On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
On the first day of the week, the day after His arrival at Bethany, Jesus resumed His journey from Bethany to Jerusalem for the feast, sending two disciples for a colt to ride, while the many pilgrims who heard He was coming went out to meet Him and joined those already with Him, swelling the multitude on the way. Their eagerness was stirred by the widespread fame of His works, above all the raising of Lazarus, with general inquiry whether the great prophet would be crowned king at the feast. They gave Him a joyful, humble royal welcome with garments spread on the road and palm branches waved before Him, hailing Him as Messiah and King come lowly riding on an ass to take David's throne and bring near deliverance. Unlike the triumphs of earthly conquerors with mourning captives, His trophies were captives rescued from Satan, the blind, the mute, the crippled, lepers, widows, orphans, and those raised from death praising God, yet the disciples with the crowd misunderstood and took His acceptance of homage as proof He would reign as a temporal prince. The startling public scene was meant to bring Him before every mind so that after His crucifixion it would be joined to His trial and death to prove Him the Messiah, though within days many who welcomed Him joined the cry to crucify Him, and the disciples' rejoicing turned to despair until His resurrection revived their hopes.
Setting and Gathering Crowd
Six days before the Passover Jesus was traveling from Jericho to Jerusalem to attend the feast, and He paused at Bethany at the house of Lazarus for rest and refreshment. There Simon of Bethany, whom He had healed of leprosy, made a supper in His honor, and He sat at the table with Simon on one side and Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead, on the other, while Martha served and Mary listened. The next day, the first day of the week and the day after the anointing and arrival at Bethany, He resumed His journey from Bethany to Jerusalem to join the feast. On the way He sent two of His disciples to bring a colt, the foal of an ass, for Him to ride into Jerusalem.
On that day much people that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem and gathered to witness His entry as the promised King. Many had come from Jerusalem and the regions around, and news of His coming drew a growing crowd that joined the welcome. Those already with Him were met by those hurrying out from Jerusalem, while the multitudes who had flocked to Bethany to see Him accompanied Him. Many other Passover pilgrims on the way to the city continually joined them, swelling the multitude attending Him and looking forward to His entry into Jerusalem.
The excitement was fueled because reports of His coming and His works had spread widely, and people were eager to see and hear Him. His fame as a prophet had spread over all the land because of His wondrous works, especially the raising of Lazarus from the dead, which had deeply affected people and drawn a large enthusiastic crowd to where He was staying. Reports brought back by those who had seen Him at Bethany increased the eagerness of the multitude to see and hear the Teacher. There was general inquiry as to who the wonderful Teacher was, from whence He had come, if Lazarus would accompany Him to Jerusalem, and if the great prophet would be crowned king at the feast.
The priests and rulers saw they were losing their hold on the minds of the people, and they feared the growing interest would weaken their influence and turn the people to Jesus. The temple service drew few while the crowds went out to meet Him with palm branches and sacred song. Their rage against Him increased as they saw their hold slipping. Yet as time passed they grew restless fearing He might not come at all, because He had read their murderous purposes, divined their thoughts, exposed their hidden motives, and baffled their designs, and they anxiously questioned whether He would come to the feast.
Royal Welcome and Expectation
On hearing that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, the feast crowds poured out to meet Him and the welcome grew into a triumph of acclaim and sacred song. Garments were spread on the road and palm and olive branches, emblems of welcome and victory, were waved before Him as the people bowed before Him riding on the donkey. It was a joyful yet humble royal entry.
Unlike the triumphs of earth's famous conquerors it had no train of mourning captives as trophies of valor, and no effort to calm the people could repress their ardor. Its trophies were captives rescued from Satan's power praising God for deliverance. The blind whose sight was restored led the way, the mute whose tongues were loosed shouted the loudest praises, and the cripples He had healed broke palm branches and waved them before Him. Widows and orphans exalted Him for His mercy, cleansed lepers spread their garments in His path and hailed Him as King of Glory, and those awakened from death, including Lazarus restored from corruption to full manhood guiding the animal He rode, joined the procession the world had never seen.
They hailed Him as Messiah and King with renewed hope in the promised kingdom, believing deliverance was near and that He was entering the city to take David's throne in Jerusalem. His riding on a colt, the foal of an ass sent for on the way from Bethany, fulfilled the prophecy that their King would come lowly, riding on an ass.
