All four canonical Gospels describe Jesus' dramatic arrival in Jerusalem about five days before Passover in the year of his crucifixion and resurrection (Jn 12:1-12). As Jesus rode from Bethphage on a donkey, a crowd of pilgrims spread cloaks and leafy branches on the road and hailed his coming with joyful shouts. This event, traditionally known as the Triumphal Entry, is commemorated by Christians each year on Palm Sunday.
Each Gospel account contributes to our understanding of what happened. From John we learn that Jesus had been in Bethany, two miles from Jerusalem, visiting his friends Mary and Martha. There he raised their brother Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, back to life (Jn 11). News of this miracle spread quickly, attracting people who wanted to see Jesus and Lazarus (Jn 12:17-18).
Mark 11:1-11 and Luke 19:28-35 explain that when Jesus began the walk from Bethany to Jerusalem, he sent two disciples to Bethphage, where they would find a young colt that had never been ridden. They were to untie the colt and bring it to Jesus. Matthew 21:1-7 adds the information that the colt was a donkey, that it would be with its mother, and that the disciples were to bring both animals. All three Synoptic Gospels agree that Jesus sat on the colt after his disciples draped it with cloaks. (Some have mistakenly thought that Matthew 21:7 is claiming Jesus sat on both animals, but this verse instead is saying that he sat on the cloaks spread over the colt.)
Seeing Jesus on the colt may have reminded onlookers of the reference to a donkey and a donkey's colt in Genesis 49:11, or to Solomon's riding King David's mule when he was anointed king (1 Ki 1:38-40). More importantly, as Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15 point out, Jesus' actions evoked the messianic prophecy of Zechariah 9:9: ``Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
The symbolism of the donkey was not lost upon the crowd. They waved and scattered leafy branches, and they expressed their messianic hopes by shouting words from Psalm 118:25-26: ``Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!'' (Mk 11:9-10) These are actions associated with the Feast of Tabernacles, and more broadly with messianic expectation. Judas Maccabeus received similar acclamation in 164 BC when his victories led to the rededication of the Temple (2 Macc 10:6-8). So did Judas' brother Simon when he expelled the Syrian forces from the Akra citadel in 141 BC (1 Macc 13:49-52).
This rejoicing may have continued for some time. In those days, whenever someone in a group shouted, ``Blessed is he who comes,'' it was customary for the others to automatically add, ``in the name of the Lord!'' Scholar David Instone-Brewer (in his book The Jesus Scandals) has suggested that children in the crowd may have enjoyed starting this cheer repeatedly in order to get others to respond in the usual way. (Matthew 21:15 mentions children cheering in the Temple area the next day.)
Not everyone in the crowd was comfortable with the celebration. Some Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples. He responded, ``I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out'' (Lk 19:40). His reference to stones reminds us of some previous verses in Psalm 118: ``The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes'' (vv 22-23).
After coming to Jerusalem, Jesus went to the Temple area and looked around before returning to Bethany that night (Mk 11:11) Supporters of Jesus may have been disappointed that he made no move to gather troops or call for the overthrow of Roman rule. However, we should not conclude, as some have, that the crowd cheering Jesus during the Triumphal Entry became the crowd that called for his crucifixion a few days later. This second crowd was likely composed of an entirely different group of people---e.g., Temple authorities who saw Jesus as a threat to the status quo.
Jesus' disciples at first did not comprehend the full meaning of the Triumphal entry, but their understanding grew in light of subsequent events and is reflected in the Gospel accounts (Jn 12:16). In riding a donkey's colt that had never had a rider, Jesus demonstrated his authority over creation and hinted at the coming of the ``peaceable kingdom'' described in Isaiah 11:6-9. His actions pointed to the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9-11, which pictures the Messiah as one who brings salvation and peace to the nations and whose rule will extend ``to the ends of the earth.'' Significantly, God declares in Zechariah 9:11 that ``because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.'' This prophecy reminds us of Jesus' intention to lay down his life for the sins of mankind on this trip to Jerusalem (Lk 9:22; 51; Mt 26:28).
Both Matthew and John link Zechariah 9:9 with prophecies from Isaiah. Matthew 21:5 connects the Zechariah passage with Isaiah 62:11: ``Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your salvation comes...'' John 12:15 makes a connection with Isaiah 40:9: ``...Fear not; say to the cities of Judah, `Behold your God!'.'' These verses from Isaiah complement Zechariah 9, speaking of the deity and mission of the Messiah.
All four Gospel accounts portray Jesus as the promised Messiah. They also emphasize Jesus' detailed foreknowledge and control over the course of events. One has the sense that he was orchestrating everything that happened during Passion Week, from the Triumphal Entry to his arrest and crucifixion. All of these things were carried out according to a predetermined plan. When we, like Jesus' first disciples, find life difficult to comprehend, we can take comfort in the fact he is in charge as that plan continues to unfold.
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