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Jesus Is (Part Two): "Jesus is the Son of David, Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord"

Matthew 21:1-11

Hosanna in the Highest

I can only think of one time in the recorded life of Jesus in the Gospels when he was truly treated with the respect and honor that he deserved; it was during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Do you remember the scene? Just a week or so earlier, Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead in nearby Bethany. Word of Jesus’ miraculous healings and teaching had already spread throughout Judea, Capernaum and Samaria like wildfire but the resurrection of Lazarus catapulted Jesus’ fame to a fever pitch! The multitudes were beyond excited, saying to one another “Surely this is the long-awaited Messiah who will finally free us from the brutal oppression of the Romans!” As Jesus approached Jerusalem, humble and riding on a donkey, the crowds erupted in adoration of Jesus!

Matthew 21:9
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Jesus, for a brief moment in time, was treated with the welcome that the Son of God deserved…but it would be short lived. You see, many of the same people that were shouting with reverence “Hosanna to the Son of David” would be shouting “Give us Barabbas, crucify Jesus!” just 5 short days later. The Jewish people in the crowd that day, waving palm branches and welcoming Jesus with shouts of praise had one thing right, Jesus was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. But what they completely missed was the true purpose of his mission. He hadn’t come to free Israel from Roman oppression, he came to free not just Israel, but all of mankind from the curse of sin.

John 3:16-18
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

God’s plan was so much bigger than freeing Israel from Rome, it was to redeem what had been lost all those centuries earlier in the Garden of Eden. You see, in that moment of disobedience in the garden by Adam and Eve, all of the authority and dominion that had been given to Adam by God was transferred to Satan. But God made a way when there was no way. In the greatest act of grace and mercy in human history, Jesus took upon himself, the sins of all mankind and the judgment that was rightfully ours. He willingly went to the cross for us, he took our sin and our punishment and in return gave us his righteousness. And after his crucifixion and burial, he rose again in victory and God Almighty stripped the authority that was stolen from Adam by Satan and lavished it upon King Jesus, glory hallelujah!

Colossians 1:15-20
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Beloved, this Sunday is Palm Sunday. May we all remember, that Jesus was thinking of you and me when he rode that donkey into Jerusalem. Step by faithful step, he was approaching his destiny, for he knew that the cross would be waiting for him in 5 short days but that was his goal, to fulfill the will of our Father in heaven and redeem all who would humbly believe on and confess the name of Jesus as Lord and Savior!

May all glory, honor, praise, dominion and power be unto the name that is greater, the name that is higher, the name that stands above every other name, the name of Jesus Christ! Yes, let it be so Lord, Amen.

I love y’all
doug