1Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, "The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."
4All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
| 5"Tell the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, |
6So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
| "Hosanna to the Son of David! "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!" |
10And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"
11So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."
I had always thought of this text simply as a celebration. The people were excited and welcomed Jesus into the city. But there is a lot of symbolic significance in this text. Jesus' statement that they would find a donkey with a colt was not just foretelling the future. The explanation they were to use, "The Lord has need of them", is a claim to Jesus' kingship. I read somewhere that a king has the authority to requisition anyone's property at any time. For someone to simply hand over a possession because their Lord has need of them, is in recognition of their authority. This is an explanation that Jesus provided. Jesus, who has been so humble in all of His teachings, is now claiming His own kingship.
Why does the Lord have need of them? Jesus walked everywhere. Why would He have need of a donkey now? In order to fulfill prophesy.
And why did the people celebrate His entry into the city? Were they just excited about a great teacher, a great prophet? No, they cried "Hosanna to the Son of David". My dictionary says "Hosanna" comes from a Hebrew word meaning "save us". They are crying out "Save us Son of David!". They are recognizing Jesus as their Messiah!
It says all the city was moved. I can just picture an excited parade coming into town, where crowds of people are shouting praises, making a royal path for the One being honored as they spread clothes and branches on the road before Him. I can just picture people coming out of their homes, their shops, their places of business, stopping whatever they are doing, and asking what is going on. All the city was moved. There was no one unaffected.
But the part that puzzles me is that the same multitudes who were just claiming Jesus as their Messiah now simply said this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. Why didn't they say who they really thought He was? The only explanation I can think of is the fact that all the city was moved. All the city was asking who He was. This would include the many Jewish leaders who were seeking to destroy Jesus. This may also include those loyal to the Roman empire. Did they answer in this way to protect Jesus so He wouldn't be taken away from them before He started the revolution they were hoping for? Did they fear for their own safety if they let the Jewish leaders know they thought Jesus was their Messiah, or if they let any Roman officials know that they felt Jesus had a kingship authority?
They had high hopes for Jesus to help them. They were seeking a savior who would bring them from their oppression. They were ready for action. But for now, the only thing they could really say for sure was that this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.
There are those, such as the multitudes who gathered as He rode to the city, who recognized Jesus for who He was. They simply knew and shouted out their praises to Jesus. And there are others who did not readily know, who asked "Who is this?" I sometimes wonder if it is the two blind men in the previous verse who asked that their eyes be opened, who were given sight, if they were then able to see more than any others. They chose to follow Jesus. Were they possibly the ones who started the praise of Jesus as the Messiah? Were they the ones who started the praise of "Hosanna to the Son of David"? For some it is given to know, for others it is not. May God reveal truths to us so we can be among those who praise Jesus, who prepare His path, rather than be among those who see the commotion but just can't figure out what is going on.