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Mark 11:10

¹⁰"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!"

The disciples followed Jesus into Jerusalem with amazement and fear (Mark 10:32). Jesus told them again that He would be delivered to the priests, condemned, mocked, spit upon, flogged, and killed, but would rise on the third day (Mark 10:33-34). As Jesus entered the city, the crowds that heard of Lazarus' resurrection enthusiastically greeted Jesus (John 17:17-18). They began to shout words from a psalm that they sang during the feasts. It was one with messianic portent.

Hosanna means "save us." In the psalm, "Hosanna" is a cry to YHWH, the eternal God of Israel (Psalm 118:25). Saving us is exactly what Jesus had come to do. But our verse for today tells us what kind of salvation they were seeking. They referred to a prophecy from Ezekiel written many years after King David. It predicted a descendant of David restoring their inheritance of the land promised to Israel and reigning eternally as a shepherd king (Ezekiel 37:24-25). They thought it was time for the earthly kingdom. They did not recognize the need for the salvation of their souls. They had the right words but the wrong interpretation. Jesus was first establishing a spiritual kingdom.

Is it possible that we do the same thing today? We often look at the promises of Scripture and apply them in a purely physical way. We want God to heal us of every disease, when God wants to heal our souls. We can desire physical prosperity, when God wants to give us spiritual prosperity that is eternal. We want a relationship with a person to be everything we hope for, but God wants us to find fulfillment in relationship with Him.

Consider: Is the spiritual dimension of your life a greater priority than your physical desires?