SCRIP-BITS

Matthew 21:9b.    Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

The trumpet sounds: Spah na na na na na! The gates open – and the triumphal entry begins: in rides our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ on a magnificent charger, just a prancing and dancing down the paved streets of gold, lined with palms and cedars of Lebanon!
 
Our conquering hero is dressed in splendid robes befitting His exalted position. A crown of gold and precious jewels sits perfectly on his head, while the scabbard containing His mighty sword dangles from His waist. It’s a picture of pure magnificence, of pure kingship!
 
A radiant smile spreads across His handsome face as the highly exuberant crowds cry out: ‘All hail the King of Glory! Jesus Christ, the Son of God; before whom all knees must bow and all tongues confess that He is Lord indeed!’
 
And at that unforgettable greeting, our glorious Redeemer raises His right hand and waves it in a beatific greeting.
 
The angels have a hard time keeping the crowds at bay, while Jesus and His legions march down the main street of Jerusalem, victorious over the foolish and fallen ingrate Lucifer – forever! 
 
Oh forgive me Friends, in my overwhelming exuberance, I jumped ahead to the Second Coming of our Saviour, arrayed in full splendour and glory as the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords! I’m so excited, looking forward to that day so much, that I let my emotions run away on me. (smile) But it sure is a marvellous picture though my brethren, and one we can definitely look forward to sometime in the not too distant future.
 
Today though, we’re celebrating His first triumphal entrance into Jerusalem some two thousand years ago, not yet as a conquering hero, but as a lowly and humble preacher on the verge of miraculous doings, to fulfill that ‘which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek (lowly), and sitting upon an ass (donkey), and a colt, the foal of an ass.
 
And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them. And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed (spread) them in the way (road).
 
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.’ (Matt. 21:4-11)
 
Yes my brethren, that is how it was on Jesus’ first heralded entrance to Jerusalem, a rather low key affair in comparison to what His Second entrance will be. But it served its purpose, spread His name around some more, got people talking, wondering, filling them with expectant faith and hungry hope, just the way we are today; eagerly looking forward to the next time.
 
That’s because the next time there will be no reversal of fortunes, there will be no fickle and fearful people to change their minds about Jesus and sit idly by or enjoy His demeaning treatment and eventual crucifixion at the hands of the cruel Roman soldiers, so assiduously engineered by the greedy and politically corrupt Jewish elite. But that first Palm Sunday though was Jesus’ day, when the people really seemed to rally around Him.
 
However, listen to a couple of interesting points raised by the scholars. ’21:1-9. This event is traditionally known as the triumphal entry, when Jesus officially offers Himself to the nation of Israel as her long-awaited Messiah. However, in many ways it was far from a triumph, for the day ended in Jesus’ public prediction of His rejection by His own people. (See Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-39; John 12:12-15).
 
Bethpage was a village near Bethany, about a mile east of Jerusalem and apparently hidden from it by the summit of the Mount of Olives, which was the hill on the east of Jerusalem. The quotation in verse 5 is a combination of Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9, taken substantially from the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament.
 
Hosanna is the transliteration of a Hebrew term meaning “please save,” and occurs in 2 Samuel 14:4 and Psalm 118:25. From the following verse of this psalm the acclamation Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord is taken, Riding on the colt of an ass marked the official entry of Israel’s kings. Thus Jesus arrives in full declaration of His kingship.’
 
And all God’s people gave a rousing and joyful shout of ‘Praise the Lord, our King cometh!’
 
Yes my fellow believers, today is one of the many red letter days in the celebration of our great faith, so please let’s give it the true attention it deserves, by going to the Lord’s House and celebrating it with others of the same ilk. 
 
And we’ll end with an interesting word from Jesus as He denounces the hypocrite scribes and Pharisees. ‘For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.’ (Matt.23:39)
 
Yes Friends, we can all look forward with great pleasure to that awesome day! Meanwhile, enjoy today’s blessings with plenty praise and thanksgiving! Much LOVE!
 
…oh to be wrapped up in the warm and LOVING arms of Jesus…nothing to it compares…