Septuagesima Week – Thursday
Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!. – Matthew 21:9.
The following day, on Sunday, Jesus arose to go to Jerusalem together with His disciples and a great number of people from Bethany. Bethany was situated on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, and this was immediately east of Jerusalem. And when they approached the hamlet of Bethphage, still on the east side of the mountain, Jesus sent two of His disciples, saying: “Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them and bring them unto me. And if any man say aught unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them” (Matthew 21:2-3). All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell ye the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass’” (v. 5).
And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and set Him thereon. And a very great multitude that had come to meet Him from Jerusalem spread their garments in the way: others cut down branches from the trees and strewed them in the way. 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” (v. 9)! And when He came into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying: “Who is this?” (v. 10). And the multitude said: “This is Jesus, the Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee” (v. 11).
It was Jesus’ will, before His suffering and death, to be publicly proclaimed the Christ by and before all the people that had come to the Passover at Jerusalem from all the ends of the earth (Zechariah 9:9). And so it was done. But soon the Hosannas were turned into “Crucify Him, crucify Him” (Luke 23:21)! May our “Hosannas” and our “Hallelujahs” never stop, but continue, by God’s grace, in gratitude for His grace toward us in Christ Jesus, giving us the certain assurance that our sins will not be remembered by Him (Hebrews 10:17) and that now, by faith in His “Emmanuel” (Matthew 1:23), we “are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar [special] people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (I Peter 2:9-10).
PRAYER – Lord Jesus, I, a poor sinner, praise and magnify Thee that Thou hast presented Thyself a sufficient sacrifice for my redemption and salvation. Thou art indeed the Savior of the world, promised since the world began, eagerly expected by so many a believing heart. Open more and more, I beg Thee, my heart and lips, by Thy Holy Spirit working through Thy Word of truth and grace, that I, one of Thy dear children, may grow in praising Thee for Thy sacrificial work of humbling Thyself by becoming “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). Amen.
Oh, the height of Jesus’ love, higher than the heavens above;
deeper than the depths of sea, lasting as eternity;
love that found me, wondrous tho’t, found me when I sought Him not.
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O my Savior, help afford, by Thy Spirit and Thy Word;
when my wayward heart would stray, keep me in the narrow way;
grace in time of need supply, while I live and when I die.
(Hymn 342, st. 2 and 5; TLH)
