the great truth behind HOSANNA

... the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road ... and the crowds that went before [Jesus] and that followed Him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

Saturday I had the privileged to sit for nearly 4 hours and converse with a handful of friends about God! and it was not only challenging, but extremely refreshing and beneficial (as iron sharpens iron)

and we came at one point to discuss what the meaning of the praise proclamation and declaration "HOSANNA!!!" means? at college bible study, the previous wed night, we sang a song that proclaimed this phrase repeatedly ... and it made me think about it, as well as the others I was hanging out with on Saturday ... What does it mean?

and the meaning is amazing! I mean, if you are not urged to worship and to proclaim "HOSANNA, HOSANNA, HOSANNA" ... I am not sure of much else that will provoke true praise ... cause this word is wondrous!

Hosanna is indeed a praise proclamation. like a statement of fact. the OT and NT meanings are slightly different, so I will focus on the NT meaning .. b/c that's the one that blew my mind. so, according to Thayer's Greek/English Lexicon (courtesy E-sword) & Strong's it means ...

BE PROPITIOUS

now, if you are anything like me (a simpleton) you may have never heard of this word ... but you will recognize it sounds a lot like propitiation ... that is the object of wrath that satisfies the righteous, zealous, and just anger and coming wrath of the holy God, LORD Almighty ... and you may recall:

[Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people (Heb 2:17) ...

[Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (I John 2:2) ...

there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom 3:23-26) ...

and so, when we call out to Jesus ... in praise ... HOSANNA .. we are calling on Jesus to be the One who acts as the propitiation on our behalf .... we call out, proclaiming, HOSANNA .... Jesus, be propitious on my behalf ... a vile, wicked sinner, full of lusts, evils, and unrighteousness ... be propitious and satisfy the wrath of God on my behalf, for I have nothing to offer! HOSANNA, HOSANNA in the highest!

and so, this is my parting ... back to my personal time with the LORD .... cause I am really excited about Jesus being my Hosanna!