29 Mar 2026 Palm Sunday by Rev. Stephen Kim

Save Us, We Pray

The passage from the Gospel of Matthew that we heard today takes place during the final stage of Jesus’ ministry, as He enters Jerusalem on His way to the cross. Jesus did not suddenly decide to go to Jerusalem. According to the Gospels, Jesus spoke to His disciples three times about His coming suffering and death, and in one of those moments He clearly said it would take place in Jerusalem. In other words, His entry into Jerusalem marked the beginning of the final stage of His journey to the cross.

However, none of the disciples or the people fully understood or accepted that Jesus’ mission would be fulfilled through His death. Because of the amazing miracles He performed and the wisdom of His teaching, many people had great expectations. They believed that Jesus would establish a new and powerful kingdom. Since He was a descendant of David, they hoped He would become a king like David – the king they most admired – and that He would free them from the oppression of powerful nations.

Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a young donkey. The Messiah, as prophesied in Scripture, is the true King sent by God – righteous, bringing salvation, and humble, riding on a donkey. At that moment, that prophecy was being fulfilled. At that time, many people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, the greatest festival in Israel.

It was a time to remember how God had set them free from slavery in Egypt. Jerusalem, the political and religious centre, was filled with people and brimming with expectation. Jesus had become the focus of their hope and admiration. As He entered the city, people were excited, thinking that He would soon be crowned king. They hoped Jesus would liberate them from the Romans.

The people spread their cloaks and branches on the road before Him. This was a traditional way of welcoming and honouring a king. All four Gospels record this event, and according to the Gospel of John, the branches were palm branches. For the Jewish people, palm branches were a symbol of victory and freedom.

In Jewish history, during the second century BC, the people rose up against the oppression of the Seleucid Empire in what is known as the Maccabean Revolt. When they recaptured Jerusalem, they celebrated their freedom by waving palm branches. Because of this, palm branches became a powerful symbol of national liberation.

The people shouted praises to Jesus. Matthew 21:9 says:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

The word “Hosanna” comes from the Hebrew (הוֹשִׁיעָה נּَا) hoshia na, which means, “Save us now!” It was originally a prayer – a cry for help offered to God in Psalm 118. Psalm 118:25 says:

“Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!”

This was a song that people sang during great festivals like Passover. So for the Jewish people, Psalm 118 became a song filled with hope for salvation and victory.

That is why the crowd cried out:
“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

However, through this story, we can see that the people misunderstood Jesus, who came as the true Saviour of all humanity. They perceived Him only as a political and national leader. But Jesus entered Jerusalem not to seize power, but to carry the cross and die.

When the people realised that He was not the kind of Messiah they had expected, they became disappointed and even angry. The voices that once shouted “Hosanna” soon fell silent, and within five days, those same voices cried out, “Crucify Him!”

The people cried “Hosanna” without understanding God’s will or the way of the cross. They followed their own expectations and their own needs.

So now we must ask an important question: How should we understand their cry of “Hosanna”? Should we ignore it because it stemmed from a misunderstanding? Should we treat it as just a fleeting moment? Or is there a reason why we still remember and reflect on “Hosanna” today, especially on Palm Sunday?

To answer this question, we need to look at how Jesus Himself responded to their cries. What did Jesus think about their “Hosanna”?

According to the Gospel of Luke, some Pharisees in the crowd came to Jesus and asked Him to stop the people from shouting (Luke 19:39). They were afraid that calling Jesus the “Son of David” would sound like a political claim and bring trouble with the Roman authorities. They also did not accept Jesus, so to them, this sounded like blasphemy. If Jesus were welcomed as the Messiah, their own religious authority would be shaken.

But Jesus refused their request and said:
“I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40)

This means that what was happening was part of God’s plan, and no one could stop it.

Jesus accepted the people’s cries as true praise of the Messiah. However, He did not accept them as a political movement. Instead, He received them as part of God’s plan of salvation. Their cries were something that had to happen within God’s saving work. Jesus accepted them as the beginning of the journey toward the cross and the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. He accepted them as necessary to fulfil His mission – to forgive the sins of humanity and to bring salvation.

Through Scripture, God shows us two important aspects of His nature that may seem to be in tension.

First, God is a God of justice. He is holy and does not ignore sin. He judges evil and upholds what is right. Sin must have consequences.
Second, God is a God of love. He does not reject sinners but comes to save them. He shows forgiveness, mercy, patience, and compassion. No matter how great the sin, God desires to forgive and restore.

Because God is just, He must deal with sin. Because God is love, He desires to save sinners. He is like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, waiting for his lost child to return.

But then an important question remains: How can we come to this loving God? If God is just, how can He accept sinners? If sin must be judged, how can we be forgiven? What does Jesus’ death on the cross have to do with us, who deserve death because of our sin?

Yes, this is exactly why we need the cry of “Hosanna.”

We all face the problem of sin that we cannot solve by our own strength. We carry burdens that we cannot resolve with our own wisdom. We have wounds and fears that we cannot overcome by our own will.

In the face of an uncertain future where hope seems far away, and in the middle of a troubled and anxious world, we need the cry of “Hosanna.” We need to cry “Hosanna” for our neighbours who have lost their families and homes because of war and are living in despair. We need to cry “Hosanna” for our natural world, which is suffering from climate disasters, and for those affected by them. We need “Hosanna” in times of economic hardship, crime, and the physical and emotional struggles that people face.

Yes, “Hosanna” is a prayer for ourselves, and also an intercessory prayer for the world. It is a privilege and a blessing that God has given us. It is a channel of grace that God has opened for us, and it is part of His saving work through the cross of Jesus Christ. “Hosanna” is a powerful cry of hope that lifts up broken lives and restores them.

Palm Sunday was once called Dominica Hosanna – “Hosanna Sunday.” This name helps us see the deeper meaning of the day. More important than the palm branches is our confession to Jesus. More important than the procession is the cry for salvation. More important than the shouting is a heart that welcomes the Messiah.

Palm Sunday is not just a day to remember something that happened in the past. It is a day to make a confession of faith.
“Hosanna! Lord, save us!”

Dear friends, may this confession come alive again on our lips and in our hearts today.
“Hosanna! Lord, even now, save us!”

And as the Lord hears this confession, may He bring true peace and salvation into our lives.