Time to say, “Hosanna!”

When they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.’”         Mark 11:1-3 (HCSB)

In many Bibles this passage is titled “The Triumphal Entry”. Jesus enters Jerusalem with

“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” vv 9

In Luke’s gospel, the church leaders tell Jesus to tell his disciples to “Shut up!” (Luke 19:39-40). Jesus says that is impossible that even stones would shout.

When Jesus comes back again, will there be shouts of “Hosanna!” or fear and trembling? I want to be a shouter!

As I was reading this passage I was struck that Jesus anticipated that the disciples would encounter some questioning, maybe even some obstacles, while carrying out His mission to obtain the transportation for Him. But Jesus tells the disciples what to say before they even hear the questions. Have you ever been on a “mission” from God and ran into some questions? Did you panic about what to say?

Too often we may feel that we cannot be a witness (Acts 1:8) or an ambassador for Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:19-20) because we don’t know enough. We refuse the call to the mission – for what reason? We can not quote Scripture by book and verse. We can’t recite the Ten Commandments in the original King James translation. God doesn’t make those requirements of us. God just asks for us to be willing to be used (Philippians 2:13). The LORD chooses to use me (just as He used a donkey) to bring Him to others. The “triumph” can happen every day as I just tell my story of how Jesus helped me yesterday or today. Just as the disciples did that day in Jerusalem, I lay my story down (like a cloak) in tribute because every victorious story happened because of Jesus.

Take 4 ½ minutes and listen to this song. Maybe today or this week is a rough one. Then meditating on Jesus and His last week in Jerusalem should be a testimony that He has been in your shoes and will show you how to walk through whatever is going on and come out in victory. Join me, a shouter, so that no stones will have to say, “Hosanna!” for us.

Shout to the Lord, Written and sung by Darlene Zschech (1993)