Day 49: March 16

Matthew 21: 1-17

SCRIPTURE
OBSERVATION
The first 11 verses of Matthew 21 are called The Triumphal Entry.  This event of the life of Christ is one of the few events that are found in all 4 Gospels.  So we can conclude that this is a significant event not only to the people who were there but to us today as well.  We call it Palm Sunday and for us it commemorates the beginning of Holy Week.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey (vs 2), a donkey who had never been ridden before.

This is a direct fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

The disciples laid their coats on the donkey for Jesus to sit on (vs 7) and as Jesus road into Jerusalem, the crowds spread their coats in the road and they cut palm branches to spread as well.  They did all this as they shouted, “Hosana!”
 
APPLICATION
We often think of the word “Hosanna” as a proclamation of praise, like we shout Hallelujah, but this word has a different meaning.  It is really a cry for salvation.  

The crowds were not praising Jesus as much as they were acknowledging Him as Messiah and asking for Him to save them.

This is why Jesus came.  He came to save people.  And He would indeed do just that within that week He would be hanging on a cross.  To save us, not from the earthly governments like the people of His day clamored for and expected.  He came to save us from our sin.  
Titus 3:5 tells us “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
 
PRAYER
Jesus our Hosanna!  You are our salvation.  We praise you and honor you for your mercy. That you demonstrated your love for us in that while we were still sinners you died for us. (Romans 5:8) We are in awe and reverence of you supreme sacrifice to save us.