HOSANNAH

King Solomon's Coronation by Rembrandt

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.  (Zechariah 9:9)

In ancient Israel, the horse was seen as an animal of war.  The donkey, or ass, was a symbol of peace and royalty.  Kings of ancient Israel rode to their coronations on the back of an ass. Several of the Old Testament prophesied that when the True King - The Lord - should come, He would come riding on the colt of an ass.

After the raising of Lazarus, Jesus' enemies intensified their plans to destroy Christ.  They even wanted to kill Lazarus for he was a living testimony of Jesus' power and divinity.  When it came time for the Savior to enter the gates of Jerusalem, He wanted the people to know that He was coming as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

We read in the 21st chapter of Matthew: And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, . . . unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass ties, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them to me.

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed [strew]them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. (vs 7-9)

Today, the Christian world celebrates this day as Palm Sunday in remembrance of Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  It marks the beginning of the Holy Week commemorating the last week of Jesus' life.

Today, in the fourth session of the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Prophet, President Nelson, led Latter-day Saints from all over the world in a sacred Hosanna shout, recognizing with the Jews in ancient Jerusalem, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

The Hosanna Shout to Latter-day Saints is most sacred.  It is observed at the dedication of every temple built in these last days, beginning with the first temple of this dispensation, the one in Kirtland, Ohio. The crowds that were gathered both inside and out heard the rushing of winds and saw tongues of flames on the roof of the temple.

Jesus Christ appeared in that temple to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to accept that temple as His. It was a time never to be forgotten. 

As we move into this Holy Week, let us never that the Christ we worship is alive and present in out lives, often in intimate ways.  While we should never ignore the sufferings of our Lord during this week, we must also remember that, although He suffered and died, that wasn't the end, for He rose again on the third day, never to leave us again.  We don't worship a dead or suffering Jesus in our art.  We don't worship Him hanging on the cross or bleeding with a crown of thorns on His head.  We worship a living, present Savior who directs His Church today as surely as He did when He went His disciples to find the ass and her colt.