“Triumphal” Entry?

This event in the life of Jesus is often referred to as the Triumphal Entry. A quick reading of the passage seems to confirm the appropriateness of that title. Nevertheless, such an interpretation raises some difficult questions. How can Jesus be received so positively at the beginning of the week, when at the end of the week the crowds will call for his blood?

Every year at Passover the Jews entered Jerusalem with the same songs, the shouts of “Hosanna,” and the waving of palm branches. How much new significance do the people see in the arrival of Jesus? Mark has already recorded tremendous confusion about who Jesus is and what being the Messiah means. Do they recognize the man on the donkey as the one fulfilling Zechariah 9:9? Even if the crowd thinks that Jesus is the Messiah, how do they understand the Messiah’s role?

Mark expects that the readers of his Gospel will interpret this event in light of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. The crowds waving their palm branches, of course, have no idea that Jesus is on the way to the cross, nor that the cross will yield to eternal glory. At best, the crowd believes that Jesus is a great man of God, and they continue to look forward to the coming kingdom of their father David. This is very different from seeing Jesus as the great Son of David, the Son of God, and the Saviour of both Jews and Gentiles.

Mark fully expects his readers to see that the crowd is speaking better than they know—the crowd has no idea how appropriate their words really are! Jesus is the king and the Messiah who brings the kingdom of God into time and space. How Jesus will do this, however, is literally unimaginable to the crowd. The kingdom comes, and Hosannas are appropriate, only because of the King’s cross.

Respond in Prayer

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! God, thank you for the deliverer, the Messiah: your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to see him clearly so that we can praise him fully. May our minds and our hearts rejoice in your salvation. Amen.

Steve West