Exhortation, Palm Sunday

The crowds greet Jesus as He arrives in Jerusalem singing from Psalm 118: “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”

That’s also one of the phrases we commonly use in our liturgy. Many versions of the Sanctus, the “Holy, holy, holy,” conclude with these lines from Psalm 118. Why do we sing this on the Lord’s day?

After we confess our sins and receive the Lord’s assurance of forgiveness, we ascend to the Lord in song to join the angelic choir around the throne of God, who continually sing “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.” In worship, we ascend to heaven to participate the heavenly liturgy.

We enter the heavenly choir; we also greet the Lord who comes to us. Heaven and earth join not only because we rise to heavenly places, but also because the Lord of heaven descends to be with us. We sing Psalm 118 because the Lord is coming to meet us.

This has profound implications for our understanding and practice of worship. God does not address us with a thundering voice from heaven; we do not praise, pray to, listen to, and dine with a distant God. God comes among us each week. He comes near to inhabit the praises of His people.

Every Lord’s day, we celebrate a triumphal entry, as through the Spirit our King comes to us. Every Lord’s day, we sing with Jerusalem “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest.”