The phrase “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” appears several times in the Bible, most notably in Psalm 118:26. It is a significant phrase that points to the identity and mission of Jesus Christ.
In Psalm 118, this phrase appears in the context of a victory procession. The psalmist says “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” as a blessing upon the king or ruler who has won a battle and is entering the city in triumph. The people line the streets welcoming their victorious king shouting “Hosanna!” which means “save us now!” They recognize that this ruler has come with the power and blessing of God.
This psalm finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The crowds welcome him with the same words from Psalm 118, acknowledging that Jesus comes with the authority and blessing of God. They cry out “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9). They are welcoming Jesus as the Messianic king.
Jesus affirms this connection when he rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9: “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey.” The Passover setting also confirms that he is the true Passover Lamb, the one who would deliver God’s people. Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah who comes to deliver humanity from sin and death.
The phrase “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” therefore points to several key identities and actions of Jesus:
- He comes with the authority of God. The name of the Lord represents God’s nature, character and authority. Jesus does not act on his own but is commissioned and sent by God the Father (John 5:43).
- He comes as God’s appointed King to rule justly and mercifully over God’s people. He is the greater Son of David who will reign forever (Luke 1:32-33).
- He comes to save and deliver through his sacrificial death on the cross. Though he enters humbly on a donkey, his mission is to die as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world (John 1:29).
- He comes to fulfill God’s promises to send a Messiah who would deliver his people. Jesus is the fulfillment of OT prophecies about the coming redeemer.
This phrase is also used in reference to Jesus’ second coming. Revelation 22:20 says, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” using the same Greek phrase found in the Gospels to refer to Jesus’ triumphal entry. Here it points to the eagerly awaited return of Christ. When he comes again, he will come with full power and glory as King of kings to judge evil and establish his eternal kingdom (Matthew 25:31).
So in summary, when the Bible says “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” it reveals Jesus Christ’s divine authority and mission to save humanity through his first and second comings. He comes with the full authority of God to be the Savior and King over God’s people. This phrase is packed with significance in affirming who Jesus claimed to be – the Messiah, God’s Son, the Chosen One.
1. Jesus Comes with God’s Authority
One of the key meanings behind this phrase is that Jesus does not come in his own name or authority, but with the full authority of God the Father who sent him. Jesus emphasizes this repeatedly in the Gospel of John.
“I have come in my Father’s name…” (John 5:43)
“I have not come on my own; but he sent me.” (John 8:42)
“the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.” (John 12:49)
The name of God represents His nature, character and authority. For Jesus to come in God’s name means that he fully represents who God is. Jesus does not act independently but is the unique Son sent by the Father to fulfill a special mission. This shows that Jesus is not just a human prophet or teacher, but the very revelation of God himself, come directly from the Father to humanity (John 1:14, 18).
2. Jesus Comes as the Promised Messianic King
Psalm 118 has royal and messianic themes that point to Christ’s identity as the coming King. Jesus deliberately chose a donkey for his entry into Jerusalem to invoke Zechariah’s prophecy that the Messianic King would come humbly and righteously: “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).
The Passover timing also identifies Jesus as the coming King. At Passover Israel remembered their liberation from Egypt under Moses, but also longed for a new ‘exodus’ from sin and oppression under a righteous Messianic King. Jesus came at Passover to show he was the fulfillment of this greater redemption.
The crowd’s shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” also point to Jesus as the long-awaited King from David’s lineage who would reign forever. Though he came in humility, riding on a donkey, he accepted this royal acclamation. The phrase “blessed is he who comes…” affirms that Jesus is the Messianic ruler whom God has uniquely blessed and commissioned.
3. Jesus Comes to be the Sacrificial Passover Lamb
The Passover setting is key to understanding Christ’s mission. Passover remembered God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. But Jesus came to bring the true eternal deliverance from slavery to sin and death. He is the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
The prophets foretold that God would send one like a Passover Lamb to redeem and shepherd his people: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth…as a lamb led to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7). Jesus fulfilled this on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin. He is the greater Passover Lamb who brings salvation.
So this phrase proclaims the Redeemer’s arrival – he who comes to save his people through the sacrifice of the cross. The angel told Joseph, “you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). He is the one coming to give his life as a ransom for the many (Mark 10:45).
4. Jesus Comes to Fulfill God’s Promises to Israel
Ultimately, Christ’s coming fulfilled God’s promises to send a Messiah to redeem and rule over his people Israel. Peter says, “You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” (Acts 3:25-26).
Jesus as the offspring of Abraham is the fulfillment of God’s covenant to bless all nations through Abraham’s descendants. He is the climax of God’s purposes worked out through the nation of Israel across centuries. The phrase “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” joyfully recognizes the arrival of the long-expected Savior who would deliver God’s people.
In his triumphal entry, claims to authority, and Passover sacrifice, Jesus was communicating he was the fulfillment of all Messianic prophecies and the redemptive mission prepared for him by God. This phrase succinctly captures the wonder of the Messiah’s coming – at last, God has visited and redeemed His people! (Luke 1:68).
5. Jesus Will Come Again in Glory
The New Testament applies “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” not only to Christ’s first coming but also to his second coming. Jesus ascended to heaven after his death and resurrection, but promised he would return again in glory to judge evil and establish his kingdom forever (Matthew 25:31). The NT eagerly anticipates Christ’s return with the prayer “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).
This will complete what was begun at his first coming. Upon his return, “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess he is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). All creation will finally recognize and worship Jesus Christ as the rightful Lord and King over all. As the hymn “Ride on in Majesty” declares, “though now on high enthroned, he will return to claim his rightful throne.”
So this phrase not only celebrates Christ’s humble first coming, but also his glorious second coming as conquering King and Judge. The saints cry “Come, Lord Jesus!” longing for the day when he will rule the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1-4). When he comes again, it will be with power and great glory as “King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:16).
6. How Should We Respond to Jesus’ Coming?
The first coming of Christ demands a response: “What do you think about the Christ?” (Matthew 22:42) Will we join in celebrating Jesus’ arrival as King and Savior? Or will we reject him to our own peril?
Jesus warns that those who “do not believe in me…will die in your sins” (John 8:24). But all who welcome him in faith receive the blessing and fellowship with God that Christ came to bring: “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
This blessing of salvation through faith in Christ is still offered to all today. Have you received Jesus as he is – the Son of God, your King, and Savior? He came first in humility to die for sins, and will come again in glory to judge the world. This free gift of salvation cannot be earned, only received by faith in the One God blessed and sent to redeem us.
For those who already know Christ, “blessed is he who comes…” is a reminder to daily welcome Jesus’ righteous rule in our lives. Do we honor him as our merciful King? Are we ready for his return? This phrase compels us to live under Christ’s lordship with hearts full of praise for our glorious redeeming King. Let us join the saints of old in crying “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
