David Bahn – Reflections

“Save now!” That’s more or less what “Hosanna” means. Another way of translating it would be “Save I pray!” In either case, “Hosanna” is an expression of urgent expectation. The people were calling for Jesus to save them in the expectation that he could and would do just that.

Too often our prayers are feeble whimpers and faint yearnings without the strong expectation that God will actually answer. But on this occasion, the people were celebrating Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. And their celebration included both a call for his salvation as well as an expectation of his delivery of it.

What would it be like to call on God for your needs even as you express your confidence that he will satisfy all your needs (see Philippians 4:19!). That’s what we do when we worship on Sunday mornings, confessing our sins, and declaring our faith in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That’s what we do as we sing God’s praises and call on him in prayer. That’s what we do when we pray with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6)  – asking and thanking God at the same time.

Hosanna! Blessed is he who has come in the name of the Lord! He has saved us and promises that when we call on the Father in his name he will hear and answer. That’s worth celebrating even as we call on him for help in our most urgent time of need.

Matthew 21:1-13

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”