Thematic Bible: Triumphal entry into jerusalem, while the people throw palm branches on the road in front of him


Thematic Bible



And when they [all] approached Jerusalem, and came close to Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives [Note: These small villages were about two miles east of Jerusalem], He sent two of His disciples on ahead, saying to them, "Go into the village just ahead of you and, upon entering it, you will find tied up [there] a colt that no one has ever ridden; untie it and bring it here. And if anyone says to you, "Why are you doing this?" you should say, "The Lord needs it," and immediately he will send it back here. read more.
So, they went away and found a [donkey's] colt tied up at the gate, outside in the street, and untied it. Some bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" But they answered him exactly what Jesus had told them to say, so the people let them go. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and spread their clothing on it and He mounted it. Many people spread their clothing on the roadway, while others spread leafy branches, which they had cut from the fields. And the people who walked ahead of Him and followed behind shouted, "Hosanna [Note: The Syriac word 'Hosanna' originally meant 'save now' but came to be used as an expression of welcome, praise, blessing or acclamation], may He who comes in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord, be blessed. May the coming kingdom of our forefather David be blessed. Hosanna in the highest [i.e., may this blessing reach to the highest heaven]." Then Jesus entered the Temple in Jerusalem, and after looking around at everything [there], He left for Bethany with the twelve apostles, since it was evening by then. [Note: Jesus stayed overnight at Bethany during the week prior to His crucifixion. See verse 19].

And when they [i.e., Jesus and the twelve apostles] approached Jerusalem and came close to Bethphage, near the Mount of Olives [Note: This was about three-fourths of a mile east of Jerusalem], Jesus sent two disciples on ahead, saying to them, "Go into the village there and immediately you will find a donkey tied up with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says something to you, tell them, 'The Lord needs these animals,' and he will immediately send them. read more.
Now this will happen in order to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, [Zech. 9:9], 'You should tell the daughter of Zion [i.e., the people of Jerusalem], look, your King is coming to you. He is gentle and [will be] riding on a donkey, [even] on a colt, the offspring of the donkey.'" And the disciples went and did exactly what Jesus had ordered them to do. They brought the donkey and its colt and spread their clothing on them, and Jesus mounted the colt. A large part of the crowd spread their clothing on the roadway; others cut branches from trees and spread them [also] on the roadway. And the crowds that walked ahead and followed behind Him shouted, "Hosanna to the son of David. [Note: The Syriac word 'Hosanna' originally meant 'save now' but came to be used as an expression of welcome, praise, blessing or acclamation]. May He, who comes in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord, be blessed. Hosanna in the highest [i.e., may this blessing reach to the highest heaven]." And when He had come to Jerusalem, the entire city was stirred up; they were asking, "Who is this man?" The crowds answered, "He is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."

And it happened when Jesus got close to Bethphage and Bethany [Note: These were two small towns about two miles east of Jerusalem], at a hill called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying [to them], "Go into the village just ahead of you, and upon entering [it], you will find tied up [there] a colt that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it [here]. And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you should say, 'The Lord needs it.'" read more.
So, those who were sent [i.e., Jesus' disciples], went away and found [things] just as Jesus had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, 'Why are you untying the colt?' And they replied, 'The Lord needs it.' So, they brought the colt to Jesus and spread their clothing on it, [then] placed Jesus on it [i.e., held the animal still as Jesus mounted it, since it had never been ridden before. See verse 30]. And as He rode [along], people spread their clothing on the roadway. Then, as He descended the Mount of Olives and got close to the city [i.e., Jerusalem], the entire crowd of disciples began joyfully praising God in loud voices because of all the powerful miracles they had seen [Him perform]. They were saying, 'May the King who comes in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord, be blessed. May there be peace in heaven and praise [to God] in the highest [i.e., may this praise reach to the highest heaven].' But some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, speak sternly to your disciples [i.e., to prevent them from honoring Jesus]." But He answered them, "I tell you, if these people remain quiet [about me], [then] the stones will shout [about it]." And when Jesus got close and saw the city [of Jerusalem], He cried over it, saying, "If [only] you people realized today those things which [could] lead [you] to peace! But now they are [being] hidden from your sight. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build a dirt wall around you, surrounding you, and hemming you in on every side. They will throw you and your children, [who are] within your walls, to the ground and they will not allow one stone to remain on top of another in your city because you did not recognize that [God was] visiting you." [Note: This "visitation" refers either to the redemption which they had rejected or to the punishment of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70].

On the next day a large crowd that had come [to Jerusalem] for the Passover Festival heard that Jesus [also] was coming to Jerusalem. [So], they took branches from palm trees and went out to meet Him, shouting, "Hosanna [Note: See Matt. 21:9 for the meaning of this word], may He, the King of Israel, be praised, for He comes in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord!" Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written [Zech. 9:9], read more.
"Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion [i.e., people of Jerusalem]. Look, the King is coming [to you]; He [will be] riding on a donkey's colt." His disciples did not understand these things at first, but after Jesus received splendor [in heaven], then they remembered that these things had been written about Him [in Scripture] and that people had done such things to Him. The crowd of people that was with Jesus [and saw Him] when He called Lazarus out of the grave and raised him from the dead, gave testimony [about all this]. But the crowd that went out to meet Jesus [i.e., as He entered Jerusalem] did so because they had heard about Him performing this [miraculous] sign [i.e., of raising Lazarus]. So, the Pharisees were saying among themselves, "Look, you men are getting nowhere [in this situation]. See, the [whole] world has gone after him."