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"So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" (John 12:13). This Sunday is Palm Sunday when we will hear the word "Hosanna" in our readings, and in some of our hymns. This word was shouted by the crowds as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. But what does the word mean?
"Hosanna" is an old word, quite possibly originally a Hebrew word. We find the word used in the Old Testament especially in the Psalms. The original meaning is basically, "save us!" For example, Psalm 12:1 says, "Save [hosanna], O LORD, for the godly one is gone." Psalm 118:25 says, "Save us [hosanna] we pray, O Lord!" When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the people likely had a similar sentiment in mind when shouting this word. They believed Jesus was the Messiah, the one anointed to save them, to rescue them, most likely from the oppressive hand of the Romans. They wanted a Messiah who would either restore the kingdom of Israel to its former glory ruled by a Jewish king, or perhaps they were hoping for the eternal reign of God on earth. Whatever their thoughts, they had the right idea. Jesus was indeed the one who was coming into Jerusalem to save them, but not from the Romans. He was coming to save them from their sins. In our Christian understanding, "Hosanna" is now more of a word of praise, than a word of pleading. Of course, we too recognize the need for a Messiah, one who will save us from our sins and we ask Jesus for that salvation. But we apply that word directly to Jesus because of what He has already done for us on the cross in dying for the sins of the world. On our lips, "Hosanna" is a shout of acclamation and adoration recognizing Jesus as the true and only Messiah. He has saved us, and we rejoice in His salvation with our cries of “Hosanna!” Last week I argued that worship isn't special. By that I mean that prayer, reading the Bible, and devotions should be part of our daily routine. Attending church on Sunday should be as routine as all the other things we do once a week. I also argued that worship is holy. Which means it is set apart; it looks different than all the other routine things we do during the week. It is sacred time, dedicated to the things of God, time to let God speak to and feed our bodies and souls, time to return to Him in repentance and faith, and to thank Him for His goodness.
There is another thing that worship is, it is important. As Lutherans we are taught repeatedly, and rightly, that we have nothing to do with our salvation; God does it all in the death and resurrection of Christ. That is true and glorious good news! It is the Lord who brings us to faith and the Lord who sustains our faith. However, we often neglect the second part of thinking about God's work, namely that God works through means. He doesn't zap faith into you. We don't hold to the idea of "once saved always saved." God has established mechanisms through which He works to give and strengthen faith. Those means are His Word and the Sacraments. To minimize or reject worship, is to minimize or reject the means through which God has promised to sustain your faith. So we see that worship isn't about what we do for God, but what He does to and for us. In his book, The Fire and the Staff, Pastor Klemet Preus has this to say about the Divine Service, "If the Divine Service is viewed primarily as our praising God, then you can do that just as well at home. In fact, once we have looked at the topic of vocation, you will see that we can serve God better in the world than in the church building. But if the service is understood as God giving us the forgiveness of sins, then you've got to be there. It is very possible that the low attendance at Sunday services seen in so many churches today is a reflection of how we define the service. If I am acting, then I can do it at another time. If God is acting, I better be there." |
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