Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang
The hymn theologically emphasizes the joy of Christ's messianic arrival and the participatory nature of salvation history through the innocent praise of children, reflecting Luke's Gospel account. Lutheran use of this hymn reinforces both the triumphal Christological claim of Christ's kingship and the eschatological hope of His ultimate return.
History & Background
Written by Jennette Threlfall, a British Methodist hymnist, in 1873 and first published in Hymns, Ancient and Modern Supplement that same year. The hymn was subsequently adopted into Lutheran hymnals where it became associated primarily with Palm Sunday observance.
Scripture References Like “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” (375/376), this text is based on Christ’s triumphal entry on Palm Sunday. However, st. 1-3 = Matt. 21:1-17 Mark 11:1-10 “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” focuses more on the children’s Luke 19:28-38 role in that event. The text was written by Jeannette Threlfall John 12:12-13 (b. Blackburn, Lancashire, England, 1821; d. Westminster, London, 1880) in an “idle moment” (as she says she wrote all of her hymns, all others of which have been forgotten). Undoubtedly, Threlfall had Mark 11 in mind when she wrote this text, but she also alludes to Jesus’ welcoming of the children in Mark 10:13-16. Stanzas 1 and 2 tell how the children shared in the songs during Christ’s procession into Jerusalem. Stanza 3 is our cue to participate in praising our Redeemer. Threlfall’s life was extremely difficult: she was orphaned at an early age, and two serious accidents caused her to be an invalid for life. But she bore her misfortune with grace and fortitude and maintained a ministry to many people who came in contact with her. Threlfall wrote devotional verse, which was published anonymously in various periodicals and later collected in Woodsorrel, or Leavesfrom a Retired Home (1856) and Sunshine and Shadow (1873), which included “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna.”
Hymnal Appearances
- Baptist Hymnal — 237
- Chalice Hymnal — 192
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 374
- Glory to God — 197
- Lutheran Service Book — 443
- Lift Up Your Hearts — 163
- Lutheran Worship — 106
- New Century Hymnal — 213
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 161
- United Methodist Hymnal — 278
- Voices Together — 197
Liturgical Use
Palm Sunday, in conjunction with the Palm Sunday gospel reading or the children’s message.
Bulletin Note
Written by English Quaker poet Jennette Threlfall in 1873, this hymn captures Luke's Gospel account of children praising Jesus at His entry to Jerusalem, offering the church a hymn of unadorned Gospel joy without legal condition or earning.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies pure Gospel proclamation: Christ's kingship and redemptive work demand no prior righteousness from us, only the response of grateful, childlike praise that flows from hearts freed by grace.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Of Justification Augsburg Confession
Themes
Christ's triumphal entry Praise and worship Childlike faith and innocence Messianic hope Palm Sunday