- Jesus had been the day before with Martha and Lazarus at Bethany where Mary broke the bottle of perfume and it put it on his feet. Judas was upset. Many Jews were there to see Jesus and also to Lazarus who had been risen from the dead. The chief priests were plotting to kill Lazarus because on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
- After Jesus told the parable of the 10 Minas, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
- Jesus & his disciples approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage (Mk; Lk adds “and Bethany”) on the hill called Mt of Olives
- Jesus sent 2 disciples to the village ahead of him
- They would find a donkey and a colt, untie them, tell them the Lord needs them and he will send them right away. Mk, Lk add a “colt that has never been ridden.”
- Mk: “Went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway.”
- Mk: As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What you doing, untying that colt?”
- Lk: The owners asked them why they were untying the colt
- They told them what Jesus said and the people let them go.
- This fulfilled Zech 9:9—“Say to the Daughter of Zion, Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion, See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding/seated on a donkey, on a colt/young donkey, the foal of a donkey.
- 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.
- The disciples brought the donkey, placed their cloaks on them and Jesus sat on them
- Threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.
- 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. Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
- The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him
- A very large crowd [Mk—“many people”]spread their cloaks on the road as he went alone
- Others cut branches [Mk: “cut in the fields.] from the trees and spread them on the road
- When he came near the place where the road goes down to the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.
- The crowds that went ahead of him and those that following him.
Triumphal Entry in Short:
Jesus has been staying at Lazarus’ house. Word had gotten out locally and even to Jerusalem about the resurrection.
Jesus goes to the hill of the Mt. of Olives and sends the two to get the donkey& colt. They return and lay their cloaks on the donkey and on the road.
Meanwhile back in Jerusalem people hear Jesus is coming and run out to the field and cut palm branches and spread them on the road along with more cloaks.
As Jesus was descending the hill of the Mount of Olives there was exceeding joy of the disciples.
But as Jesus began to draw near to Jerusalem he began to weep, not for the cross he would face but for the lostness of this beloved people.
Upon entering the temple he saw all the money-changers and over-turned their tables. Joy and praise at Mt of Olives, turned to sorrow and sadness upon entering Jerusalem, changed to temple chaos and anger at business being set up in the temple.. A wild day.
Jews were turning to the faith and the chief priests and Pharisees were jealous and with violent intent.
Jesus returns to Bethany for the night with the Twelve.