Our English word “Hosanna” comes from a Greek word, ὡσαννά, hōsanna, ho-san-nah’, which comes from a Hebrew phrase, יָשַׁע נָא, yâsha‛nâ’, yaw-shah’naw. That Hebrew phrase is found in one single place in the whole Old Testament, Psalm 118:25, where it means, “Save, please!” It is a cry to God for help. Like when somebody pushes you into a lake, but you can’t swim and you come up screaming: “Help, save me!”

Christians around the world, celebrate Palm Sunday as if this event happened not only in the past, but as if it also happened today. We celebrate Christ as the king who enters our hearts, our own personal Jerusalem. But is Christ truly allowed to enter?

Is there room in our hearts for Christ to rule and “save us/help us” as king? Often the doors of our hearts are locked. Christ is unable to fully enter because there is already another king of the heart – ourselves. And how do we solve this problem of trying to let Christ in? How do we implant, or infuse deep inside of ourselves the one thing that is missing — God?

The answer is that we have to surrender.

Surrender to the will of God. Surrender your life to the one who gave you life. We are constantly bound and held captive by the temporary things of this life. We are prisoners of our own selves, of this world, of our careers, of money, of the politicians who rule over us, we are even slaves to our own passions.

The only way to find peace, to find true happiness and to experience true love is to surrender yourself to God, to make Him your king, to live in total communion with Him.

The only way to do this is when we turn our hearts from the “kingdom of self” towards the Kingdom of God, through constant daily prayer, reflection, confessing our wicked self-willed attempts at living, and reading and understanding the Scriptures. So many people complain that they can’t find time to pray and read the Scriptures, they can’t find time to fast and seek the heart and will of God for their lives.

The reason they don’t have time is that they are slaves to their own selves, to their own will. If we don’t have time for God, then why on earth should God have any time for us? But God always has time for us. He is constantly knocking at the door to our hearts and asking to come in. He loves- us, and would do absolutely anything to be with the people that He loves!

Today, as we celebrate Palm Sunday let it remind us that Christ is the king of our families, that Christ is the king of our hearts, that Christ is the only true answer to happiness and meaning in our lives. And if we do proclaim Christ as our king, let’s make time for Him in our daily life, let’s be reminded that He is the one with whom we will be spending eternity. Let’s be reminded that our careers, our education, our finances, our homes, all of the basic material needs in our lives are only temporary.

If we cry, “Hosanna! Jesus is King” but can’t see that He must truly be allowed to enter every pathway in our heart, we deny him the Lordship he gave His life’s blood for.

It is only when we have done this that we will find true peace and happiness in such a confused and troubled world.

So, when we shout “Hosanna to the King” today, we are confessing with fresh and pure desire, Hosanna which means, “Hooray for salvation! It’s coming! It’s here! Salvation! Salvation!”

And “Hosanna to the Son of David!” means, “The Son of David IS our salvation! Hooray for the king! Salvation belongs to the king!”

“They took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, “Hosanna“! Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord,” John 12:13.

“Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success!” Psalm 118:25.

 

~ Mary Lindow ^©

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” THE MESSENGER ” ~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
Global Prayer Rooms

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Mary Lindow has a passion for encouraging others in all generations and careers or vocations to live and express excellence through personal integrity, healthy accountability, and wise management of talents and skills. She is a sought after keynote inspirational and humorous speaker and teacher throughout the United States internationally in Ministers conferences, International Spiritual leaders Conferences, and in National and International training seminars for various organizations.