Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!Hosanna in the highest!”
Matthew 21:9
The multitude was singing God's praises as Jesus came into Jerusalem. The 12 disciples had put their coats on the donkey for Jesus to sit on. The multitudes threw their coats on the ground so that the donkey would not have to walk on the dirt. The gospels also tell us that the people took leafy branches and waived them in praise to Jesus. The people were loud and festive in their praises. Jesus had recently raised Lazarus from the dead. Now there were many new disciples. Many people were speculating that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. The words the people saying were from Psalm 118:26. Psalm 118 is a passover psalm. Praising with this Psalm showed that they believed Jesus had come to deliver them.
The pharisees instructed Jesus to rebuke his disciples.
And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Luke 19:40
When Jesus was in Jerusalem He went to the temple and he chased out the money changers and the merchants. He used Scriptures from Isaiah and Jeremiah saying, "It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."
The scribes and pharisees were angry. They didn't understand Jesus answer to their objection. Yet there were still young children saying, "Blessed is the king of Israel, who comes in the name of the Lord."
Jesus then quoted from Psalm 8.
And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? Matthew 21:16
Now read verse 14. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
Here is the true power in our praise. Psalm 22 tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. When we demonstrate our praise to Jesus it is like we our laying our coats on the road so that He doesn't have to walk on the dirt road. We are rolling out the red carpet for Him! When He is invited into a place with praise and worship He comes in as king. He can then cleanse people and bring them back into a life of prayer. He can minister and heal because of the faith that is demonstated in praise. We establish His reign on our lives and we allow Him to turn the tables in our hearts and cleanse us and of those who are with us to. We want to minister to others the love of God. Doesn't it make more sense to praise God and let Him minister to people in ways we cannot? Never forget the praise you give Him is powerful.
