HOSANNA: DR. MENSA OTABIL – SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE, 10TH APRIL, 2022.

SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE BY DR. MENSA OTABIL (GENERAL OVERSEER INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) CHRIST TEMPLE, ACCRA GHANA)

TOPIC: HOSANNA

DATE: 10TH APRIL, 2022

TEXT: MATTHEW 21:8-9

Let’s rise up together as we take our DECLARATION OF INCREASE in this Year of Increase:

Are you ready? Say with me:

I confess today that Jesus Christ is my LORD and Saviour. In Him I have life, His Abundant Life.

The Lord is my Light and Strength. As He is, so has He made me. By His Spirit I Increase in Word and in Wisdom. In Faith and in Favour.

The Lord has said: “In Blessing, I will bless you. In multiplying I will Multiply your Seed.”

So, I can boldly say: My God shall Increase me more and more. What I Place in God’s Hands grows into Overflow.

Though I begin small, my end shall Greatly Increase.

In this Year of Increase, I grow in Grace and in Strength. To be all that God wants me to be.

In Jesus’ Name – AMEN!

My Message today is Titled HOSANNA.

Everybody say Hossana – HOSANNA!

That was the shouts of the Multitudes; when Jesus appeared on His way to Jerusalem they shouted – Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!’

The Text is Matthew 21:8-9 (NKJV).

8 And a very Great Multitude spread their Clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9 Then the Multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the Highest!”

It’s a very familiar Statement – We have Proclaimed it many times, especially when we were children.

Palm Sunday was a very beloved time of Celebration because we waved our Palm Branches and ran around, walked around, go through the neighbourhood and just sing – HOSANNA, HOSANNA!

… We are familiar with that declaration.

And the Multitudes who followed Jesus on this Last Week of His Earthly Ministry were shouting these words:

‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the Highest!”

The Question is: Where did the Multitudes get these words from?

When they said Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!’ – What were they talking about?

Where did they get the words from? Did they just make up the words? Or were the words found somewhere else?

So today we are going to look at where they Picked those words from.

And the words that they declared were from the Old Testament – From the Psalms; Particularly Psalms 118.

Psalms 118 is a Thanksgiving Psalm. And I believe it was a Messianic Psalm – That means it spoke about the Messiah.

… And we are going to examine the Phrases they used and in the Context that it occurs in.

So let’s look at Psalns 118:25-26 – And this is what it says:

Save now, I Pray, O Lord; O Lord, I Pray, send now Prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord! We have Blessed you from the House of the Lord.

This is where they came up with the Phrase that they shouted as Jesus Christ was entering Jerusalem.

So they didn’t make up the words themselves; they were quoting Psalns 118;26.

But then when you look at Psalns 118, apart from the Part that says: “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!”; you don’t see Hosanna there.

Just to give you a little background:

I. Psalns 118 was a Processional Psalm.

And when I say it was a Processional Psalm, the Jews will sing it in Procession – It’s a Marching Song. And so as they are Marching to the Temple, they will be reciting the Psalm.

Part of the Psalm is sung when they are Marching to the Temple; Part of it is sung inside the Temple.

II. And the Psalm is an Antiphonal Psalm – That means it’s a Call and Response Psalm.

A Call and Response Song is song where Somebody says something and then other People respond to it.

We are so familiar with this kind of song because a lot of our songs (in our Traditional setting) is a Call and Response, where the Leader sings the main tune and the People respond.

So the Psalm is Antiphonal – One Person say something and then the People respond.

I want you to have that in mind, because it has a bearing on understanding Psalns 118. It is Antiphonal – a Leader sings, and the People respond.

… That is what I want you to get as the background to Psalns 118.

Now let us Examine the Words of the Psalm in Verse 25 (Psalns 118:25). Somewhere in the middle of the Psalm (take time to read the whole of Psalms 118).

But somewhere in the Psalm you see: “Save now I Pray.”

This is what the People were saying. And they said: HOSANNA as we say it in our Language now.

In Hebrews, the word ‘SAVE’ is Hoshiah. And ‘I Pray’ is NAAH.

Hoshiah-Naah – “Save us now.”

