The Introverted Evangelist

Hosanna: "Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!" (John 12:13) The word Hosanna is not initially a Greek word. In fact, the definition of ὡσαννά (pronounced hōsanná) is basically just Hosanna. So what does this word really depict, and from whence did it come? The word Hosanna comes from Psalms 118. Hosanna is now most commonly used as a shout of praise. However, the history of this word reveals a much greater depth of meaning than simply and exultation. Here in a moment I'm going to tell you why I believe a transition from a cry of help to an utterance of extolment has occurred. "O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you." (Psalms 118:25-26) The above phrase, "O Lord, save us" is precisely where the we get the word Hosanna. You see, the words "O" and "save" are combined to create a cry for help, and th...

   When Jesus was out in the wilderness and the enemy tried to tempt Him, Jesus would rebuke the temptations with God's Word. "It is written..." Jesus chose to use the Sword of Scripture, because God gave us the exact same weapon to fight off the devil's temptations. Jesus used the devil's temptations as a way to teach us how to protect ourselves from the enemy.    So next time you feel tempted or under attack, call on the Lord and pull out the Word. Matthew 4:10 says, "Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! Scripture says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’”"    May the power of the Living God dwell within you. Remember the fight has already been won, and we are victorious by the blood of the Lamb. We can rejoice with songs of triumph and delight, because in Him we are more than conquerors.        -The Introverted Evangelist.