Reflections 4/9/2020: “HOSANNA!”= “God saves!” Palm branches waving, shouts of victory and high expectations! “Jesus the Messiah has come to free us!”… but we didn’t understand from what. Political oppression? Military occupation? That’s what our palm branches lifted high meant to us as we shouted, “HOSANNA!” But a cruel cross was the end result. WHAT? What did that have to do with “God saves?” Everything! The true oppressor, way beyond Roman rule, was the sin in our lives that separated us from a loving, but Holy God! Messianic prophecies of the suffering servant, dying for our sins, pointed to this version of “God saves!” But our expectations, even demands, were stuck on immediate, military overthrow. David’s earthly kingdom restored! God, how often do I miss the immensely larger picture of what You are doing, due to my short-sighted insistence on immediate but lesser outcomes? Even this cancer has a larger purpose than just getting out of it alive. So open up my grasp of “Hosanna” to allow You to save in unexpected ways!