Rising Church

On Palm Sunday, Jesus enters the congested city of Jerusalem along with thousands upon thousands of other pilgrims, all in town to celebrate Passover, this annual celebration of God's deliverance of the Hebrew people from the hands of their Egyptian oppressors. This was a tense time, especially for the Romans, the Jewish people's current oppressors and overlords. If there was ever going to be a revolt against Roman tyranny, surely it would happen during Passover. So as Jesus enters the city, the people begin crying out "Hosanna", which literally means "Save Now! Deliver Now". This was their rallying call, like chants of "U.S.A." during the Olympics. The people start declaring of Jesus, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Both of these shouts of praise are shouts of expectation. Both references to Psalm 118:27-27, a messianic psalm looking forward to God's deliverance of his people once more. The crowds believe Jesus is the prophesied and long-awaited Messiah. So why do the crowds' sho