This is only the second event of the life of Jesus to be recorded in all four Gospels. The first was the feeding of the 5,000. The disciples know something significant is about to happen. Jesus walked wherever he went. Yet now, less than two miles from his final destination, he mounts a donkey?! Suddenly this Palestinian peasant looks like a conquering king as he rides into the holy city. Even so, by the end of the day it will be apparent his “Triumphal Entry” is hardly victorious—it is deficient as a victory march. The crowds are eager … but for what?

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a {donkey with herMT} colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it {themMT} here.

3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ”

4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people {its ownersLK} standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?”

6 They answered as Jesus had told them to {[saying] the Lord needs it,LK} and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.

Jesus approaches Jerusalem from Bethany, about two miles to the east. In between the two cities stands the Mt. of Olives at 2,600′. It provides an impressive, panoramic view, especially of the temple courts which lay 300′ directly below. In the next few days, Jesus will make a lot of memories on this mountain. Here he will weep over Jerusalem, give the “Olivet Discourse,” pray in Gethsemane, and ascend to heaven.

On the eastern slope of the Mt. of Olives is a small village called Bethphage. From there Jesus sends two unnamed disciples (likely Peter and John) to fetch a donkey and her colt. Matthew mentions that they actually bring two animals.4 Mark explains why. The colt has never been ridden. If Jesus is going to keep from getting thrown off, they had better bring the colt’s mother along to calm its nerves, especially in the midst of this raucous crowd.

Jesus had prepared them for the inevitable—someone was bound to ask why they were taking the animals. They are to say, “The Lord has need of it.” The word “lord” might refer to the owner of the animal, who perhaps had come out to follow Jesus. However, since Luke says “its owners” were standing there and asked the two disciples what they were doing, it is more likely that the word “Lord” refers to Jesus. We must remember that Jesus has spent the last six months in the area of Judea and Perea. He has raised Lazarus from the dead and his seventy commissioned preachers have healed hundreds or perhaps thousands of people in the area. In other words, Jesus was well-known and well-liked. It is therefore, reasonable to assume that Jesus sends the two disciples to one of his local supporters to appropriate the animals on loan.

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

The book of Zechariah predicts the Messiah with astounding clarity. This passage in particular was interpreted by many rabbis as Messianic. Matthew shows how this triumphal entry fulfills Zechariah 9:9. He also shows, however, that although Jesus is the Messiah predicted by the prophets, he is not the Messiah expected by the people. They were looking for the king to ride into Jerusalem on a war horse (cf. Rev 6:4; 19:11). What they were promised was a Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6) riding on a donkey—a symbol of kings and of peace (Judg 5:10; 1 Kgs 1:33; b. Ber. 56b).

This kind of use of prophecy will continue to the end of the Gospels. Although we have already become accustomed to Jesus fulfilling prophecy throughout the Gospels, we will be overwhelmed by how much Jesus fulfills in this last week. Most of it will convey this same message: Jesus is the Messiah predicted by the prophets, but not the Messiah expected by the people.

{36 As he went along,LK} 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut {palmJN} branches from the trees {in the fieldsMK} and spread them on the road.

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.

9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he {the kingLK} who comes in the name of the Lord!”

{“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”MK}

“{Peace in heaven and gloryLK} Hosanna in the highest!”

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.

The disciples are as excited about all this as the crowds are, and for the same wrong reasons. They too share the popular misconceptions about the Messiah. In fact, they won’t get it straight until after Jesus is glorified (i.e., ascended).

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

The Pharisees are fit to be tied. They understand the implications of both the actions and words of the crowds. Jesus is making a play for the throne and the crowds are falling in line behind him. In the mind of the Pharisees, Jesus has an obligation to call a halt to his disciples before their excitement burgeons into an open revolution.

Far from stopping them, Jesus says, “Their praise is both accurate and inevitable. If they stop the stones will start.” They demand that Jesus suppress the crowd. But Jesus stands nose to nose with them and calls their hand. On this day, they are a few cards short. They have neither the popular appeal nor the official power to do anything but stand idly by and watch. The battle lines are drawn and they’ll not be idle long.

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.

44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

We are tempted to rejoice in Jesus’ victory over the Pharisees. But Jesus doesn’t gloat; he weeps. The word itself indicates deep sobs. His interest is not in winning an argument but a people. On the surface it seems that he has done just that. But he knows their hearts. Within five days, many of those shouting “Hosanna” will change their tune to “Crucify him!” They are committed to Jesus as their liberator king. When he is arrested as a rebel, they will abandon him as a dangerous subversive.

As he stands over the city, perhaps looking directly into the temple courts, he pleads for her peace. Not a political peace at the end of a bloody uprising, but peace with their God. That is his ultimate goal, but their eyes are blinded to this. When Jesus refuses to be the Messiah they want, they will kill him. As a result, the vengeance of God will fall full upon the very stones of this city. Within forty years, the Romans will see to it that not one stone remains upon another. Jesus will describe this in more detail in just three days, from this very spot (Mt 24; Mk 13; Lk 21). But for now, his prophetic warning gives way to tears. Surely this would have greatly confused his disciples, if indeed, any of them notice.

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“ ‘From the lips of children and infants

you have ordained praise’?”

11 [Jesus] looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out {of the cityMT} to Bethany {where he spent the nightMT} with the Twelve.

By the time Jesus makes it through the city gates, everyone is buzzing about him. The NIV translation of verse 10, “The whole city was stirred” is somewhat understated. The word translated “stirred” is used elsewhere in reference to the shaking of an earthquake (Mt 27:51; Rev 6:13). The Jerusalem residents and the Passover pilgrims ask those at the head of the parade, “Who is this?” “Jesus the prophet from Nazareth” is all the answer they need and the one they already suspect.

The sick of the city make their way to the outer court of the temple, the only one in which they were allowed. It was common for the sick and lame to sit at the temple gates and beg from those entering (cf. Acts 3:2). Somehow they find their way to Jesus through the mass of bodies and crooked necks. As if there wasn’t enough excitement already, Jesus heals them. Even the children have formed a choir to echo their parents’ praise.

The Pharisees, who have already accosted him, are now bolstered by the Sadducees. Since Jesus is taking over their territory in the temple, they must ask him to quit in spite of the fact that he is doing wonderful things! It may sound strange that religious leaders object to Jesus healing. We must understand, however, that healing was one of the evidences of Messiahship (cf. Isa 35:4–6). In fact, when John sent ambassadors to question Jesus about his ministry, instead of a long logical defense, Jesus simply said, “See what I do. These are the healing wonders of Messiah” (Mt 11:2–6).

Jesus responds by saying, “Have you never read?!” That’s like accusing a preacher of not knowing John 3:16. Based on Psalm 8:2, they should have been more sensitive to the praise of these kids. It is not that this passage is so famous, but that this event is so obvious. What a contrast! On the one hand you have the praise of the people, the sick being healed and children worshiping God. On the other hand you have the religious leaders wanting to put a stop to it because it is out of their control.

Such hypocrisy deserves more than this minor rebuke. It will, however, have to wait until the next day. Jesus has already used up the bulk of the afternoon with the Triumphal Entry and this healing service. He merely scopes out the problem, returns to Bethany with his inner band of twelve, and sleeps on it. But the fireworks are coming on Monday!