In my recent studies I read that “The Hebrew word for “deliver” or “save” and the word for “beg” or “beseech” combine to form the word that, in English, is “hosanna.” Literally, hosanna means “I beg you to save!” or “please deliver us!”” [gotquestions.com]
You will recall that Hosanna was what the people cried out upon Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem just prior to his crucifixion. They rightly identified him as God's saving answer to all that had gone wrong.
Consider the following verses and listen for who it is that does the saving or delivering.
Matthew 1:21 — “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Psalms 3:8a — “From the LORD comes deliverance.”
Psalms 37:39,40a — “The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them…”
Psalms 62:1,2 — “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”
Jonah 2:8,9 — “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’”
Revelation 7:10 — “And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
I want to suggest to you that the essence of spiritual freedom is to rest in the truth that Jesus has come to save or deliver us from caving in to any and all temptation.
Our human situation is such that we are powerless against our particular weaknesses. I may not be tempted by what tempts you and vice versa, but we each have our vulnerable areas and if we’ve lived long enough and have faced the truth about ourselves, we know we have a miserable record of trying to overcome our own pet temptations. It’s just beyond us.
However, knowing this is the first all-important step we take towards freedom. Woe to those who think their doing just fine against their temptations. There are hard days ahead.
The next step it seems to me is vigilance. The deception that makes up temptation is generally not a frontal attack. More often than not it’s a minuscule and incremental appeal, and it takes an alert mind to see it coming.
Then, only one thing will suffice: to call on the Lord Jesus. We will preserve our inner rest if we remember that the battle is not ours. Jesus, and Jesus alone can save us from our sins. That is what his name means and that is what he came to do.
So here’s a simple appeal I’m working with in the face of my own temptations: “Lord Jesus! Please deliver me!” or, in other words, “Lord, hosanna!”
