“The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their clothes on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Matthew 21:6-9 CSB)

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on the Sunday before his crucifixion, he did so as a victor to the proclaim of the people.

Jesus’ popularity was at its height. For several years he had been teaching, healing, and doing other miraculous signs; quite recently he had raised Lazarus from the dead, something that people were still talking about (see John 12:9-11). Although he was not popular amongst the Jewish leadership the people loved him! There is significance in so much that happened as he made his entrance into the city.

What he was riding was significant. His disciples placed their clothing on both donkeys to give him something to sit on but not knowing which he would choose to ride. Luke recorded that no one had ever ridden on the colt. Although it had never been ridden before, it submitted to having Jesus ride it. A donkey that a king would ride had to have never been ridden before. What we see is Jesus entering Jerusalem riding a donkey, the animal ridden by kings, and riding it just as a king would.

This was not lost on the crowd. When they saw Jesus riding the donkey’s colt they greeted him as they would a king: they laid their clothing as well as branches on the road for him to ride over as they would welcome a king. They shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” What were they meaning by this?

The word ‘hosanna’ means ‘save now’. Not only were they praising Jesus but they were crying to God to come and save his people now that the Messiah had come. They were, in essence, proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, the true descendant of David, the true king of Israel!

With this much noise and celebration Jesus’ entourage attracted attention as they entered the city.

“When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’” (Matthew 21:10-11)

But not all welcomed Jesus, although they recognised the significance of what the people were saying and doing. Luke recorded that Pharisees were in this crowd and they told Jesus: “‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out.’” (Luke 19:39-40)

Later, after he threw those buying and selling out of the temple, he received more acclaim by the children who saw him which led to more opposition from the Jewish leaders.

“When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonders that he did and the children shouting in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant and said to him, ‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ Jesus replied, ‘Yes, have you never read: You have prepared praise from the mouths of infants and nursing babies?’” (Matthew 21:15-16)

Sadly many of these same people who were proclaiming him the Messiah in less than a week would be shouting “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:22-23).

We continue to be presented with the same reactions to Jesus. Many oppose him and his people. Many want the voices of his followers to be shut up. Many would still shout “Crucify him!” if they had the chance. But there are others who are ready to accept Jesus as their master and Messiah and would join the crowds shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David!”

May we continue to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, the son of God.

Image by jeffjacobs1990 from pixabay.com

Readings for next week: Matthew 21-25