ACC ~ John 12 v13a

THE CROWD HAILS JESUS

ATHANASIUS When the crowd took the palm branches from the date palms and went before Christ as he was about to go up to the feast, all of them bore witness that he had called Lazarus forth from the grave and had raised him from the dead. Because of this, this great throng believed on him when they heard that he had done this sign. For all the people had come out of the tomb before they buried him and closed the mouth of the tomb. A great wonder seized them all when they heard that he was alive again. HOMILY ON THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS. [1]

PALMS OF VICTORY OVER DEATH

ROMANUS MELODUS

O Savior, all came with palms on the occasion of Thy arrival, crying out, “Hosanna” to Thee,

Now all of us bring hymns to Thee out of piteous mouths,

As we wave the branches of our spirit and cry out:

“O Thou, truly among those on high, save the world which Thou hast created, Lord,

And blot out our sins, just as formerly Thou hast dried

The tears of Mary and Martha.”

O Lover of man, the holy church holds a high festival, faithfully calling together her children;

It meets Thee with palms and spreads out garments of joy

So that with Thy disciples and with Thy friend,

Thou mayst advance and legislate a deep peace for Thy servants,

And release them from oppression, as formerly Thou hast checked

The tears of Mary and Martha.

Incline Thy ear, O God of the universe, and hear our prayers, and snatch us from the bonds of death. …

Let us who are dead because of our sins and who dwell in the tomb because of our knowledge of evil imitate

The sisters of faithful Lazarus as we cry to Christ with tears, in faith and in love:

“Save us, Thou who didst will to become man.

And resurrect us from the tomb of our sins, Thou, alone immortal.”

KANTAKION ON THE RAISING OF LAZARUS 15.14-17. [2]

[1] AJSL 57:271.

[2] KRBM 1:155-56.

PALMS ARE PSALMS OF PRAISE FOR VICTORY

AUGUSTINE See how great the fruit of his preaching was and how large a flock of the lost sheep of the house of Israel heard the voice of their Shepherd. … “On the next day many people that came to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees.” … The branches of palms are psalms of praise for the victory that our Lord was about to obtain by his death over death and his triumph over the devil, the prince of death, by the trophy of the cross. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 51.1-2. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 7:283**; CCL 36:440.

MULTITUDES PRAISE USING SCRIPTURE

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA The multitudes do not praise Jesus with ordinary language but quote from the inspired Scripture [1] that which was beautifully spoken regarding him. Confessing that he was indeed the King of Israel, they call him their own king and accept the lordship of the Christ. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 8. [2]

[1] Ps 118:26 (117:26 LXX).

[2] LF 48:141**.

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS PRAISE THE CHRIST

BEDE Those who went ahead and those who followed exalted our Lord with one and the same voice of praise, for undoubtedly the faith of those who were approved before our Lord’s incarnation and of those after it is one [faith], although they had sacraments that differed according to the customs of the times. Peter bears witness [to this] when he says, “But we believe that we are being saved in the same way as they also were, through the grace of the Lord Jesus.” [1] As for their saying, “Hosanna,” that is, “salvation to the Son of David,” this is the same thing we read in the psalm, “The Lord is [our] salvation, [let] your blessing [be] on your people.” [2] It is the same as the chorus that the saints echo with a chant of great praise in the Apocalypse, “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” [3] HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 2.3. [4]

[1] Acts 15:11.

[2] Ps 3:8 (3:9 LXX).

[3] Rev 7:10.

[4] CS 111:28; CCL 122:204.

HOSANNA MEANS SAVED

EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA As, therefore, hosanna is said in the psalm we are considering, which is translated “Save us now,” and the Hebrew has “Lord, save us,” and the words “blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord” are taken from the same psalm, and these words can only refer to the Christ of God, we naturally apply the rest of the prediction to him as well. PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 9.18. [1]

[1] POG 2:188-89*.

SAME PSALM SPOKE OF THE REJECTED CORNERSTONE

BEDE The crowd took this verse of praise from the one hundredth and seventeenth psalm, [1] and there is no one who doubts that it is sung about the Lord. Hence it is appropriate that there is previously sung of him in the same psalm, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” [2] for Christ, whom the Jews rejected as they were building the decrees of their own traditions, became a memorial [3] for believers from among both peoples, namely, the Jews and the Gentiles. For as to the fact that Christ is called the cornerstone in this psalm, this is what was being chanted in high praise in the Gospel by the voice of those who followed and those who went ahead. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 2.3. [4]

[1] Ps 118:26 (117:26 LXX).

[2] Ps 118:22 (117:22 LXX).

[3] Lat monimentum.

[4] CS 111:29; CCL 122:204-5.