Hossana!

The colt used in Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem

So here we see Jesus entering the city on the back of a colt. A couple of the Gospels, Matthew and John, tell us the background here, and that is that the expectation was from that the king or the messianic figure of the nation would ride the back of a colt—actually, the back of a donkey. It was a way of picturing a humble Messiah as opposed to the powerful Messiah that we read about in the Psalms of Solomon earlier. This is not a military deliverer, but this is someone who enters the city humbly but nonetheless comes to the city claiming to have the authority of coming in the name of the Lord.

The Pharisees’ Expectations

Well, the Pharisees don’t accept this picture of messiahship and this picture of Jesus, and they want Jesus to stop His disciples from making these utterances about coming in the name of the Lord—a passage, by the way, which comes from . In doing that, Jesus responds with basically saying if He doesn’t do that, the stones will cry out.

Jesus Christ’s instructions to his disciples

Now, another important piece of background that helps you to understand this passage is that whenever creation is said to speak or be a witness to something in the Hebrew Scriptures, it’s something we’re really supposed to pay attention to. And that’s what’s happening here. Jesus is saying, “Look, if my disciples didn’t say it, the creation would cry out about it.” An example of this is how, when Cain killed Abel, Abel’s blood cried out for justice.

And so we see these pictures of where creation, or inanimate parts of the creation, cry out and speak in a way in which they normally would not. And that is said to underlie the testimony of what is going on.

Jesus’ Claim to Be King

In this text, Jesus enters the city, claiming authority over the kingdom and claiming to be a king but a king of a different sort, a humble king. Everything about His entry is in contrast to the way, say, Pilate would enter in the city. When Pilate came in the city, he would come with a huge throng of authority wrapped around him, and he would show up with an army to come into the city. He would expect the city officials to greet him and lead him in, almost as if he was coming in on a red carpet. Jesus merely rides in all by Himself on a colt. He has His disciples around Him, but there’s no throng, there’s no army.

And so this event has been called—I think, appropriately—by some, an “atriumphal entry,” even though the traditional name is the “triumphal entry.” An “atriumphal entry” is better because of the humble way in which He comes into the city to picture the nature of His messianic authority and the way it’s going to be executed. He’s going to suffer as a Messiah rather than simply use the strong power of Messiah in order to accomplish God’s will. This is a surprise to the leadership. They don’t accept who Jesus is as He comes, and so they ask Him to stop His disciples. He refuses because He has a different kind of authority that’s going to be exercised over the kingdom.

Summary

Nonetheless, the claim to be king is something that the leadership is upset about, and the nature of this entry is another thing that got Jesus into trouble because His claim to be a different kind of Messiah was something they weren’t comfortable with.

Bock, D. L. (2014). NT211 Introducing the Gospels and Acts: Their Background, Nature, and Purpose. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.Jesus Christ’s instructions to his disciples

Luke 19:29–31 NASB95

When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. “If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ”

The obedience of the disciples

See also

Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem

John 12:14–15 NASB95

Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”

See also ;

The response of the crowd to Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem

Proclamation of Jesus Christ’s kingship

; Spreading cloaks on the road was an act of royal homage.

Proclamation of Jesus’ messiahship

Matthew 21:9 NASB95

The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!”

See also

Proclamation of Jesus Christ’s victory

Palm branches were used in celebration of victory.

See also ; ;

The response of the Pharisees to Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem

Luke 19:39–40 NASB95

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”