Mark 11:9 "Hosanna." on this week's Word of Grace Devotion with Pastor Joe Marquez.

4/10/2017

The Word of Grace Devotion for the Week of April 10, 2017
Hosanna
Mark 11:9, “Hosanna in the highest!"
Beloved, we often sing the word “Hosanna” as we praise our Savior but what does “Hosanna,” mean? First of all Hosanna is mentioned in three different Gospels, Matthew 21:9, 15; Mark 11:9, 10; and, John 12:13.
We also know that the NT was first written in Greek, and the OT was first written in Hebrew. Wherever the word "hosanna" occurs in the NT, do you know what the Greek word is? Yes! It's "hosanna." All the English translators did was use English letters (h-o-s-a-n-n-a) to make the sound of a Greek word. It was transliterated.
Now, if we look in a Greek dictionary to find what it means, we find that it is really not originally a Greek word. The men who wrote the NT in Greek did the same thing to a Hebrew word that our English translators did to the Greek word: they just used Greek letters to make the sound of a Hebrew phrase. Our English word "hosanna" comes from a Greek word "hosanna" which comes from a Hebrew phrase hoshiya na. Hence, hosanna is a twice-transliterated word!
That Hebrew phrase, hoshiya na, is found one solitary place in the whole OT, Psalm 118:25, where it means, "Save, please!" It is a cry to God for help. However, throughout the years there has been a shift in meaning to the phrase, hoshiya na. Over the centuries the phrase hoshiya na stopped being a cry for help in the ordinary language of the Jews. Instead it became a shout of hope and exultation. It used to mean, "Save, please!" But gradually, it came to mean, "Salvation! Salvation! Salvation has come!"
Hence "Hosanna in the highest!" means, "Let all the angels in heaven join the song of praise. Salvation! Salvation! Let the highest heaven sing the song!"
So when we sing "Hosanna" now, let's make it very personal. Let's make it our praise and our confidence. The Son of David has come. He has saved us from guilt and fear and hopelessness. Salvation! Salvation belongs to our God and to the Son! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!
I pray that you will have a blessed week! I love you and I will be praying for you!

In Jesus’ Strong Love
Pastor Joe

2 Comments

Senior Pastor
Joe Marquez

Beloved, we are soon to once again celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the human Son of man and the divine Son of God. He is one hundred percent human and one hundred percent God.

While there were many people instrumental in the birth of Christ, this morning we will look at His birth through the eyes of Joseph, His legal father. There is not too much known about the man who would care for Christ as He grew up. We know that Joseph was possibly a carpenter but most importantly we know that he was a righteous man who did the right thing.

When others would have ran away from a responsibility that was not even their own, Joseph stood steadfast and remained faithful to the end. We can learn much from his character and apply his attributes of faithfulness, purity, and perseverance to our own lives.

May you have a Blessed Christmas week and may Christ always be at the center of your lives!

P.S. Come back this evening as we look at the birth of Christ through the Gospel of Luke!

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5/17/2017 09:05:08 am

We used to say this after our daily mass, during high school. "Hosanna in the highest" means to give praise to the Lord. We acknowledge Jesus as our savior. It is the ultimate form of respect and reverence to the Lord, himself. It was a joyous occasion, whenever we would shout this phrase after every mass.

Linda Marlene Tarkington

11/13/2020 04:56:37 am

Thanks for you words on Hosanna... after reading in Mark 11, I wanted to see some commentary.