Sanctus
City Church San Francisco Lyrics

The song Sanctus by City Church San Francisco is a beautiful expression of praise and worship to God. The lyrics start by addressing God as "holy, holy, holy Lord" which is a reference to the vision of Isaiah where he saw God seated on a throne with angels surrounding Him proclaiming His holiness. The repetition of "holy" emphasizes the complete otherness and perfection of God. The next line acknowledges God's power and might, which are the qualities that separate Him from human beings.

The next line, "Heaven and earth are full of your glory" is reminiscent of the song of the seraphim in Isaiah 6:3, where they sing "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." The song emphasizes the infinite scope of God's glory and how it encompasses both the heavenly and earthly realms. As the song reaches its climax, the refrain "Hosanna in the highest!" is repeated twice. The word "hosanna" is a Hebrew word that means "save us" or "save now" and is often used as an expression of praise and worship.

The final two lines of the song, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord/Hosanna in the highest!" are a direct quote from Matthew 21:9 when Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey and the people shout "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" The people recognized Jesus as the Messiah and praised Him accordingly.