Are you aware that “Hosanna” is a phrase we often use when we feel stuck or in distress? Do you ever sing “Hosanna” to yourself when you’re walking around the house? You might even find that you are uttering the word “Hosanna” to yourself without being aware of what it means.
Everyone who has heard, sung, read, or said it could attest that it is a potent exclamation. Don’t worry if “Hosanna” is foreign to you. It’s important to learn what “Hosanna” means and how impactful it will be.
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What Is The Meaning Of Hosanna In The Bible?
The Hebrew word hosanna means “save us immediately” or “save us when we pray.” Save us is a translation of the Hebrew phrase “howosiah-na.” The audience wildly chanted this phrase when they waved palm fronds at the triumphant entry.
The Jews recognized Jesus as their Messiah when they shouted “Hosanna” and referred to Father David and David’s kingdom when Jesus entered Jerusalem. The Jews’ cries of “Hosanna in the highest” signaled their expectation that Jesus the Messiah had arrived to immediately establish God’s kingdom, as promised in the Davidic Covenant. The crowd’s chant of “highest” was an appeal to God to bless them and the Messiah’s redemption.
This remark is similar to that of the angels. “Glory to God in the highest.” The crowd was chanting, “Save us, our Messiah, who arrives to fulfill God’s destiny! To the one who will one day sit on the throne, invoking heaven’s blessing, we implore you to save us.” The people in Jerusalem were looking for a political rather than a spiritual savior at that time. They wanted the messianic predictions to be fulfilled temporarily and on a material level.
The Messiah will be a man of sorrows, bearing His people’s sufferings and being crushed for their crimes, but they refused to believe the prophecies that foretold this. Isaiah 53 foretold his oppression and eventual death. Jesus acknowledged their cries of “Hosanna in the highest” because he was the Messiah they had been expecting. Indeed, God was with us in the person of Jesus; he was Immanuel.
However, the second coming is required for the final political victory and Davidic Covenant[1] fulfillment. Jesus had to solve the sin problem before addressing his people’s political issues. People were shouting “Hosanna in the highest,” but they had no idea what that meant. According to Luke, Jesus had arrived to save them. However, it was not the way they expected. As the saying goes, blood must be shed for forgiveness to be granted.
The cross was God’s response to their screams for help and their insistence that salvation must arrive immediately. With the blood of Jesus, God provided spiritual salvation, releasing people from the slavery of sin. However, the eternal advantages of our salvation greatly transcend any short-term gains we make in this life.
Why Is Hosanna Powerful?
The word “Hosanna” is beautiful, and Christians believe it is a powerful expression of worship to God. When we need his assistance or rescue, “Hosanna” is a call to worship God as our deliverer. If we have a problem, worry, or concern, we can take it to God, who will listen. There’s no use in waiting for outside help to save us.
Hosanna reveals that God was working toward a redemptive goal. God is a savior and redeemer who rescues and restores his cherished followers. The bad guys have no chance against him because he is a savior of the highest kind.
In every situation, he is guaranteed to come out on top. God is the only one who can rescue you from your troubles, sorrows, or sins. By trusting in Jesus, we are given the gift of salvation, which includes true and enduring liberty and eternal life.
Readers of Matthew 21 will undoubtedly be able to imagine what it would have been like to watch Jesus enter Jerusalem on a donkey and hear the masses shout “Hosanna in the highest” because they believed he was their savior. Through this event, a significant Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled, and Jesus boldly asserted his messianic status.
How Is Hossana Used In Worship?
Christians employ the word “Hosanna” in their liturgy and the lyrics of many Christian church songs they sing. To praise God, you can shout, “Hosanna.” Christ’s disciples are reminded that only He can save them and that they must look to Him alone for salvation. It’s possible that sometimes we can be like the old Israelites.
Like the ancient Romans, we yell “Hosanna!” We hope it will take care of some sort of trouble or hindrance. Worshiping with cries of “Hosanna” reminds us, however, that Christ triumphed over sin itself, the ultimate enemy. They can all wave palm branches and shout “Hosanna in the highest” on Palm Sunday.
Several customs are associated with Palm Sunday, including using palm branches for decorations, waving palm branches to children while singing along the aisles, and so on. On Ash Wednesday, certain congregations practice using ashes made from palm branches from previous years to mark the foreheads of their members.
Hosanna is a standard Jewish word used at Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, and recorded in Leviticus 23:33–43. Jews erect makeshift booths, wave palms, willow trees, leafy trees, and citron branches in honor of the holiday.
During the Hoshana prayers, worshippers carry the lulav and etrog as they make a procession around the synagogue’s sanctuary. Hoshanah Rabba, or the “Great Hoshana,” is the name given to the seventh and final day of the festival.
What Does Hossana Mean To Us Today?
When we recognize Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice and understand what it means for all of us and humanity, we cry out, “Hosanna in the highest.” Even though this isn’t something we verbalize often, we should experience and consider it during worship. Saying these kinds of hosannas aloud in your private place of worship may bring you great comfort.
The important thing to remember is that begging is a type of worship, very much like hymns or offering gratitude, and should be treated as such. With this new perspective, we can regularly get closer to God via prayer and praise. No matter where you land on the political spectrum, prayer, and worship are equally accessible to God.
We can cry to God, “Please hear me!” when we feel we’ve reached the end of our rope. “Please engage in conversation with me. Let me see something fresh, please.” The term “Hosanna” was first used in this context. On the contrary, when we are filled to the brim with God’s presence, we want to shout our gratitude: “Thank you, God!”
“That’s incredible; you are that good! We owe you our existence.” It doesn’t take long in this day and age of constant global news coverage to realize the cry of Hosanna! There are people in the world who are currently experiencing poverty, oppression, and despair. They may not use the phrase “hosanna,” but many constantly pray for a sign of salvation.
Conclusion
To rescue humanity, Jesus came to earth. His humility and complete submission to the Father’s will paved the way for all people to be saved. Freedom is possible because Jesus Christ bore the penalty for our sins and death.
“Hosanna to the Son of David!” This was how Jerusalem proclaimed Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. And blessed is the one who arrives in the name of God to extend heaven’s salvation. Singing “Hosanna in the highest” is a way to express awe and eagerness. We can now sing with the entire community of believers in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah.
