His Victory Over Death – an Easter Blog

Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday with Jesus humbly entering Jerusalem on a donkey and culminates on Easter Sunday with the resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. How many of us hold this week as a solemn time? Unfortunately, I venture to say very few!

Matthew 21:8-10 says that a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 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!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

At this time, in history, the Jewish hope was for a coming deliverer as predicted in Old Testament prophecy. What were the Jews shouting? Were they praising Jesus, as their Messiah? Or were they looking to Jesus as their King and deliverer from the heavy hand of the Roman empire?

Hosanna in the highest heaven is a phrase that means more than praise and adoration. The word “hosanna” itself means “save us” and is used as a crying out for help, salvation, and freedom. The phrase is recorded in Matthew 21:9 and paralleled in Mark, Luke, and John 2. This shout of hosanna reflected the people’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, but from a worldly perspective – a plea to help them be free of Roman bondage.

Prophetically though, knowing the outcome of the week, Jesus rode humbly into Jerusalem as their Messiah to rescue all and deliver all from the dominion of darkness, sin, and death. The true completion of the Messiah Old Testament prophecy.

Matthew 26:39 capsulizes Jesus’ love for His Father and for us. Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” The next day, Jesus suffered cruel torture and a painful death on the cross for us!

Holy Week is a time of preparation for us to fully understand the love and strength amid suffering, Jesus exemplified, for our salvation and forgiveness.

On Resurrection Sunday let us celebrate our risen Savior—the One who conquered death on a cross without whose Resurrection, we are lost (1 Corinthians 15:17). Let us spend Resurrection Sunday praising and thanking God as individuals and corporately through song, prayer, a message of Jesus, and fellowship. Our day needs to be centred on celebrating our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His victory over death.

“Because I live, you also will live.” —John 14:19