Hosanna / "Immanuel" God With Us

HOSANNA

This morning on Dec, 18, 2016,  I heard the word "HOSANNA".  I decided to do a Bible search of the word and found an article John H. Stek had written on the subject of Hosanna which I have excerpted into my study.  Searching the Bible accordance there was only one scripture which was Matthew 21:9, so I then searched in BibleGateway, using the word "Hosanna", I found six references and I have added them below.

HOSANNA

A Joyful Aramaic exclamation of praise, apparently specific to the major Jewish religious festivals (especially Passover and Tabernacles) in which the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113-118) was recited. Originally an appeal for deliverance (Heb. hosia na, Please save Psalm 118:25 ), it came in liturgical usage to serve as an expression of joy and praise for deliverance granted or anticipated. When Jesus came to Jerusalem for his final presentation of himself to Israel, the expression came readily to the lips of the Passover crowds.

In the Bible the expression occurs only in accounts of that event. Matthew, Mark, and John all transliterate it (Luke does not, but appears to paraphrase it with the Greek word for "glory": see his "glory in the highest, 19:38 ). According to Matthew, the crowd that accompanied Jesus that day shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David!" (21:9), as did the children later in the temple (v. 15). Mark ( 11:9) and John ( 12:13 ) do not have "to the Son of David, " but all three follow the opening cry with, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (from Psalm 118:26 ). Matthew and Mark conclude the people's cries with "Hosanna in the highest" (apparently an echo of Psalm 148:1 ), which John omits. But Mark inserts "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David" ( 11:10 ), and John adds, "Blessed is the King of Israel" ( 12:13 ). These appear to be interpretations of "he who comes in the name of the Lord." And they agree essentially with Luke's formulation of the people's words taken from Psalm 118:26, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord" ( 19:38 ).

Those from whose lips "Hosanna" rose that day seem to have looked on Jesus as God's anointed one from the house of David of whom the prophets had spoken and through whom they hoped that all their messianic expectations would be fulfilled. However misguided their particular expectations may have been, their actions underscore the theme of the Gospels that Jesus is indeed the promised son of David through whom the redemption announced by God's prophets has come. In him the age-old cry, "Lord, save us, " has become the glad doxology, "Hosanna, " which equals: "Praise God and his Messiah, we are saved."

Most likely the authors of the Gospels transliterated "Hosanna" rather than translating it because it served on the people's lips as a joyful exclamation which, if translated, would have sounded like a prayer. In similar fashion, John transliterated "Hallelujah" in Revelation 19:1, 3, 4, 6 because it had become an exclamation of praise whereas originally it was a call to praise ("Praise the Lord").  ~John H. Stek

Matthew 21:9 - Hosanna means “Save now.” It was more than a cry of acclamation. Essentially, it was a plea from an oppressed people to their Savior for deliverance. Later it came to be a standard shout of praise. Ps. 118:25, 26, from which the quote comes, is messianic; therefore, the people were publicly acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah.

Matthew 21:1–11 - During the last week of His ministry, Jesus deliberately fulfilled messianic prophecies. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, which took place on Sunday before the Crucifixion, was an enacted parable, a dramatic way in which Jesus proclaimed His messiahship. This fulfilled in minute detail the prophecy of Zech. 9:9.

Matthew 23:39 Jesus voices a note of hope as He looks toward His glorious return, when He will be recognized as King (see Phil. 2:10, 11).

Phil. 2:5–11 - Paul uses the example of Christ to enforce an appeal for unselfishness. As Christ willingly laid aside His heavenly glory to come to Earth and die, we should be willing to look beyond our own interests for (“not only . . . but also,” v. 4) the sake of others. Although his purpose is to strengthen his exhortation rather than to establish doctrine, Paul here presents one of the greatest statements in the NT concerning the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Matthew’s aim is to present Jesus, not only as the Messiah, but as the Son of David, and to elaborate this truth in such a way that it would aid the Christians in their controversies with the Jews. He shows how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, and how the Law is filled with new meaning and supplemented in the Person, words, and work of Christ. Matthew also points out how the rejection of Christ by Israel’s leadership results in the extension of God’s salvation to all people who will receive, rather than reject, His Son. “The kingdom of God will be taken from you [Israel] and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” (21:43).

Matthew’s emphasis on Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy (41 OT quotes) shows that Jesus’ life and ministry were part of the single plan of God throughout the history of Israel, and that His death and Resurrection were part of God’s divine plan from the beginning. The entire Gospel stresses that Jesus is Immanuel—God-With-Us.  Because God is with us in the Person of Jesus, Matthew’s Gospel calls for complete obedience in personal and corporate life.

The Book of Psalms, and the principles of worship they reflect, minister to the soul of man and to the heart of God because they are the product of the work of the Holy Spirit. David, the major contributor to the Book of Psalms, was anointed by the Holy Spirit (1 Sam. 16:13). Not only was this anointing for kingship, but it was for the office of a prophet (Acts 2:30); and the prophetic statements he recorded were by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:44; Acts 1:16). In fact, the lyrics of his songs were composed by the inspiration of the Spirit (2 Sam. 23:1, 2), as were his plans for appointing chief musicians and choirs with their accompanying orchestras (1 Chr. 28:12, 13).

Specific statements show that the Holy Spirit is at work in creating life (104:30); that He faithfully accompanies the believer (139:7); that He guides and instructs (143:10); that He sustains the penitent (51:11, 12); and that He interacts with the rebellious (106:33).

~Bits and Pieces of Study in the New Spirit Filled Life Bible

Psalm 21:1-7  Psalm 32:7  Matthew 21:6-9  Matthew 21:15-16  Mark 11:8-10  John 12:12-15