And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
Mark 11:8 pictures Jesus riding toward Jerusalem at feast time amid a large enthusiastic crowd spreading their outer garments and cut palm and olive branches to make a carpet in His path before Him. It was joyful homage to Him as King, Messiah and heir to David's throne with acclamations and hosannas. Having no costly gifts or royal pageantry, the people offered what they had as a humble substitute for royal display, with palm boughs as nature's emblem of victory, while His train was not mourning captives like earth's conquerors but the glorious trophies of His labors of love. The welcome fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy of the promised King's coming, drew public attention to Him as Messiah, foreshadowed the royal honor of His future coming, and directed attention to His approaching sacrifice as the Passover Lamb. Those who thus escorted Him expected Him then to take David's throne and reign as a temporal prince, a joyful hope standing in sharp contrast to their bitter disappointment when He was crucified and to the doom of Jerusalem over which He wept amid the rejoicing.
The Entry Described
Jesus rode forward on a donkey wearing robe and mantle on the approach to Jerusalem among palms and hills and nearby buildings. It was the time of the feast when many had come and a large enthusiastic crowd of men, women, and children had gathered to see Him. They were stirred by His raising of Lazarus from the dead and welcomed Him with rejoicing, lifting leafy branches and spreading foliage and garments in the way before Him, laying clothing on the road, with some kneeling and bowing as He passed.
The disciples and the crowd honored Him on His entry by spreading their outer garments and cut leafy branches in His path to make a carpet before Him. They had no costly gifts or royal standards or outward pomp and pageantry, so they offered what they had in a humble substitute for royal display. The palm branches waved and strewn along the way served as an emblem of victory, waved aloft like royal standards in the procession while the people acclaimed Him.
The branches cut down from the trees and strewn in the way were spreading palm boughs and the leafy branches of the olive and the palm. They were broken off, spread as a carpet in His path, waved aloft, and carried at the head of the triumphal procession in place of royal standards as nature's emblem of victory.
Those laying garments and cutting branches were the glorious trophies of His labors of love, not a train of mourning captives. Lepers cleansed by His word and rescued from living death spread their untainted garments and hailed Him, and cripples He had healed most actively broke palm branches and waved them and bounded freely. Captives rescued from Satan's power praised God, blind whose sight was restored led the way, dumb whose tongues were loosed shouted the loudest hosannas, widows and orphans exalted Him for mercy, and those awakened from the sleep of death joined them, with Lazarus restored from corruption to full manhood guiding the beast He rode.
Meaning and Significance
The spreading of outer garments to make a carpet in His path and the cutting down, strewing, waving aloft, and leading with leafy branches of olive and spreading palm boughs honored Jesus as King, Messiah, King of Glory, and heir to David's throne with joyful homage, acclamations, and a loud shout of triumph and hosannas. The people had no costly gifts to present, no royal standards to uplift, and no outward pomp, splendor, or pageantry to display, so they offered what they had and vied with one another to pay Him the worship of happy hearts, making their welcome a humble substitute for royal display. The palm branches thus waved and strewn in the way were nature's emblem of victory, lifted like royal standards in the triumphal procession.
Unlike the triumphs of earth's conquerors with their trains of mourning captives, His procession was surrounded by the glorious trophies of His labors of love for sinful man. He accepted this public worship and hosannas as Messiah and King, though He had never permitted it before. Those welcoming Him thought they were escorting Him to take David's throne and expected Him then to take the kingdom and reign as a temporal prince and temporal king over Israel.
The entry came as the promised King and heir to David's throne, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy of the King's coming. This public welcome drew attention to Jesus as Messiah, foreshadowed the royal honor of His future coming, and directed attention to His approaching sacrifice as the Passover Lamb. The joyful hope of the entry stood in sharp contrast to the fear, sorrow, despair, and bitter disappointment of His followers when He was crucified and followed as disgraced and humbled to Calvary to die. Amid the rejoicing and hosannas the triumph also pointed to Jerusalem's coming doom, over which His tears were the last pleadings of rejected love and compassion.
