Hosanna!

Sermon preached at St John’s Bexley: 24^th March 2024: Palm Sunday: Mark 11:1-11 (Palm Gospel)

Can you remember what word the crowd shouted when they greeted Jesus on his entrance to Jerusalem?

Hosanna!

Go on! Say it! Hosanna!

A bit louder! Hosanna!

Today, like the crowd, we lift our Palms high and shout Hosanna!

But who can tell me what it means?

It means ‘Save, now!’: It’s a cry for help – a plea for God to reach into the Universe and give us the lift that we need to get us out of whatever problems or turmoil we’re facing.

But today we shout it in praise: and we hold up palm leaves which were historically waved at sporting events as a sign of victory.

So on the one hand we’re celebrating victory, while on the other hand we’re crying out for help.

We’re also remembering how Jesus was proclaimed as a King – while riding on a donkey.

And we’re reenacting his procession to Jerusalem by singing and carrying our palms into church… While starting our journey outside, here, by this cross…

Because we know where the story’s going: And we know that even though He’s being proclaimed as a King, He’s going into Jerusalem to die.

And when we get into church, we’ll go straight into the next theme of the day: retelling the story of Christ’s Suffering and Death.

Because that’s one of the things that the Christian story does that messes up other worldviews: Cries for help become shouts of praise, instruments of death become symbols of victory, and Kings ride donkeys.

So lifting our palms, and singing our hearts out as a sign of God’s Victory! Hosanna!

Let us go forth, praising Jesus our Messiah!