Around 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ rode in on a colt into the city with people waving palm branches shouting “Hosanna, Hosanna!”. Have you ever put much thought into the meaning of that word? The Israelites shouted it because they considered Jesus a king coming forth to take his rightful place. The Pharisees and Scribes cringed and told Jesus to shut them up, but if they did the rocks would cry out! Whenever they shouted “Hosanna” they were shouting “We’re saved!”. That is the meaning of the world. The people were being oppressed by Roman rule. They were spiritually shut down by overbearing Pharisees. They weren’t free physically or spiritually, but Jesus came to save them.

While we may enjoy measures of political freedom here in America, none of us were spiritually free until Jesus saved us. We were oppressed by sin and the temper. Shouting hosanna applies to us today as much as it did then. Jesus has the power to save and to sanctify. If you’ve experienced that power, rejoice and shout hosanna to the King of Kings. If you have not experienced it, you can.