The disciples took His acceptance of this homage as proof He would be acknowledged as Israel's king in Jerusalem, for they misunderstood the nature of His kingdom. They expected Him to take an earthly kingdom and rule as a temporal prince on David's throne, crying Hosanna to the Son of David as much people flocked from all the region about. The shouting could not be stopped because prophecy must be fulfilled, so when asked to still the multitude He declared that if they held their peace even the stones would cry out.
In this one triumphal scene of His earthly life He remained true to the life of humiliation He had accepted, instead of appearing escorted by heavenly angels and heralded by divine trumpets. He bore the burden of humanity until His life was given for the life of the world. As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city He wept in grief over it, though the acclaiming crowd expecting Him to reign did not understand His sorrow.
Purpose and Fickle Aftermath
The startling events of the triumphal ride were meant to be deliberately public, the talk of every tongue, to bring Jesus before every mind. In this one triumphal scene of His earthly life He remained true to the life of humiliation He had accepted, instead of appearing escorted by heavenly angels and heralded by the trumpets of God, bearing the burden of humanity until His life was given for the life of the world. The publicity was purposeful so that after His crucifixion these events would be connected with His trial and death, prophecies would be searched and would prove He was indeed the Messiah, and converts to faith in Him would be multiplied in all lands.
The public enthusiasm was not steadfast, for only a few days later many who had welcomed Him into Jerusalem with joyful shouts of praise, hosannas, and waving palm branches joined the cry for His crucifixion. Some of the same people who praised Him then were among those who called for His death, showing how quickly popular praise could turn into rejection. Their praise was often driven by popularity rather than lasting loyalty.
The disciples' hopes rose as He entered Jerusalem, for they wrongly expected Him to take an earthly kingdom and rule as a temporal prince on David's throne in Israel. The shouting could not be stopped because prophecy must be fulfilled, so that when asked to still the multitude He declared that if they held their peace even the stones would cry out. His arrest, humiliation, crucifixion and burial turned their rejoicing into fear, grief, despair and disappointed hopes, with the darkness of death closing about them. That disappointment was greater than the disappointment over the expected advent and darker than death, yet their hopes revived when He rose and appeared to them, showing He was true to His promises with sweet consolation and rich reward for the true and faithful.
On the first day of the week, the day after His arrival at Bethany, Jesus resumed His journey from Bethany to Jerusalem for the feast, sending two disciples for a colt to ride, while the many pilgrims who heard He was coming went out to meet Him and joined those already with Him, swelling the multitude on the way. Their eagerness was stirred by the widespread fame of His works, above all the raising of Lazarus, with general inquiry whether the great prophet would be crowned king at the feast. They gave Him a joyful, humble royal welcome with garments spread on the road and palm branches waved before Him, hailing Him as Messiah and King come lowly riding on an ass to take David's throne and bring near deliverance. Unlike the triumphs of earthly conquerors with mourning captives, His trophies were captives rescued from Satan, the blind, the mute, the crippled, lepers, widows, orphans, and those raised from death praising God, yet the disciples with the crowd misunderstood and took His acceptance of homage as proof He would reign as a temporal prince. The startling public scene was meant to bring Him before every mind so that after His crucifixion it would be joined to His trial and death to prove Him the Messiah, though within days many who welcomed Him joined the cry to crucify Him, and the disciples' rejoicing turned to despair until His resurrection revived their hopes.
Setting and Gathering Crowd
Six days before the Passover Jesus was traveling from Jericho to Jerusalem to attend the feast, and He paused at Bethany at the house of Lazarus for rest and refreshment. There Simon of Bethany, whom He had healed of leprosy, made a supper in His honor, and He sat at the table with Simon on one side and Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead, on the other, while Martha served and Mary listened. The next day, the first day of the week and the day after the anointing and arrival at Bethany, He resumed His journey from Bethany to Jerusalem to join the feast. On the way He sent two of His disciples to bring a colt, the foal of an ass, for Him to ride into Jerusalem.
On that day much people that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem and gathered to witness His entry as the promised King. Many had come from Jerusalem and the regions around, and news of His coming drew a growing crowd that joined the welcome. Those already with Him were met by those hurrying out from Jerusalem, while the multitudes who had flocked to Bethany to see Him accompanied Him. Many other Passover pilgrims on the way to the city continually joined them, swelling the multitude attending Him and looking forward to His entry into Jerusalem.
