  “Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you shall find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; loose them, and bring them to Me.  If any may say anything to you, say, The Lord has need of them; and immediately he will send them.’  All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes to you, meek, and sitting upon a donkey, and a colt the foal of a donkey.”

Jesus’ use of the donkey was a witness that, despite popular opinion, it was not as a warrior that He would fulfill His Messianic office (in which event a more appropriate beast on which to ride would have been a horse), but in great meekness and lowliness, Jesus told his disciples to bring the donkey and colt.

Genesis 49:11:  “Binding his foal to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes.”

An improvised saddle was laid on it on which Jesus sat.  As a token of homage to Jesus, the people put their clothes on the donkey for a saddle.  Their cloaks and palm branches (Jn. 12:13) were spread on the road before Him. As I was preaching this, a revelation came to me that the Holy Spirit moved on the "multitude" releasing the acclamation that Jesus was the King of Israel.  

This acclamation  is described in 1 Kings 9:13 when Jehu was anointed by Elijah as King of Israel.  The people spread their coats on the stair well before him.  So the people very well knew this homage was only shown to people who had been annointed as a King.  Jehu is a type of the government of the Kingdom of God and His King Jesus victorious over the Harlot systems of the world and the enemies of the Christ.

Two of the gospels describe the palm trees as leafy branches.  However, John identifies the trees as Palm trees.  Thus, as Christians we observe the Sunday before Easter celebrating His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Palm tree throughout the Bible is a symbol of victory.  In the Old Testament there were Palms, Willows, Myrtles and Olives.  However in the New Testament, there is only Palms. (Total Victory)

 Rev. 7:9 “After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb.”

1. Palm---symbol of victory.
2. Willow---symbol of weeping.
3. Myrtle---symbol of joy.
4. Olive---symbol of anointing.

Mt. 21: 9-10:  The multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David; blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.  When he came into Jerusalem, all the city was moved saying, Who is this?”

Hosanna means “Save—we pray”.  The people’s cry at the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem was taken from Psalm 118, which was recited at Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles in the great Hallel (Hey-lehl) (Ps. 113-118).  The song was sung in response to the priest waving Palm and Willow branches.

The last day of the feast was called “the great Hosanna”; the boughs were also called “Hosannas”. 

Psalm 118 reveals the One exalted as the Chief cornerstone.  It was Jesus’ Farewell Hymn with His disciples as he left the Passover on His way to Gethsemane and Calvary. (Mt. 26:30).  It embodies a prediction of His rejection.

118:22-23:  “The stone which the builders refused has become the head stone of the corner.  This is the Lord’s dong; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

That the multitude would choose to worship Jesus with this song is prophetic.  It is the Song of Perfect Victory.  It was undoubtedly arranged to be sung by a triumphal procession as it made its way to the temple for thanksgiving and worship.  This is pre-eminently the triumph song of Jesus Christ, the ideal Servant, the perfect Priest, the King-leader of the people.

118:15-16:  “The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.  The right hand of the Lord is exalted;…”

Verses 19-27 describe a victor’s welcome:

“Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord; This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.  I will praise You; for you have heard me, and have become my salvation.”

Verse 25 “Save Now (Hosanna), I beseech You,… O Lord; send now prosperity.”

The crowds rightly identified the coming of the promised kingdom with the coming of the promised King.  “he who should come” was a standard title by which the Messiah was denoted (Mt. 11:3).

With true majesty, the Son of David moves on toward His Passion.  It is Luke only who records the request of the Pharisees for Jesus to silence the crowds who acclaim Him as the Messiah.  His reply is if they are silenced the very stones would cry out. 

19: 40-44:  He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.  And when he came near, he beheld the city and wept over it, saying,  If you had known, even you at least in this your day, the things which belong to your peace! But now they are hid from your eyes.  For the days shall come upon you, that your enemies shall cast a trench about you, and compass you round and keep you in on every side.  And shall lay you even with the ground, and your children within you; and they shall not leave in you one stone upon another; because you knew not the time of your visitation.”

Even though there was an order to arrest him by the Sanhedrin, Jesus continues every day teaching at the temple.  He was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel; proclaiming the good news under the very shadow of the Cross.  The Jewish leaders would love to silence Him.  The people are hanging onto his words.  They are the words of life.

He again cleansed the temple protesting against the commercialization of the Temple worship.  The Pharisees have certainly not given up.  The wheel has come full circle.   Our Lord’s public ministry began with conflict with the Pharisees because of His claims to unique authority and now closes in a further series of conflicts on the same subject.

Times have not changed.  The religious leaders of our cities and nation continue to reject and despise those to whom the Lord has given His authority.  As long as men can dictate authority, they think they are in control.  Nothing has changed!!!

So the attack begins.  They come with an apparent guileless request for a statement from Him on the source of His authority for what He does.  Instead of a direct reply, he puts a question to them.

Luke 20: 2-5:  The scribes and the elders spoke to Him, saying, Tell us by what authority do You these things? Or who gave you this authority?  He answered and said to them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer Me: The baptism of John was it from heaven, or of men?  They reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say, Why then did you not believe him?  If we say, of men; all the people will stone us; for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.  They answered they could not tell from where it was.  Jesus said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

God’s Kingdom and his throne is above all earthly thrones.

Kings succeed or fail according to their relationship to the Heavenly throne, and their response to the Word of the Lord as it flows through anointed ministries established and appointed by the Lord’s authority.

The Throne and Kingdom of God is seen immovable in the midst of the changing throne (governments) of man.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Leaders come and go.  Those scribes and elders who challenged Jesus---no one remembers their names.   Christ is alive and always present.  In the midst of changing times, scenes and ideas, He stands like a rock---for He is changeless.

Isaiah 44:6:  ‘Thus says the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the First, and I am the Last; and beside Me there is no God…(7b) Is there a God besides Me? Yes, there is no God; I know not any.”

Rev. 22:13: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the Last.”

Preached by:  Pastor Carolyn Sissom

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

www.eastgateministries.com