So that is what they were saying in Hebrew – “Save us now, deliver us now.”

I just want you to understand what they were saying – They were not just waving branches and saying Hosanna.

No! They were calling for something to happen right now: “Save us now Please!” Deliver us Please.

And they were saying that to Jesus Christ.

Now, if you were there and you heard them; and then you heard the rest of the Statement – What they joined it to; you will know exactly what they were talking about.

Because when they say: “Save us now!” They could have stopped. But then they went on to quote Psalns 118:26 “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord.

In other words, this is the One Who brings Deliverance.

So on that day, the People of the Hebrews were declaring their expectations for Salvation.

Now you have to understand that all of this is happening close to the Festival of Passover. Because the next week is Passover – Passover is going to be celebrated.

What was Passover about?

Passover celebrates the Deliverance of Israel from Egypt. And that’s the Festival Jesus is going to.

The People are now saying: ‘Save us now.’ Basically, as God delivered us from the Egyptians, so must You also deliver us.

And they saw Jesus Christ as the One Who bring Deliverance.

Now I am going to take time to go back to Psalns 118; and this time we are not just going to look at Verse 25-26. I want us to look a little further.

So we are going to read Psalns 118:17-27. And it reads:

17. I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.
18. The Lord has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.
19. Open to me the gates of Righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord.

20.This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous shall enter.

21. I will Praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my Salvation.
22. The Stone which the Builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.
23. This was the Lord’s doing; It is Marvelous in our eyes.
24. This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25. Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now Prosperity.
26. Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
27. God is the Lord, And He has given us light; Bind the Sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

So what is all of that about? I will try and break it down.

Remember when I started, I said the Psalm (Psalns 118) is Antiphonal. How many of you remember when I said Antiphonal? – The DMC FAMILY!

… It’s a word you can use once in a while.

I throw these words in just to improve Vocabulary – You can tell Somebody: “We want to have an Antiphonal Conversation (Laughter).”

So I said the Psalm is Antiphonal. And when I say Antiphonal, it means it’s a Call and Response.

There is a Part of the Psalm where you see the Personal, Singular Pronoun used – I or me.

And then there is a Part of the Psalm where you hear the Plural Pronoun like – We, Our.

When it says: “I” one Person is speaking. When it says “We” the People are responding.

And I hope you get that!

Now when we read the ‘I’; Somebody
is supposed to be saying that.

I want you to imagine this is what Jesus is saying. Because in the Second Part, we hear the People responding to what He is saying.

… I hope you get that!

Because it is a Messianic Psalm. And He begins in Verse 17, what does He say? – “I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.”

He didn’t say ‘We’ shall not. He said “I”.

So the Person saying this, is talking about Resurrection – “I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.”

The Speaker is talking about Resurrection.

And I believe it is Pointing to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – “I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.”

I know sometimes we quote it for ourselves – “I shall not die…’ And it is appropriate!

But I want you to hear it as the words of Jesus Christ calling: “I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.” That’s Resurrection!

Then in Psalms 118:18 says: The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death.

He’s talking about Suffering; but suffering that would lead to Redemption.

Because the suffering would not lead to death or final destruction.

So we see the Theme of Resurrection, we see Suffering.

Psalms 118:19 says: Open to me the gates of Righteousness; I will go through them, And I will Praise the Lord.

Willingness to go through the Process.

So if it’s Jesus saying these words, He is talking about His Resurrection, He’s talking about His Suffering, He’s talking about His Willingness to take on the task ahead of Him.

And Psalms 118:20 says: This is the Gate of the Lord, Through which the Righteous shall enter.

He is talking about His Death.

And then Psalms 118:21 says: I will Praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my Salvation.

He is talking about Trust – That God will deliver Him from what is about to happen.

So, the One Person here is saying all of these. Remember, all of it is “I” – This is one Person speaking.

Then we go to the Second Part of it, which is the Response.

So the Response says: The Stone which the Builders rejected Has become the Chief cornerstone. (Psalms 118:22)

That means that this Person Who is making the first Statements, is going to be Exalted – “The stone that had been rejected is going to become the Chief cornerstone”.

