Day 26 — Hosanna!

“The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest!’”

— Matthew 21:9 (BSB)

It was the week of the Passover feast, and Jerusalem was packed with visitors. Jesus and His disciples were coming up the road toward the city.

Jesus sent two disciples to a nearby village to bring back a donkey and her colt. Then Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the young donkey.

As He came, a huge crowd went wild! People spread their cloaks on the road in front of Him. Others cut branches from the trees and laid them down too. It was like rolling out a red carpet for a king. And everyone was shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Hosanna is a Hebrew word that means “Save us!” Over time, it also became a shout of praise, like cheering, “Salvation is here!” And “Son of David” was a title for the promised King.

The people were right. Jesus was the King! But why would a king ride a donkey? Kings usually rode big war horses.

Hundreds of years earlier, the prophet Zechariah had said the King would come “gentle and riding on a donkey” (Matthew 21:5). A king on a war horse comes to fight. A king on a donkey comes in peace. Jesus came as a humble King, not to conquer Rome with an army, but to save people from sin.

Many in that crowd didn’t understand that. They wanted a king who would kick out the Romans and make their lives easier. When Jesus didn’t do what they expected, some of those same voices would soon be shouting something very different.

Today, many churches remember this day as Palm Sunday, a week before Easter.

Here’s a question for you: Is Jesus your King? Not just the King you cheer for when things are going well, but the King you follow when He does things differently than you expect? A real King isn’t someone we tell what to do. He’s someone we trust and obey.

Think about it: What’s the difference between cheering for Jesus and following Him as your King?

Try this: Say or sing “Hosanna!” today as a prayer: “Save me, Jesus! Praise You, Jesus!” Then look for one way to obey your King today.

Hosanna, Jesus! You are the King who came in peace, riding on a donkey. You are the Son of David, the promised King. I don’t just want to cheer for You. I want to follow You and obey You, even when I don’t understand. In Your name, Amen.