Some of us have heard the word “Hosanna” before, but do you know what it really means? Understanding this word helps us see the deeper meaning of what happened when Jesus entered Jerusalem.
In Gospel of Matthew 21:9, Scripture says:
“The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’
‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’”
This moment took place during what we now call Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem shortly before the Passover festival. The city was filled with pilgrims who had come to celebrate God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt.
As Jesus approached the city, he rode on a young donkey, fulfilling the prophecy found in Book of Zechariah 9:9, which described Israel’s king coming in humility. While kings often rode horses in times of war, a donkey symbolized peace and humility.
Many people in the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and laid palm branches in his path. In the ancient world, placing garments on the road was a gesture of honor toward a king. Palm branches were also associated with victory, celebration, and national hope.
In Gospel of John 12:12 to 13, we read another account:
“The next day the great crowd that had come for the feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
‘Hosanna!’
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’
‘Blessed is the King of Israel!’”
But what does “Hosanna” actually mean?
The word comes from the Hebrew phrase hoshiya na, which means “Save us, please” or “Lord, save us now.” Originally it was a cry for help, a plea for God to bring salvation. Over time it also became a shout of praise and joyful expectation, especially when people believed God’s salvation was near.
So when the crowd cried out “Hosanna,” they were doing two things at once. They were praising Jesus, and they were also calling on him to save them.
Their words carried hope, longing, and expectation. Many believed Jesus was the promised Messiah, the descendant of King David who would deliver God’s people.
So when they shouted:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
they were saying, “Save us, Son of David. You are our promised king.”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
meant they recognized Jesus as the one sent by God.
“Hosanna in the highest!”
was a call for heaven itself to join in the cry for salvation and praise.
In other words, the crowd was declaring both a prayer and a celebration:
“Lord, save us. Our King has come.”
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