Hosanna! Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

March 28, 2021

in Spritual Growth

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Palm Sunday
Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines
March 28, 2021

Readings: Matthew 21: 1-11
Isaiah 52: 13-53: 12
Philippians 2: 5-11
Mark: 4: 32-72

Much like reading a novel, we want to know the ending right away. We are lazy to have to read or go through the different chapters of a book, and this takes away the intrigues and uniqueness of the writings. This shows us the weakness of man that we want to know everything at once. Today is Palm Sunday. So today we should focus on Palm Sunday. There’s a need to follow the series of events that lead to what God wants us to know about Easter.

With what is happening in the world today, there is confusion amongst the people. We need to turn to Christ. If a country is dictating its people not to go to church, this means we are taking a stand against God. Easter is the turning point of the whole world and this is why this event is so important. He set all men free from the bondage of sin.

It tells us that on Palm Sunday, which is the beginning of the Holy Week, Christ rode on a donkey (a work animal). In times of war, a king would be riding on a horse. But in times of peace, he would be riding on a donkey. Jesus was coming in peace. He was coming to declare peace, with gentleness, compassion and love. He came in humbly, not demanding attention. The donkey was a borrowed one and covered with ordinary clothing. This was the last leg of His journey, and He knew His hour was coming.

He’d already been to the northern part of the country, ministering and healing the people there. Coming in to Jerusalem. there were two cities he had to pass through which were located in the outskirts. One was Bethany in the place of Mary and Martha. The other was Arimathea, where Joseph who secretly followed Him lived. He gives instructions to the disciples to get a colt from a specific place because He had need of it. This had to be pre-planned by God. Nothing happens by accident. Everything had been planned from Day One. On their journey to Jerusalem, people took out branches from the trees, waved and rejoiced and shouting, “He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The people had heard that the Messiah was coming to set them free from Rome. They did not understand what Christ’s true mission was. Do we have a full picture of what Christ has done for us? The people who were proclaiming Him during Palm Sunday were the very same people who shouted “Crucify Him” on Good Friday.
Are we truly living the reality of what Christ has given us? He who came from the throne room of God, and who rode on a donkey in humility was coming to set men free. In Psalm 118, we cry out to the Lord to “help us” and “save us.” This is the true meaning of “Hosanna,” It’s a cry for help.

Why are all these things happening in our lives now? There must be a reason. God wants us to have the hope and joy of our salvation. He is great. He is our salvation. He is the source of life. The solution is not in science. God is the solution. We should put our trust in Him as we honor Him with our palms today, shouting, “Hosanna, hosanna, set us free!”