THE LAST WEEK OF JESUS' PUBLIC MINISTRY AND HIS CRUCIFIXION
-Jesus’ Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem
-Matthew 21:1-11, 14-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19
-“This entry into Jerusalem...was indeed the triumph of humility over pride and worldly
grandeur; of poverty over affluence; and of meekness and gentleness over rage and malice. He
is coming now meek, full of kindness and compassion to those who were plotting his
destruction! He comes to deliver up himself into their hands; their king comes to be murdered
by his subjects, and to make his death a ransom price for their souls! (Clarke).
-“Everything about the triumphal entry was carefully designed to stress the Kingship of Jesus”
(Coffman, Luke, pg 419).
-We are told that Jesus came to Bethphage, a place“...near the Mount of Olives and to the road
from Jerusalem to Jericho; mentioned together with Bethany (Matt 21:1; Mark 11:1; Luke
19:29). The place occurs in several Talmudic passages where it may be inferred that it was near
but outside Jerusalem...” (ISBE).
-“There are two roads from Jerusalem to Bethany; one around the southern end of the Mount
of Olives, and the other across the summit. The latter is considerably shorter, but more
difficult, and it was probably along this road that the Saviour went” (Barnes).
-Jesus sent two of His disciples ahead of Him into a village to retrieve a colt “on which no one
yet has ever sat” (Luke 19:29, NASB). When the owners of the colt inquired as to why they
were untying the colt, the disciples replied as Jesus had instructed, “Because the Lord
hath need of him” (Luke 19:31). To this response - and being told that the colt would be
returned soon - the owners of the colt had no objections.
-“...[I]t is often thought these were strangers...We know of no ground for such a conclusion...
The sending was nothing more than a disciple sending the colt to the Master at his request”
(Dorris, pg 257).
-The fact that Jesus would approach and enter Jerusalem on the back of a donkey fulfilled
Zechariah 9:9.
-“Matthew’s mention of the colt’s mother, and all the evangelists mentioning, in the case of
either the colt or its mother, the fact that it was tied has been thought, since the days of Justin
Martyr, to be a reference to Genesis 49:11 where, after Jacob’s prophecy of Shiloh (Jesus
Christ), he specifically mentioned the binding of the ass and the ass’s colt, in connection
with the washing of Messiah’s clothes in ‘the blood of grapes,’ a reference to his crucifixion.
Thus the bound ass (Matthew) and the bound ass’s colt (Mark and Luke) are both laid under
tribute to support the prophetic picture of Jesus’ Passion” (Coffman, Luke, pg 420).
-With this scene in mind, we need to understand that riding on a donkey was not considered a
thing of low esteem. “The sons of the judges used them, and David’s mule was used at the
coronation of Solomon (Judg. x. 4; I. Kings i. 33). It is specifically stated that no man had
ever sat upon this colt, for if the colt had been used by men it would have been unfit for
sacred purposes - Num. xix. 2; Deut. xxi. 3; I. Sam. vi. 7...The unbroken colt would of
course have no saddle, and these loyal disciples lent their cloakes to supply the deficiency,
and to do Jesus royal honor” (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 573-574).
-John 12:16 tells us that the disciples did not understand the significance of these details
at the time. However, following His resurrection and ascension, the disciples reflected
back on them with understanding.
-As Jesus drew nearer to Jerusalem, seemingly as He was about to climb toward the peak of the
Mount of Olives, He was praised and glorified by two multitudes - one that followed Him from
Bethany and another which came out of Jerusalem to meet Him.
-Notice, a significant number from Jerusalem departed from the city to welcome Jesus - so
much that the Pharisees said amongst themselves, “...behold, the world is gone after him”
(John 12:19). How sad it is that such a statement was said with indignation rather than
rejoicing!
-The multitudes paved His path with their garments and with the branches of trees. They
cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest” (Matt 21:9); “Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that
cometh in the name of the Lord” (Mark 11:10); “Blessed be the King...peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest” (Luke 19:38).”
-Hosanna comes from a Hebrew expression that originally meant “save.” It became a
term used in the giving of praise.
