9th April 2022

I hate remembering passwords. I wish I had just one that I could use all the time and in every digital space. Once upon a time I did, but then came the rule: ‘It must be at least so many letters long and contain so many numbers, etc’, which threw my online security into confusion. My wife gave me the hint of inserting an exclamation mark here and there, which is a great idea, except I can’t always remember where I’ve positioned it…. and so ‘reset password’…. again.

There is a word especially for this Palm Sunday that would make the perfect password, for it has an exclamation mark built into it. The Hebrew word ‘Hosanna’ is made up of two parts. The first part derives from the Hebrew verb yasha, which means to save; and the second part- the ‘na’ bit (with the n doubled) – is the note of emphasis and serves as the exclamation mark.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem to commence His Easter mission, the crowds welcomed Him and cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David” – meaning: “You’re the King whom God has sent to save us. So please do!” Jesus was only too glad for people (and especially the children) to know who He was and what He had come to do; which is thoughtful and kind, for it is the usual advice that passwords be kept hidden and protected. But not this one. Heaven wants it known. Salvation is found in Jesus Christ!

DM 9^th April 2022