Psalms 118:23-25 says – This was the Lord’s doing; It is Marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

So something is happening and the People are acclaiming it and saying that this Person will be Exalted.

The Second Response is in Psalms 118:25 – Save now, I Pray, O Lord; O Lord, I Pray, send now Prosperity.

… In Hebrew it is Hoshiah-Naah

Now if you read that word in Hebrew, it is neither Plural nor Singular. But most Translations will use the Plural.

And the ESV Version says: “Save us we Pray O Lord.”

The NIV Version says: “Lord Save us.”

The Amplified Version says: “Save now we beseech you.”

So you find that this is still the People responding – “You are our Redeemer.”

And He has said: “I will not die, I will go through the Process and I will come back!

And the People are saying: “Yes we believe that – The Stone which the Builders rejected has become the Chief cornerstone; Save us O Lord.”

And then the Third Response is in Psalms 118:26 – Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the House of the Lord.

Fourth Responss is in Psalms 118:27 – God is the Lord, And He has given us Light; Bind the Sacrifice with cords to the horns of the Altar.

This one is very important!

So, the People are saying – Lord God, bind the Sacrifice to horns of the Altar.

What does that mean?

Remember, Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.

And in Jewish Practice under the Old Testament, the Sacrifice has to be attached to the horns of the Altar.

And the response say Lord, bind the Sacrifice with cords to the horns of the Altar.

Jesus is now the Sacrifice. And He will be bound to the horns of the Altar – And in doing that, He will complete the works of Salvation.

So, when the People were shouting – “Hoshiah-Naah, Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord”; the Disciples of Jesus Christ didn’t understand what was happening.

… For them, Jesus Christ was having a good time!

Jesus understood what was happening. But more than that, the Jewish Scholars understood what was happening.

The High Priests; they Studied the Scriptures, they knew these People are not just singing a Song randomly; they are quoting a Messianic Verse from Psalms 118.

And they are saying: This Guy is the Son of God; this is the One Who comes in the Name of the Lord; this is the One Who will Redeem us; this is the One Who will save us; this is the One Who would be bound to the Altar and this is the Stone that we will reject but God will accept.

And they got so crazy, they said: “We have come to put a stop to that!”

But in saying: ‘We have to put a stop to that” they didn’t know that they were fulfilling Prophecy – They were going to reject Him!

And the Stone which was rejected by the Pilate, by Cephas, by everybody else; that Stone that was rejected became the Chief cornerstone.

And for two thousand (2,000) Years:

I. He is the Blessed One Who comes in the Name of the Lord.

II. He is the Redeemer Who saves us from sin.

III. He is the One that was bound to the Altar, whose Blood avail for us. So that in Him we may have Life and have it more Abundantly.

… Hoshiah-Naah! – Hosanna, Hosanna! Lord save us!

And when the People cried, God heard – And Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God Who came as the Redeemer of the Jews also became the Saviour of the entire world.

His Blood accepted in God’s Altar as a Sacrifice and the Payment for your sins so that you may have Life, and have it more Abundantly.

So, when we also go about waving our Palm Branches, shouting: “Hosanna, Hosanna!; don’t just think about having fun; but think about the Prophetic Significance of what you are declaring.

You are saying: “Jesus Christ is the Saviour, He is the Anointed One; the One Who comes in the Name of the Lord. And He is the One Who would be the Sacrifice that is bound to the horns of the Altar”.

… And just after that, Jesus Christ went to fulfil His Ministry.

Hosanna! – The Saviour, the Redeemer is here. And He saves now! He doesn’t save tomorrow!

So when you come to Him and say: “Lord, save me.” He will not say – Oh, I have a few Appointments! let me come to your case week. No!

When you say: “Save me!” – He saves NOW!

You remembered the Thief on the Cross?

He said: “I know You are the Son of the Living God.”

He was affirming the Prophecy: “I know You are the One Who comes in the Name of the Lord, save me!”

Jesus said: “Right now, you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Because the Salvation in Christ is urgently now – God doesn’t Postpone the day of Salvation.

He saves us the day, the moment, the hour we call on Jesus Christ to be our LORD and our Saviour. And in that moment He becomes our Saviour.

… I want to highlight one more thing before I close.

