1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. 4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. 5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?
6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. 8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: 10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. 11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. (Mark 11:1-11 KJV)
The Triumphal Entry
We have here the story of the public entry Christ made into Jerusalem, four or five days before His death. He came into the city openly to show He was not afraid of His enemies in Jerusalem. He did not sneak in unnoticed, but arrived in plain view, which would encourage His disciples who were timid and intimidated by the threats of their enemies. He also showed that He was not discouraged by the thought of His coming suffering. He entered not only publicly but cheerfully, with shouts of joy, as one assured of victory even before the battle had begun.
The outward appearance of this triumph was very humble; He rode on a young donkey, which looked insignificant, and being a colt that had never been ridden, was likely rough and untrained. The colt was borrowed. Christ sailed in a borrowed boat, ate the Passover in a borrowed room, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and here rode on a borrowed donkey. Christians should not be ashamed to depend on one another when necessary, for our Master did.
He had no rich decorations; the people threw their clothes on the colt, and others spread garments and tree branches on the road (Mark 11:7-8), as they did during the Feast of Tabernacles. These were signs of His humility; even when He allowed Himself to be honored, it was in a lowly way. Let us learn not to chase after high status, but to be willing to associate with those of low position. How unsuitable it is for Christians to seek worldly grandeur when Christ avoided it. The inner meaning of this triumph was profound—not only because it fulfilled Scripture (though that isn’t mentioned here as it is in Matthew), but because Christ’s glory shone through despite the humility.
He showed supernatural knowledge and control over people when He sent His disciples for the colt (Mark 11:1-3), proving that nothing is hidden from Him. He also showed His dominion over creation by riding a colt that had never been ridden. This reflects His rightful sovereignty over the natural world (Psalm 8:5-6; Hebrews 2:8), and perhaps even symbolizes His power to subdue the untamed human spirit (Job 11:12). The colt was found at a place where two roads met (Mark 11:4), as if to show that Christ came to guide those facing a choice between two paths.
He received the joyful hosannas of the people (Mark 11:9), which were not orchestrated but inspired by God. Christ is honored by the faith and praises of the crowd, even when they don’t fully grasp what they’re doing. They welcomed His person: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”—the One long promised and awaited, God’s Ambassador to the world. They gave Him their blessings and affection, recognizing Him as the blessed Savior who brings blessings from God.
They also honored His mission (Mark 11:10). Though His appearance was humble, they believed He came to establish a kingdom—the kingdom of their father David, promised to him and his descendants forever, a kingdom supported by divine authority. “Blessed be this kingdom,” they cried—may it advance, gain ground, and overcome all opposition. “Hosanna” expressed their desire for its success, just as in Revelation 7:10: “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Hosanna in the highest means: Praise to God in heaven, or let the angels in heaven echo our praises. With such a celebration, Christ entered the city and went straight to the temple.
There was no feast or refreshment prepared for Him; He immediately got to work, for that was His priority. He went to the temple in fulfillment of Malachi 3:1-3: “The Lord you seek will suddenly come to His temple… like a refiner’s fire.” He entered the temple and looked around carefully (Mark 11:11), observing everything in silence, though He saw many abuses. He did not act immediately, but delayed until the next day, so that His actions would not appear hasty. This teaches us that God sees all the wickedness in the world, even if He does not act on it immediately. After observing the temple, Christ withdrew for the evening to a friend’s house in Bethany, where He could be away from the city’s noise and avoid suspicion of starting a political uprising.