“And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. (Matthew 21:6–9)

One of the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ was the fact that He would come into Jerusalem riding on a young donkey. The prophet Zechariah prophesied: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9)

Another less well-known passage of Scripture talks about the response the people would have when they saw Jesus. The word Hosanna means “save now” and is at the same time a shout of praise and cry for deliverance.

“Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.” (Psalms 118:25–26)

Jesus did indeed come “having salvation” (Zechariah 9:9).  He came to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21b).

Most of the people shouting Hosanna that day would be yelling “Crucify him! Crucify him!” less than one week later. They had wanted Jesus to save them from Roman occupation of their land and set up His Kingdom, but they were unwilling to receive the moral conditions of the kingdom. And so, they rejected their King and the eternal salvation he offered. Like most people today, they were not interested in being saved from their sin.

What have you done with Christ’s offer of the forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation? If not, why don’t you cry out to Him in faith today? Hosanna! — Save now!

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

~Pastor David