-“At the Feast of Tabernacles the people carried branches in their hands, chanting
sentences from the Messianic Psalms. (Psalm 118:25,26.) This was their way of
expressing their desire for the coming of the Messiah. (Lev. 23: 40.) The multitude now
by this act expressed their belief that Jesus was the Messiah” (Boles, Matthew, pg 412).
-In view of this glorious scene, it is amazing that within just a few days the crowd would
cry out in hatred, “Crucify him, crucify him.” (Luke 23:21).
-The key to this is found in the words of praise that they exclaimed at His triumphal entry,
“Blessed be the King...” (Luke 19:38), “Blessed be the kingdom...” (Mark 11:11). Their
acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah came with expectations of an earthly King who
would immediately establish an earthly kingdom centered at Jerusalem. Only days later,
with Jesus delivered into the hands of the Romans (whom they expected Jesus to expel),
their expectations regarding Jesus were crushed. In response to the beckoning of the
Jewish leaders, the crowd turned on Jesus who they now viewed as a fraud. Therefore,
they cried out against Him, “Crucify him, crucify him.”
-Even amidst the scene of praise, Jesus had to deal with criticism.
-Luke tells us that there were Pharisees within the multitude that said to Jesus, “Master,
rebuke thy disciples (vs 39). Perhaps they feared that the tremendous attention focused
on Jesus along with such cries of a King and kingdom would garner the attention (and
possible fury) of the Romans. Or, perhaps these words were spoken primarily out of envy.
-Jesus responded in a proverbial manner to indicate that it was entirely proper for the
people to praise Him. There were to be no attempts to suppress such praise on this occasion.
-When Jesus reached the top of the Mount of Olives which overlooked Jerusalem, “...he beheld
the city, and wept over it” (Luke 19:41).
-“As he looked upon it he realized the difference between what his coming might mean to it
and what it did mean to it; between the love and gratitude which his coming should have
incited and the hatred and violence which it did incite; between the forgiveness, blessing
and peace which he desired to bring it and the judgment, wrath and destruction which were
coming upon it. The vision of it all excited strong emotion, and the verb used does not
indicate silent tears, but audible sobbing and lamentation. The day then passing was among
the last before the crucifixion, which would present to the Jews a strong motive for
repentance. Had Jerusalem hearkened unto Jesus then, he would have saved her from that
self-exaltation which proved her ruin. But bigotry and prejudice blinded her eyes”
(McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 578).
-When Jesus and the multitude entered Jerusalem, even those who had remained in the city were
caught up in the stir and asked, “Who is this?” (Matt 21:10). In response, the multitude
answered, “This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee” (Matt 21:11).
-“They were right in calling him the Prophet, that great Prophet. Hitherto he had been known
as a Prophet, teaching and working miracles; now they attend him as a King; Christ's priestly
office was, of all the three, last discovered...Yet they missed it, in saying he was of
Nazareth; and it helped to confirm some in their prejudices against him” (Henry).
-“True, the people hailed him as ‘the Son of David,’ but they were still partially blind as to
his complete identity. Christ was from Bethlehem, having been born there, but it suited the
evil purpose of the religious leaders to stress Jesus’ residence in Nazareth. The popular
emphasis upon Nazareth in this place shows how successfully the Pharisees had done their
work. Even those who called him ‘Son of David’ were not well grounded in their
conviction” (Coffman, Matthew, pg 322).
-Upon entering the city, Jesus made His way to the temple.
-“The passover was on the fourteenth day of the month, and this was the tenth; on which day
the law appointed that the paschal lamb should be taken up (Ex 12:3), and set apart for that
service; on that day therefore Christ our Passover, who was to be sacrificed for us, was
publicly showed” (Henry).
-While at the temple, the blind and lame came to Jesus to be healed and the children cried
out “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matt 21:15). The chief priests and scribes witnessed
these wonderful events but were filled with indignation. How sad! In response to their
opposition Jesus quoted Psalm 8:2.
-With the approach of evening, Jesus and His apostles left Jerusalem and returned to Bethany.