Apr 17 - "Hosanna!"

“The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!’ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: ‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’” --- John 12: 12-15

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Have I told you at least once or twice in the past 40 days that I think that we humans are a fickle bunch? It is amazing how quickly our public opinion can turn from one end of the spectrum to another, in relatively short amounts of time.

Do we not remember that a man who now has a daily talk show on TV, with people seeking his “wisdom and insight” on a regular basis, was ousted as governor of New York because he organized a prostitution ring?

Have we forgotten that a man who now commands six-figure fees for 30-minute speaking engagements admitted to cheating on his wife in, of all places, the Oval Office of the White House while he was President?

Is it hard to remember that the most well-known radio talk show host was arrested and convicted of buying mass quantities of prescription pain killers just a few years ago?

I have written about forgiveness many times during this year and past years and it is something I believe with all my heart we need to do more of, but there is a point where forgiveness moves to the point of rewarding and validating the poor behavior.

Looking back 2000 years, I say to myself, “I never would have gone from praising a man one day, worshiping Him as He came into my city, then shouting, ‘Crucify Him!!’ a mere five days later.” But would I have? Am I any different…are we any different…from those people two millennia past? Based on what we see in the world almost every day today, I am not so sure.

But, enough of that…today is a day for rejoicing!

Today, all who saw the miracles of Jesus over the three-plus years of His ministry on Earth, have the opportunity to praise Him as He enters the city of Jerusalem. Can you imagine what it must have felt like to be there? Close your eyes for a moment and think about a humble shop keeper in Jerusalem.

Pretend you are him. You saw this man Jesus preach to and feed five thousand people. You have heard of His miracles; healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, allowing the lame to walk again and raising a man from the dead. All of the ancient prophesies point to the fact that this man is Messiah; He seems to be fulfilling these more and more every day. And today, He fulfills, yet again. You remember the words of the prophet Zechariah, that He will arrive, sitting on a simple donkey.

You look up; here He comes!! You hear all of those around you praising Him and saying, ‘Hosanna!’, pleading for Him to save. He passes you, looks in your eye and smiles. You feel great joy, exhilaration and peace all at the same time. Can you imagine it?!? How wonderful it would be to feel so fulfilled, so validated that what you have come to believe is actually true.

So, today, rejoice! Our King has come! Sing Hosanna, praise the Lord for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. For even though we know that some darker days are soon to come, live now, fully in this moment of pure joy and perfect fulfillment.