The One who comes in the Name of the Lord

This Sunday, Palm Sunday, Christians across the world will declare “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!!” Ps.118 is the Scripture the people were quoting when Jesus entered Jerusalem that day.  I give this prophetic scripture for your reading now.  Remember, just a few days after riding triumphantly into Jerusalem to these shouts of praise, Jesus would go through a sham trial and be crucified by the end of the week.

Ps. 118: 24-29 says:

This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Save us, we pray, O LORD!

O LORD, we pray, give us success!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!

We bless you from the house of the LORD.

The LORD is God,

and he has made his light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to the horns of the altar!

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God; I will extol you.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

This messianic Psalm had been a hope to Israel for centuries.  Some people were probably wondering if the miracle worker from Galilee, with his profound teachings, could in fact be the hope they had been longing for so long. Could this be the conquering hero to pull them out of the tyrannical rule of the Romans?

It’s astounding how fast we can create ideas on our heads about someone, based on what we want to see. It takes more than a first impression to really get to know someone. As it’s often the case, sometimes even spending time with someone is not enough to get to know them. We need to be more intentional and learn to truly listen to them.  

Mark tells us the story of Jesus asking his disciples to find him a donkey. It even tells us the instructions Jesus gave them. 

If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” (Mark 11: 3)

Enough said.  “The LORD has need of it!”  We’re left wondering what the people, and also the disciples, understood when they heard that phrase. Based on what happens next, we can assume that the colt wasn’t given with an understanding that the man riding it would be crucified in a matter of days. Maybe the people to whom the disciples gave their answer thought ‘the lord’ was a totally different person, and had no clue of what was happening. Who knows? But, here is what happens once Jesus gets the colt, and rides it into Jerusalem:  

And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “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!” And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. (Mark 11:9–10)

The sentence highlighted here points to a earthly desire for prosperity, comfort, and  maybe even revenge. The Israelites were tired of being oppressed. They knew of God’s promises to David, so they couldn’t wait to see a new king ushering in and reestablishing David’s kingdom. They probably thought it would grant them the upper hand against the Romans. But, God’s intention was to give them (and all of us) eternal life and freedom. Jesus was about to establish something new, never seen before:

A Kingdom founded in sacrificial love. One where we get to reign with Him, to share in His glory, and participate with Him in bringing Shalom wherever we go. The thing though is that in order to enter His Kingdom, we have to die with Him. And, that’s not a message many want to hear.

The people, welcoming Him into the city, laid palm branches before him as a sign of his victory and royalty. They quoted “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” from Psalm 118, which is a very messianic psalm, but seemed to ignore a very important part.

This is the gate of the Lord; 

the righteous shall enter through it. 

I thank you that you have answered me 

and have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone. 

This is the LORD’s doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

(Ps. 118:20-23)

Did you notice that the prophetic word about ‘rejection” comes right before the blessing? Read these verses again and see how the psalm already announced his suffering. Our very human need for survival finds it easier to focus on what will give us comfort and safety. We’re afraid and defensive when anything (or anyone) seems to threaten that. We can go to great lengths, sometimes even harming others, in order to protect ourselves and those close to us. That’s the voice of the brokenness in us.

There’s a reason why we keep telling you to cling to God. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Desire to be more like Christ. Rest in the Father’s love. 

Jesus showed us the way. The One who comes in the name of the Lord invites us to follow Him to the cross, in his death and resurrection. 

Blessings and Peace,

Rev. Todd and Dr. Christiane