"Hosanna In The Highest!"
Posted: September 16th, 2009, 2:04 am
HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #132l, Re-Written 16SEP09
The Disciples’ Prayer—Part Twelve: "Hosanna In The Highest!"
by rev dave c
Mt 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one' (NIV).
“It’s a dog eat dog world.” “Grab all you can, and can all you grab.” “Might makes right.” “My four and nothing more.” “Eat, drink, and be merry—for tomorrow we die.” “Live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse.” “The end justifies the means.” “All is fair in love and war.” “Only the strong survive.” “Truth is relative.” “You only go around once in life—go for the gusto.” “He who dies with the most toys, wins.” “Do unto others before they can do unto you.” “Move up, or move over.” “Hurt me once, shame on you—hurt me twice, shame on me.” “Eat my dust.”
We are all familiar with aphorisms such as those quoted above. I hope that for the Christian, these kinds of “sayings” seem negative and antithetical to the quality of life promulgated by Scripture. For many people of the world, however, these slogans are accurate reflections of either their personal philosophy of life, or the cultural paradigm in which they try to survive. This has been the condition of mankind and the Earth since the fall of Adam and Eve however many thousands of years ago. Within that framework, however, God has continued to give us a choice between sinful rebellion, or righteous obedience. From Cain and Able to you and me, all of humanity is required to choose either the Kingdom of God, or the World.
While the Promised Land offered to the descendents of Father Abraham was/is a literal geographic area, a land of milk and honey, it is also a prophetic vision of the eschatological Paradise promised to all who call on the name of Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Likewise, when God promises the children of Adam and Eve that there would come a savior, a deliverer, a messiah who would free His people from bondage and slavery, from endless toil and cruelty, and from a fruitless life full of pain and misery (Ge 3:15)—the extent of God’s promise exceeds the material/rational nature of our existence during this lifetime. The heart’s desire of God the Father is that all would come to His Son, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, accept His offer of forgiveness for sin, adoption into His family, and the gift of eternal glory in His presence.
Most of the Jews of 2,000 years ago were looking for a messiah who would throw off the terrible yoke of Roman domination, who would unify the separatist camps of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and who would re-establish an earthly Davidic Kingdom that was at least equal to the measure of the Israel of 1,000 years before their time. In Matthew 21:5-9 we read of Jerusalem’s enthusiasm for the Christ (Savior) whom they thought they were receiving into the city. [Jesus told His disciples] "Say to the Daughter of Zion, `See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'" The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"
When the crowds shouted, “Hosanna!,” they were crying to Jesus, “Oh, save us!” “Save us from the yoke of slavery to foreign devils...save us from our poverty...save us from our national shame...save us from our illnesses and injuries!” Israel was looking for an earthly king who would combine the leadership of Moses, the miraculous anointing of Elijah, the warrior’s heart of David, and the wisdom of Solomon. Jesus came as the king who is gentle (humble) and riding on a donkey—the Son of God whom the Father sent to save us from our slavery to sin and death...to redeem us from our bankrupt spiritual existence...to cover the shame of our nakedness of our unrighteousness...and to cleanse us from our iniquities. In His first advent, Jesus came to proclaim the Kingdom of God is at hand, not to declare an ultimate kingdom of man or a worldly superpower.
As the Church, I fear that we too often stand in the crowds of Jerusalem waving our palms and shouting "Hosanna in the highest!" to welcome a King who will improve our lives in the here and now. Too often we turn our eyes and ears from the message of the cross that humbly whispers, “Glorification requires sacrifice.” I fear that too often Christ comes to share my fruit, and finds nothing but leaves on the tree of my life (Mk 11:13). God is Our Father and He wants all good things for His children (spiritually, rationally, and materially) now and forever, but Jesus exhorts us in Matthew 6:33, ...seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “Your kingdom come, Lord Jesus. Your kingdom come. Amen.”
The Disciples’ Prayer—Part Twelve: "Hosanna In The Highest!"
by rev dave c
Mt 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one' (NIV).
“It’s a dog eat dog world.” “Grab all you can, and can all you grab.” “Might makes right.” “My four and nothing more.” “Eat, drink, and be merry—for tomorrow we die.” “Live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse.” “The end justifies the means.” “All is fair in love and war.” “Only the strong survive.” “Truth is relative.” “You only go around once in life—go for the gusto.” “He who dies with the most toys, wins.” “Do unto others before they can do unto you.” “Move up, or move over.” “Hurt me once, shame on you—hurt me twice, shame on me.” “Eat my dust.”
We are all familiar with aphorisms such as those quoted above. I hope that for the Christian, these kinds of “sayings” seem negative and antithetical to the quality of life promulgated by Scripture. For many people of the world, however, these slogans are accurate reflections of either their personal philosophy of life, or the cultural paradigm in which they try to survive. This has been the condition of mankind and the Earth since the fall of Adam and Eve however many thousands of years ago. Within that framework, however, God has continued to give us a choice between sinful rebellion, or righteous obedience. From Cain and Able to you and me, all of humanity is required to choose either the Kingdom of God, or the World.
While the Promised Land offered to the descendents of Father Abraham was/is a literal geographic area, a land of milk and honey, it is also a prophetic vision of the eschatological Paradise promised to all who call on the name of Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Likewise, when God promises the children of Adam and Eve that there would come a savior, a deliverer, a messiah who would free His people from bondage and slavery, from endless toil and cruelty, and from a fruitless life full of pain and misery (Ge 3:15)—the extent of God’s promise exceeds the material/rational nature of our existence during this lifetime. The heart’s desire of God the Father is that all would come to His Son, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, accept His offer of forgiveness for sin, adoption into His family, and the gift of eternal glory in His presence.
Most of the Jews of 2,000 years ago were looking for a messiah who would throw off the terrible yoke of Roman domination, who would unify the separatist camps of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and who would re-establish an earthly Davidic Kingdom that was at least equal to the measure of the Israel of 1,000 years before their time. In Matthew 21:5-9 we read of Jerusalem’s enthusiasm for the Christ (Savior) whom they thought they were receiving into the city. [Jesus told His disciples] "Say to the Daughter of Zion, `See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'" The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"
When the crowds shouted, “Hosanna!,” they were crying to Jesus, “Oh, save us!” “Save us from the yoke of slavery to foreign devils...save us from our poverty...save us from our national shame...save us from our illnesses and injuries!” Israel was looking for an earthly king who would combine the leadership of Moses, the miraculous anointing of Elijah, the warrior’s heart of David, and the wisdom of Solomon. Jesus came as the king who is gentle (humble) and riding on a donkey—the Son of God whom the Father sent to save us from our slavery to sin and death...to redeem us from our bankrupt spiritual existence...to cover the shame of our nakedness of our unrighteousness...and to cleanse us from our iniquities. In His first advent, Jesus came to proclaim the Kingdom of God is at hand, not to declare an ultimate kingdom of man or a worldly superpower.
As the Church, I fear that we too often stand in the crowds of Jerusalem waving our palms and shouting "Hosanna in the highest!" to welcome a King who will improve our lives in the here and now. Too often we turn our eyes and ears from the message of the cross that humbly whispers, “Glorification requires sacrifice.” I fear that too often Christ comes to share my fruit, and finds nothing but leaves on the tree of my life (Mk 11:13). God is Our Father and He wants all good things for His children (spiritually, rationally, and materially) now and forever, but Jesus exhorts us in Matthew 6:33, ...seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “Your kingdom come, Lord Jesus. Your kingdom come. Amen.”