The excitement was fueled because reports of His coming and His works had spread widely, and people were eager to see and hear Him. His fame as a prophet had spread over all the land because of His wondrous works, especially the raising of Lazarus from the dead, which had deeply affected people and drawn a large enthusiastic crowd to where He was staying. Reports brought back by those who had seen Him at Bethany increased the eagerness of the multitude to see and hear the Teacher. There was general inquiry as to who the wonderful Teacher was, from whence He had come, if Lazarus would accompany Him to Jerusalem, and if the great prophet would be crowned king at the feast.
The priests and rulers saw they were losing their hold on the minds of the people, and they feared the growing interest would weaken their influence and turn the people to Jesus. The temple service drew few while the crowds went out to meet Him with palm branches and sacred song. Their rage against Him increased as they saw their hold slipping. Yet as time passed they grew restless fearing He might not come at all, because He had read their murderous purposes, divined their thoughts, exposed their hidden motives, and baffled their designs, and they anxiously questioned whether He would come to the feast.
Royal Welcome and Expectation
On hearing that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, the feast crowds poured out to meet Him and the welcome grew into a triumph of acclaim and sacred song. Garments were spread on the road and palm and olive branches, emblems of welcome and victory, were waved before Him as the people bowed before Him riding on the donkey. It was a joyful yet humble royal entry.
Unlike the triumphs of earth's famous conquerors it had no train of mourning captives as trophies of valor, and no effort to calm the people could repress their ardor. Its trophies were captives rescued from Satan's power praising God for deliverance. The blind whose sight was restored led the way, the mute whose tongues were loosed shouted the loudest praises, and the cripples He had healed broke palm branches and waved them before Him. Widows and orphans exalted Him for His mercy, cleansed lepers spread their garments in His path and hailed Him as King of Glory, and those awakened from death, including Lazarus restored from corruption to full manhood guiding the animal He rode, joined the procession the world had never seen.
They hailed Him as Messiah and King with renewed hope in the promised kingdom, believing deliverance was near and that He was entering the city to take David's throne in Jerusalem. His riding on a colt, the foal of an ass sent for on the way from Bethany, fulfilled the prophecy that their King would come lowly, riding on an ass.
The disciples took His acceptance of this homage as proof He would be acknowledged as Israel's king in Jerusalem, for they misunderstood the nature of His kingdom. They expected Him to take an earthly kingdom and rule as a temporal prince on David's throne, crying Hosanna to the Son of David as much people flocked from all the region about. The shouting could not be stopped because prophecy must be fulfilled, so when asked to still the multitude He declared that if they held their peace even the stones would cry out.
In this one triumphal scene of His earthly life He remained true to the life of humiliation He had accepted, instead of appearing escorted by heavenly angels and heralded by divine trumpets. He bore the burden of humanity until His life was given for the life of the world. As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city He wept in grief over it, though the acclaiming crowd expecting Him to reign did not understand His sorrow.
Purpose and Fickle Aftermath
The startling events of the triumphal ride were meant to be deliberately public, the talk of every tongue, to bring Jesus before every mind. In this one triumphal scene of His earthly life He remained true to the life of humiliation He had accepted, instead of appearing escorted by heavenly angels and heralded by the trumpets of God, bearing the burden of humanity until His life was given for the life of the world. The publicity was purposeful so that after His crucifixion these events would be connected with His trial and death, prophecies would be searched and would prove He was indeed the Messiah, and converts to faith in Him would be multiplied in all lands.
The public enthusiasm was not steadfast, for only a few days later many who had welcomed Him into Jerusalem with joyful shouts of praise, hosannas, and waving palm branches joined the cry for His crucifixion. Some of the same people who praised Him then were among those who called for His death, showing how quickly popular praise could turn into rejection. Their praise was often driven by popularity rather than lasting loyalty.
The disciples' hopes rose as He entered Jerusalem, for they wrongly expected Him to take an earthly kingdom and rule as a temporal prince on David's throne in Israel. The shouting could not be stopped because prophecy must be fulfilled, so that when asked to still the multitude He declared that if they held their peace even the stones would cry out. His arrest, humiliation, crucifixion and burial turned their rejoicing into fear, grief, despair and disappointed hopes, with the darkness of death closing about them. That disappointment was greater than the disappointment over the expected advent and darker than death, yet their hopes revived when He rose and appeared to them, showing He was true to His promises with sweet consolation and rich reward for the true and faithful.