The word 'Hosanna' is 'yasha-na' in Hebrew, coming from two words, 'yasha' meaning 'save, help', and 'na' meaning 'I pray, I beseech'. It was sung as a welcome, a greeting or shout of praise, but it actually means "Save now, I pray!" In Psalm 118:25-26, the psalmist wrote, "Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, grant us success. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed You from the house of the Lord."
When news of Jesus coming into Jerusalem began to spread, and as He was getting ready to attend the Feast of Passover, the people came out in droves to meet Him, thinking that He would be their political leader (political savior/deliverer) who would deliver them from the Roman occupiers. They saw Jesus as their 'political messiah', their hope and help. That was why they raised and spread 'branches of palm trees' to honor Him, and called Him 'The King of Israel'. These 'branches of palm trees' those days were symbolic of 'goodness, well-being, victory'.
For the record, Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as King of Israel also marked the shift from private setting to public setting of His ministry on earth. It was to be a new stage in His ministry, and by openly entering the city where He was a marked man, He took the first step towards an open confrontation with those who wanted to kill Him.
You might ask, "Why did Jesus ride on a donkey? Why not horse?"
Because 'donkey' speaks of 'peace', whereas 'horse' speaks of 'war'.
To understand the contrast above, let's look now at the prophecy written in Zechariah 9:9-10, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth."
By the way, 'chariot' and 'horse' here are symbolic of 'the might of men, or the power of men'. Psalm 20:7 says, 'Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God'.
As you can see here, Jesus did not come as a great and powerful earthly king and warrior-politician, much to the disappointment of many in those days. And within less than a week, many who welcomed Him and praised Him with shouts of 'Hosanna' ended up turning their backs on Him! Because they were expecting a political war-horse, someone whom they could call 'hero'. But instead, He came as a lowly servant riding on a donkey! Not as they have expected! And not just that, He came ready to die, as a lamb prepared to be slain!
It's an irony many who claimed to know the Law and the Prophets those days missed out on who He was and why He came for, and how they missed out the prophecies in Zechariah 9:9-10 entirely! As Jesus put it, they 'had eyes but could not see'.
People of God, let's not make that same mistake again. As we celebrate and commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, may the Lord also open our spiritual eyes to 'see' that Jesus is now here making a triumphal entry right into our hearts!
He wants to see His 'goodness, well-being, victory' live in you (remember 'branches of palm trees'?), and as you shout 'Hosanna', He is here to reign and triumph through you! He wants to set you free from the yoke of slavery, and restore double to you! And that's exactly what Zechariah 9:11-12 says (right after Zechariah 9:9-10), "As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold (fortress), you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you."
This is a time to return to Him, and put all your trust in Him, instead of the 'chariots' and 'horses' of this world. This is a time to meet Him face to face, just as the people who came out to meet Him (see John 12:12-13 again), but this time with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18).
I released these words from the Lord to the congregation on April 9, 2017 (Palm Sunday):
"Prepare yourselves for My glory and My triumphal entry into your hearts! Let Me meet with you and let Me live in you! Let Me reign and triumph in your lives in this new season! Behold, I make all things new! This is a time to believe for a brand new encounter with Me in your lives!"
Indeed, this is a time to let Him meet with you in a fresh new way and let Him live in you! This is especially so for you who have wanted to go deeper, and into a new level of intimacy with Him. You are not satisfied with your current state of spiritual life, and you may even be so tired of 'playing church', but without a true encounter with Him. You do not want to be a 'fake' anymore. You want the 'real deal'.
If you are one of those, this is a time to prepare yourself for a brand new encounter with Him, because He is in the midst of visiting many who humble themselves and cry out to Him. As you let go of the 'old', or whatever in the past that has 'imprisoned' you, let Him have a free hand in your life, and let Him take over every area of your life. He will make all things new for you, and He will even 'make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert' for you (Isaiah 43:18-19). Amen.