If you read the Statement in Psalms 118:25, it says: “Save now, I Pray.”

But there is Second Part which was not sung: “Send Prosperity.”

So, the One Who Saves also Prospers!

The One Who saves us now, can also Prosper us now! – He is the same Messiah. He is the One we are talking about.

So, when you receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour; that is not the end of your Story, He Prospers you too – That means He makes your Life better.

Jesus Christ put it this way: “I have come that you may have Life and have it more Abundantly.” – I will make your Life better!

… Qualitatively and Quantitatively, I will make your Life better.

LORD, save us; LORD, Prosper us – So there will be Peace in our Marriages; there will be Health in our bodies; there will be Strength in our bodies; there will be Money in our Pockets; there will be Favour for the work of our hands – That we may Prosper in all that we do.

… The same Lord Who comes to Save is the same Lord Who comes to Prosper us.

Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord”.

And in that Call and Response, we hear the words of Jesus, and we hear the Prayer of the People.

And this morning or as you read this Message now on the Label of DMC; the same thing can happen.

We have heard the Word of the Lord, we must hear the Response of the People.

… Normally we respond with Prayer.

We know He can Save, so we say Save us!

He can Prosper – Prosper us!

He can Bless – Bless us!

He can Heal – Heal us!

We must always respond to what the Lord offers us.

This Morning before I sit down; if you are here or reading this Message now on the Label of DMC and you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour; He is not in your heart.

If Jesus doesn’t live inside of you, you can invite Him to come and live inside of you. He can save you now – Not tomorrow.

So we are going to Pray two (2) Prayers:

1. First we are going to Pray for those who Need Jesus Christ as Saviour from sin.
2. And Secondly, we are going to Pray for those who Need Jesus Christ to Prosper them.

… Because both are the work of the Messiah.

Let’s now put down our head.

If you are here this Morning, you say: Pastor, I want Jesus Christ to come into my heart. I want to be Born Again, I want to become Brand New Person. I want my sins to be forgiven, I want to start a New Life in Christ. I want to be sure that when I die I’m going to Heaven

If that’s your Prayer, and that’s your desire, Jesus Christ is here to save you.

So if you are ready to surrender your Life to Jesus Christ, wherever you are right now, just lift up your Right Hand – I want my sins to be forgiven.

Or maybe you Prayed once sometimes ago to be saved, but you are not sure whether you are saved.

Because your Life has been haphazard, and sometimes you go back. And you just want to be sure that Jesus Christ has given you Salvation.

Lift up your hands to the Almighty God – You need Jesus Christ to come Into your Life. Wherever you are just lift up your hand – God bless you!

Those of you with your hands up, I want you to put your hand upon your heart as we Pray! And the whole Church will join us as we Pray.

SAY WITH ME: Heavenly Father, I come to you today as a Sinner – I cannot save myself.

I ask you Father, have Mercy on me. Wash me from my sins, give me a New Life. I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Saviour.

And I Thank You for Redemption, in Jesus’ Name – Amen.

God bless you!

Hosanna – “HOSHIAH-NAAH” is not just “Save us from our sin.” It is to save us from everything that harasses us.

Everything that makes our Life unbearable – It could be sickness, disease, some Troubled Mind. It could be harassment, sleepless nights.

Whatever it is, you want to Call on the Lord and say: LORD, Save me and send Prosperity.

… Are you ready to do that?

Let’s get up for a moment and let us Pray. And lift up your hands to God (wave your Palm Branch) and say:

Save me Lord and send Prosperity. Deliver me Oh LORD, and send Prosperity. Bless me Lord, and send Prosperity.

Send Abundance, Healing, Favour, Open Doors. Deliver me Oh LORD and send Help to me. Send Deliverance to me. Be my Helper, Deliverer and Healer.

… Now begin to talk to the Lord!

CLOSING PRAYER.

Father we Thank You for Jesus Christ Who came to give us Abundant Life.

Today we receive His Deliverance, we receive His Prosperity, we receive His Abundance, we receive His Favour in every areas of our lives

In Jesus’ Name – Amen

Give the Lord PRAISE.

Thank you so much for staying all through to read.

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