The scripture records two reactions to the Lord’s Triumphant entry into Jerusalem:
First:
Matthew 21:9-11 “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”
Second:
Matthew 21:15 “But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.”
Besides the obvious differences of acceptance by the people and rejection by the religious sects, there is a more notable message lying within the holy writ. Both the people and the pharisees did not know Who Jesus was. To the people, Jesus was a prophet; a healer Who originated from a city called Nazareth. To the pharisees, Jesus was a troublemaker Who sought to disrupt their ceremonial practices. Both saw Him in a different light, but neither understood that He was The Light. Both saw Him as unique, but none comprehended that He was The I AM.
Maybe it was a step in the right direction to proclaim that Jesus came in the name of the Lord, but it could not end there. He was the Lord. Besides a handful of disciples and the women, which followed, none of them viewed Him as the Resurrection and the Life. The people cried Hosanna, but no one saw Him as the Alpha and Omega, The Almighty (Revelation 1:8). They all shouted praises and laid branches and coats in His path, but Isaiah’s declaration was a blur (Isaiah 9:6) – “The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father.”
The seven days from His entry to His crucifixion is noted as the greatest week in human history. In some ways, I find the words of the Roman soldier as the real capstone of the Lord’s identification. The soldier witnessed the Lord’s death and in that moment, he lifted up his eyes and said, “Surely this was the son of God.”
As we enter this house of worship, there must be recognition of Who He is. It is imperative that we call Him Savior, Master, Redeemer. He did not just come in the name of the Lord. He came as the Lord of all. His name is Jesus and He is the Lord of Glory, the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings. We cry, “Hosanna,” because He is the Light of the World and the Lord of Glory.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole