God's Glory Church

On the eve of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, Jesus performed one of the most famous miracles – he raised His friend Lazarus on the fourth day after his death. Hearing about this miracle and becoming convinced of its reality, many followed Christ. In addition, the Jews expected, according to prophecies, that the Messiah and Savior of Israel should appear precisely on Passover. Many met Him this way – as the Messiah and Savior. It is this story that we can see in all four Gospels:

“Many people spread their clothes along the road, and others cut branches from trees and spread them along the road; The people who preceded and accompanied exclaimed: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”(Matthew 21:8-9)

It’s strange: on the day of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, the words “Hosanna to the Son of David!” were also heard on the streets of the city, when “many people spread their clothes along the road, and others cut branches from trees and spread them along the road, while the people who preceded and accompanied exclaimed…” and – in the Temple, when the same exclamation came from the lips of children. But, interestingly, what outraged the priests and scribes most of all was not the screams of adults, but children.

“When the chief priests and scribes saw the miracles that He did, and the children shouting in the temple and saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! – They were indignant and said to Him: Do you hear what they say? Jesus says to them: Yes! Have you never read: Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings You have ordained praise?(Matthew 21:15-16)

It would seem that what to take from the children: they simply repeated after the adults. It is unlikely that they understood what “son of David” meant the way their parents understood it. They simply rejoiced and expressed their joy by repeating the greeting after others, not suspecting that “Hosanna” means “save” or, at least, not really understanding what they needed to ask for salvation from. They just liked Jesus. But the high priests and scribes were sensitive to the children’s exclamations. This is not very clear logically, but it is very clear psychologically. The enemies of Jesus definitely felt all the symbolism and grandeur of His entry into the city, and the almost complete lack of understanding of what was happening by the people themselves.

It is sometimes said that “the same crowd that greeted Christ, a few days later demanded that He be crucified.” This, of course, is most likely inaccurate: Jerusalem is a large enough city that it was possible to gather two huge crowds of completely opposite beliefs, but psychologically it is absolutely true: Jesus’ greetings came from such a part of the heart that was precisely ready to betray Him to be crucified. This is the greedy and selfish part. The day before, Jesus raised Lazarus. This miracle awakened the deepest thirst of man – the thirst for deliverance from death. But when five days later people shouted: “Crucify Him,” they also thirsted, thirsted to annoy the hated Roman authorities, thirsted for the liberation of Barrabas, in whom they were ready to see – justifiably or not, it does not matter – a liberator from the occupation, and someone, perhaps, thirsted for liberation from Jesus, as they sometimes thirst for conscience to disappear along with all its silent reproaches.

And only the children said “Hosanna”, “Save”, without any selfishness, just as symbolically as Jesus symbolically entered Jerusalem. Only their exclamations were “praise” – and not a request, contrary to their literal meaning. Only they rejoiced unselfishly and truly loved Christ. Therefore, it is so important for us to understand this childhood joy and share it, so that for us, as for the entire Church, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem becomes a holiday. After all, a holiday is joy, celebration, fun. What do we rejoice at on the day that opens Passion Week? How can we, who know how all these “hosannas” ended, turn our tongues to ask Jesus for something? How does the tongue turn to beg for something, to beg Him, dying before the Father? No, only by becoming like children, only by completely banishing all self-interest, only by turning even the call “save” into praise, not demanding salvation for ourselves or anyone, but only following the Savior on His way of the cross and contemplating Him without the need to beg for something for ourselves, we will be able and worthy to hold out until the Resurrection. At least once a year – not begging, but simply looking at Jesus – next to Him, infinitely lower than Him, but still nearby, thoughtlessly and desperately – nearby, without surprise and delight – nearby. Next to the Crucified One on Golgotha ​​- and on Easter.

Therefore, it is so important to understand that the same exclamation can sound differently, because for some it is just a matter of meeting his needs, but for others it is a reason to glorify the One who is worthy of all praise and even our whole life!