Mark 11:8 pictures Jesus riding toward Jerusalem at feast time amid a large enthusiastic crowd spreading their outer garments and cut palm and olive branches to make a carpet in His path before Him. It was joyful homage to Him as King, Messiah and heir to David's throne with acclamations and hosannas. Having no costly gifts or royal pageantry, the people offered what they had as a humble substitute for royal display, with palm boughs as nature's emblem of victory, while His train was not mourning captives like earth's conquerors but the glorious trophies of His labors of love. The welcome fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy of the promised King's coming, drew public attention to Him as Messiah, foreshadowed the royal honor of His future coming, and directed attention to His approaching sacrifice as the Passover Lamb. Those who thus escorted Him expected Him then to take David's throne and reign as a temporal prince, a joyful hope standing in sharp contrast to their bitter disappointment when He was crucified and to the doom of Jerusalem over which He wept amid the rejoicing.
The Entry Described
Jesus rode forward on a donkey wearing robe and mantle on the approach to Jerusalem among palms and hills and nearby buildings. It was the time of the feast when many had come and a large enthusiastic crowd of men, women, and children had gathered to see Him. They were stirred by His raising of Lazarus from the dead and welcomed Him with rejoicing, lifting leafy branches and spreading foliage and garments in the way before Him, laying clothing on the road, with some kneeling and bowing as He passed.
The disciples and the crowd honored Him on His entry by spreading their outer garments and cut leafy branches in His path to make a carpet before Him. They had no costly gifts or royal standards or outward pomp and pageantry, so they offered what they had in a humble substitute for royal display. The palm branches waved and strewn along the way served as an emblem of victory, waved aloft like royal standards in the procession while the people acclaimed Him.
The branches cut down from the trees and strewn in the way were spreading palm boughs and the leafy branches of the olive and the palm. They were broken off, spread as a carpet in His path, waved aloft, and carried at the head of the triumphal procession in place of royal standards as nature's emblem of victory.
Those laying garments and cutting branches were the glorious trophies of His labors of love, not a train of mourning captives. Lepers cleansed by His word and rescued from living death spread their untainted garments and hailed Him, and cripples He had healed most actively broke palm branches and waved them and bounded freely. Captives rescued from Satan's power praised God, blind whose sight was restored led the way, dumb whose tongues were loosed shouted the loudest hosannas, widows and orphans exalted Him for mercy, and those awakened from the sleep of death joined them, with Lazarus restored from corruption to full manhood guiding the beast He rode.
Meaning and Significance
The spreading of outer garments to make a carpet in His path and the cutting down, strewing, waving aloft, and leading with leafy branches of olive and spreading palm boughs honored Jesus as King, Messiah, King of Glory, and heir to David's throne with joyful homage, acclamations, and a loud shout of triumph and hosannas. The people had no costly gifts to present, no royal standards to uplift, and no outward pomp, splendor, or pageantry to display, so they offered what they had and vied with one another to pay Him the worship of happy hearts, making their welcome a humble substitute for royal display. The palm branches thus waved and strewn in the way were nature's emblem of victory, lifted like royal standards in the triumphal procession.
Unlike the triumphs of earth's conquerors with their trains of mourning captives, His procession was surrounded by the glorious trophies of His labors of love for sinful man. He accepted this public worship and hosannas as Messiah and King, though He had never permitted it before. Those welcoming Him thought they were escorting Him to take David's throne and expected Him then to take the kingdom and reign as a temporal prince and temporal king over Israel.
The entry came as the promised King and heir to David's throne, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy of the King's coming. This public welcome drew attention to Jesus as Messiah, foreshadowed the royal honor of His future coming, and directed attention to His approaching sacrifice as the Passover Lamb. The joyful hope of the entry stood in sharp contrast to the fear, sorrow, despair, and bitter disappointment of His followers when He was crucified and followed as disgraced and humbled to Calvary to die. Amid the rejoicing and hosannas the triumph also pointed to Jerusalem's coming doom, over which His tears were the last pleadings of rejected love and compassion.