Hosanna: The Surprising King of Palm Sunday (Episode 24)
Key Takeaways
- •Jesus' entry into Jerusalem fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy - a king coming gentle, on a donkey, not a warhorse.
- •"Hosanna" means "save us now"; the crowd wanted rescue from Rome, but Jesus came to save their souls.
- •We're tempted to shape Jesus into our own image; He came to shape us into His.
- •We are saved not merely for our own benefit, but for the purposes of God's kingdom.
Palm Sunday weekend, and Pastor Brady turns to Mark 11 - the triumphal entry, a story found in all four Gospels. Jerusalem is packed with Passover pilgrims, buzzing with rumors about a young Messiah who heals the sick and raises the dead. And He's about to surprise them.
A King on a Donkey
As Jesus rides in, the crowds spread cloaks and branches and shout, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" To a Jewish believer, this was unmistakable - the fulfillment of Zechariah's ancient prophecy that the king would come "gentle and riding on a donkey." Not a warhorse. A colt. A sign not of conquest, but of peace.
"See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
"Save Us Now"
"Hosanna" means save us - save us now. Under the crushing weight of Roman rule, taxed into poverty and ruled by fear, the people were sure Jesus had come to drive out Rome by force. Just a week later He would indeed save them - but not in the way they imagined. He came to save their souls, not merely their bodies; to be a far more powerful King than the one they were cheering for.
The Jesus We Want vs. the Jesus We Need
Pastor Brady poses the sharp question of Palm Sunday: is the Jesus we want the Jesus we need? He describes seeing, in cathedrals around the world, paintings where Mary and the infant Jesus are shaped to look like the people of that country - a picture of our tendency to remake Jesus in our own image. But we cannot shape Jesus into our image; He intends to shape us into His. If Jesus is merely our mascot, we'll use Him for our benefit. If Jesus is Lord, we let Him change us.
We were rescued and redeemed not simply for our own comfort, but for the purposes of God's kingdom. The crowd wanted a king to meet their expectations; Jesus came as the King who would exceed them - and transform them. The same question stands for us this Holy Week.
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