Every year the Sunday before Easter is embellished with palm leaves crafted into the shape of a cross and the reading of Matthew 21. Palm Sunday has become a common event of the Lenten season leading up to Easter, yet seldom do we realize that during the time in which these events occurred there was much politically being stirred.
Hosanna was not just a cheer, but a declaration publically and politically of Who Jesus was claiming to be.
The Story of Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday was not just crowds of people coming to see Jesus, it was actually something prophesized years before and the beginning of what would prove to be the most important week in all of time. Jesus and His disciples were coming upon Jerusalem and He instructed them in Matthew 21:1-3 to go ahead into a village and there they would find a donkey and her colt.
They found the donkey just as He said and brought it to Him to ride triumphantly into the city. This fulfilled Zechariah 9:9 in prophesying that the King would come to Jerusalem riding upon a donkey. This was significant because it validated yet again that Jesus is the promised Messiah.
As He entered into the city crowds began stretching out palm branches upon the road to greet Him and the masses cheered with a vigorous spirit, “Hosanna in the highest heaven! Hosanna to the Son of David Who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Through this entry, Jesus made a very political and intentional stand in boldly showing in action that indeed He is the Promised Son of God.
What Does Hosanna Mean and What was it Political?
Hosanna had deeper meanings than just adoration towards the Lord. Translated, Hosanna has multiple meanings that all pertain to what the people were shouting that Sunday.
In Hebrew it means, “save, I pray!” or “help!” In Aramaic, the common language of the day, it means, “Savior” and in Greek it is a word pulled from roots in the Hebrew meaning, “please save us!”
All three translations of the word make the stance and plead towards Jesus to be their salvation and declaring that He is Salvation. It is imperative to recall that the Pharisees, the religious leaders at the time, were quite against Jesus.
The masses joining in calling Jesus Hosanna meant that they were proclaiming Him as the Messiah, something the Pharisees were heavily opposed to. Jesus in gallantly entering the city, welcoming these praises and not saying otherwise was a bold posture in standing in the truth that He is the Messiah. The Pharisees did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, so in praising Him and calling Him salvation and Savior, it became very counter to what the Pharisees agreed with.
Although we rarely realize just how political this event was, it was one of the tipping points towards the events that would occur days later in crucifying Christ.
What Did the Pharisees Say?
We know now looking back what the response would be in the coming days towards Jesus, but as we follow His footsteps through the Word, it is clear that accepting the recognition of Hosanna in the Highest was not where it ended. Matthew 23 shares how Jesus ached over how the religious leaders and Pharisees lived in such a hypocritical status.
They held such important and honoring positions that represented the name of the Lord, yet their actions and heart stance were counter to the Lord. He shares in Matthew 23:39, “ For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” In saying this yet again it echoes the worship of His entry in saying, “Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!”
Jesus called out these leaders to hold them accountable, for how they lived their lives and walked out their positions was directly against the Spirit of the Lord. We see their response in Matthew 26 in their plot to arrest and kill Him.
From a political stance, it is clear that the Pharisees felt their only option was to remove Jesus all together, they never considered checking their own hearts or the planks in their own eyes. However, Jesus knew all angles of this, for He knew this would happen before He even came to earth, but it had to occur in order for Jesus to fulfill His mission.
What Did the Romans Say?
During the time Jesus walked the Earth, Rome dominated much of the world. The Jewish people believed the Messiah would come to defeat Rome and set them free, but Jesus had much larger than Rome in mind in setting His people free. It is later in the Holy Week that it becomes evident the role Rome would play in the response the crowds made in cheering Jesus on as the Savior, the Son of God.
John 19 expresses how the Roman Governor, Pilate, would be the one to make the call for His execution. The religious leaders brought Jesus to Pilate in order for the call to be made. Pilate’s reactions were rooted in fear, but when his own position was questioned in his loyalty to Caesar, Pilate caved, “Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, 'If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.'” (John 19:13).
After that accusation, Pilate and Rome as a whole took the position of handing Jesus over to be crucified at the behest of the crowds outside shouting, “crucify.’ The posture made in calling Jesus Hosanna days before would lead to the grounds in which Rome would be able to use for crucifixion.
What Was the Final Outcome?
The outcome of what the Pharisees intended for evil would unfold to prove that Jesus is supremely above. The plot against Jesus is shown in Matthew 26:14 as the chief priests and Pharisees approached Judas, one of Jesus’s disciples, for his assistance in capturing Jesus in order to kill Him. Judas agreed, and again we see political tactics such as bribery taking place.
Judas consented to hand over Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. This was already known by Jesus, and that same night He brought His disciples together for the Last Supper. The following day Jesus was arrested, taken before Pilate, and ultimately crucified.
His crucifixion would entail beating, mocking, slurs, humiliation, and the piercing of His hands and feet to hang Him upon a wooden cross. Yet this was not the end of the story, for Jesus finished what He came to do and on the third day after His crucifixion Jesus rose again. The schemes of the Pharisees, the political angles, the Roman Government’s influence and the strategies of evil held no power over Christ.
As it has been said, no power of Hell or scheme of man could defeat the Savior of the Universe.
Why We Should Celebrate Hosanna?
Two-thousand years later in our hearts we ought to celebrate and exult Hosanna in the Highest. Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself to become human, to take on flesh in order that we may know that He truly can sympathize and understand what it means to be human.
On Earth, He loved fearlessly, shared great wisdom and teachings, and devoted Himself to others. Yet despite all of this, evil and darkness still sought to remove Him, to cast Him out because He came against the status quo the Pharisees and political leaders of the time had worked hard to create. Jesus did not come to Earth to conform to the narrative of the day, but to boldly proclaim the truth and the heart of His Father.
This was accomplished as was the fulfillment of His mission in sacrificing Himself and keeping the promise of rising again for all mankind. Today we can rejoice that He is risen, and boldly profess that He is Hosanna, Savior indeed.
It is remarkable when we look back through history and consider what the climate politically, spiritually, and socially looked like. It is easy for us now to read the story of the Triumphal Entry and ponder why on earth days later Jesus would be killed.
If we consider those involved in power politically, socially and in heart stance it is easy to see that the religious leaders at the time greatly feared losing their positions and for the exposure of who they really were.
Despite their efforts to remove Him, Jesus prevailed for all of time. In that we can be encouraged to shout enthusiastically Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest, blessed be the Name of the Lord our Savior indeed.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/azerberber
Cally Logan is an author and US History teacher from Richmond, Virginia. Her works have been featured on "The 700 Club Interactive," “Jesus Calling Blog,” and “Coffee and Bible Time,” among several notable outlets. She served as a mentor for young women for several years and enjoys challenging women to develop deeper relationships with God and to live fearlessly and authentically. She received her B.A. Degree from Regent University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time in nature, having genuine chats over coffee, and woodworking. Her new book, The Wallflower That Bloomed, is available everywhere now. Connect with Cally: @CallyLogan Instagram CallyLogan.com