Sermon Tone Analysis

By Pastor Glenn Pease

We have all heard of Custer's last stand, the last of the Mohecans, famous last words, the last words of Jesus on the cross, and the Last Supper, but seldom have we ever heard of the last Sunday.

That is what Palm Sunday was for Jesus.

It was His last Sunday on earth in the body He was born with on the first Christmas.

From the first Christmas to the last Sunday we deal with the life of Jesus in His earthly body.

The next Sunday was Easter Sunday, and from then on we deal with Jesus in His eternal body.

So Palm Sunday is the last Sunday for Jesus in the flesh-in the flesh that could suffer and die.

The paradox is that this last Sunday was the scene of so many firsts.

It was different than any other day Jesus lived on earth.

It was the first time we ever see Jesus riding a donkey.

It was the first time we ever see Jesus proclaiming His kingship.

It was the first time we ever see people putting palms in His path.

It was the first time we ever see children singing His praises.

There are more firsts on this last Sunday, and we want to focus on one of them.

It was on this last Sunday of His life that we see the word Hosanna used to praise Jesus.

In fact, it is the first time in all the Bible the word is used, and it is never used again.

It is an exclusive Palm Sunday word.

It is used only 6 times in all the Bible, and all 6 are on Palm Sunday.

It is the first and last time we ever see this word in God's Word.

In Matt.

21:9 the crowds of people ahead of Jesus and behind Him shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David."

In Matt.

21:15 it is recorded that the children in the temple area shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David."

This made the chief priests and the teachers of the law indignant.

Marks Gospel gives us the whole chorus the people sang as the parade moved along.

In Mark 11:9-10 we read, "Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, Hosanna!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!

Hosanna in the highest."

Two times the word is used in this brief chorus.

In John 12:13 we read, "They took palm branches and went out to meet Him shouting, Hosanna!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!"

The most popular word on Palm Sunday which was sung by the masses and the children means save now!

Or save, we pray thee!

Or great salvation!

It is the emotional cry of celebration.

The Savior is here, praise God, save us now O Lord.

It is not a word of pleading, but a word of praising, for the people feel they are part of the salvation the king is now bringing about in this public proclamation of His kingship.

Even the children joined the Hosanna song.

It is the only song of children we have in the life of Jesus.

It was His last Sunday, and the first song of praise from the lips of children.

Vaughn wrote,

Hark!

How the children shrill and high

Hosanna cry;

Their joys provoke the distant sky,

Where thrones and seraphims reply;

And their own angels shine and sing

In a bright ring

Such young, sweet mirth

Make heaven and earth

Join in a joyful symphony.

In Psa.

118:25 we read, "Oh Lord save us."

The two Hebrew words here are the two words that form the word Hosanna.

This Psalm is the Hosanna Psalm, for it was sung on the Feast of Tabernacles which was a day of great joy in Israel.

It was equivalent to our Thanksgiving holiday.

It was a day for a parade.

Verse 27 says, "With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession."

These branches came to be called "Hosannas."

They became symbols of God's salvation.

The Palm branch was a symbol of salvation, for the palm tree grew around an oasis.

For a weary traveler in the desert the sight of a palm tree meant he was saved.

It meant the water of life was near and now my life can be sustained.

It is of interest to note that it takes about 30 years for a palm tree to produce good fruit.

Jesus was 33 and was about to bear fruit that would give life and pleasure with infinite potential.

The palm was the perfect branch to symbolize what Jesus was about to do in giving His life for the world.

The word Hosanna was the perfect word to celebrate the salvation He was about to provide.

The Palm tree was carved on the beautiful panels inside the temple on the walls, and the door, and in Ezekiel's vision of the ultimate temple, Palm trees decorate the pillars and the walls, and the door.

In Rev. 7:9 the greatest choir on record, with uncountable multitudes from every race and language sing the praises of God and the Lamb, and it says, "They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands."

The Palm will be an everlasting symbol of praise for the salvation that is ours in Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, who brought the water of life into the desert of this world, and saved us from a hopeless situation.

When all other vegetation is dead and shriveled in the hot desert sun, the palm is yet alive and flourishing, for it has a unique root that goes deeper and finds water which other plants cannot reach.

Hosanna in the highest for our Savior who goes the deepest and can save us when all other sources of life are dried up.

Little did they know how deep Jesus would have to go to save them.

He would send his roots into the very depths of hell to save them.

Their song was so appropriate, and their symbol was so perfect, but they could not imagine the depth to which Jesus would have to go to save them.

When God's ways go beyond our range of experience we tend to lose hope.

These people had it right.

The palm was the symbol of life in hard situations, but the cross was too hard to swallow, and even the disciples could not see a palm tree surviving such a drought.

The cross was too deep for their faith.

It was to become the great oasis of the Christian faith, but it was nothing but barren desert sand to these thirsty disciples who first had to endure it.

The Hosanna praise died on their lips.

The palms withered and were cast aside.

The joy of the last Sunday did not last, for the leaders of Israel did more than rain on their parade.

They took their king who was to save them, and nailed Him to a cross where it appeared He could not even save Himself.

Another paradox of Palm Sunday is, the message of it was perfectly fulfilled, but the people could not grasp it, and so they lost faith in their own symbols and praise.

Hosanna they cried, and expected Jesus to be their saving King, but because He got to the throne by way of the cross they ceased their song for weeping.

They waved their palms as symbols of a deep salvation in hard times, but when the cross faced them it was too hard, and they felt even the palm cannot go that deep to save.

Palm Sunday is a symbol of the shallowness of faith in God's love and saving plan.

Anybody can praise Jesus when He is coming by in a parade, and the whole world seems to be on His side.

The sky is blue and all is well.

It is celebration time, so let's join the song.

But what if the parade gets rained out, and the king gets arrested, and the whole party atmosphere collapses?

Will we walk with Jesus through the valley too?

Most will walk only on the plain, and that, if it doesn't rain.

Praise will only be raised when the scenery is pleasing to the eyes.

We will walk by sight, and then, only when the view is pleasant.

If the parade changes and Jesus is no longer on the donkey, but under the cross, and the crowd is no longer praising, but mocking, and Jesus is crowned with thorns, then count me out.

I've got better things to do than follow a loser.

Hosanna is only in my vocabulary when I follow a conquering king.