My chest lights up with Holy Spirit fire when I sing any hymn with the word Hosanna in it, so I thought that I should research why that might be. HOSANNA was not a word I had heard often, except for on Palm Sunday and in occasional Bible stories growing up, and now Jesus is giving me a strong message that there is power in that word. Why?
To simplify the research I did and give you just the footnotes, I discovered that the Hebrew word, “Hosanna” is essentially a cry for help. A reverent cry to be saved by God during a time of deep concern, grief, or desperation, it is set apart from other expressions of praise and associated with supplication, prayer, and salvation. Supplication is humbly pleading for something in prayer, and salvation involves being truly repentant of our sins.
I believe that Jesus is showing me that the word Hosanna echoes throughout heaven because it reflects a heart of humility, sorrow for our wrongdoings, understanding that we are helpless to change without him, and a surrendered worship with hands open to receive and reverence for the Lord of Lords. By responding to his presence with “Hosanna in the Highest,” our plea to be rescued, saved, heard, cleansed, redeemed, healed, and brought to a place of face-down, reverent surrender, it is in that place that the Glory of God is truly revealed in who Jesus is.
When we are brought to that place of singing Hosanna from our hearts to Jesus… on the streets, in the shower, at church, and wherever we gather with others… the power of that word will burn within us. The verses below no longer feel ominous, but rather reassuring, because when we truly have reached the point in our faith journey of being enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, we realize that we have already been transformed in our earthly bodies in ways that set us apart from the rest of the world.
Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. – Hebrews 6:1-6 NIV
As humans walking in fallen bodies on Earth, we are still on a journey to become complete in Christ, and therefore our greatest cry to him are loud shouts of “Hosanna in the Highest!!” God hears our cries, he knows our hearts, and he is greatly pleased with his children. Humble praise delights him, whil
But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,“ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” – Matthew 21:15-16 NIV