Hosanna to the royal Son     

            Of David’s ancient line!       

            His natures two, his person one,     

            Mysterious and divine.

SOON AFTER the Transfiguration, Jesus and His disciples returned through Galilee and into Judea. The moment of crisis drew near as Jesus prepared to enter Jerusalem. He made careful plans with His disciples concerning the manner of His entry into the city:

     As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

     They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. (Mark 11:1-6)

It was not the usual custom for a pilgrim entering Jerusalem to ride a donkey. Yet Jesus took pains to insure that His entry into the city would be accomplished in that manner. These preparations recall the importance of the great messianic prophecy found in the Old Testament Book of Zechariah:

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!

Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

righteous and having salvation,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

(Zechariah 9:9)

Though the Old Testament foretells the king coming on a donkey, the episode remained ambiguous to Jesus’ contemporaries. Among the Jewish rabbis there were those who believed that the Messiah would arrive in one of two ways depending upon whether or not Israel was worthy of His appearance. If the nation were worthy, the appearance would be on clouds of glory. If the nation was unworthy—unprepared spiritually—then His coming would be by the lowly means of riding on a donkey.

Jesus issued instructions that the animal was to be a colt of a donkey upon which no one had ever sat. These two specifications suggest two different Old Testament considerations. The first is a reference to the patriarchal blessing Jacob gave to his son Judah. It was the tribe of Judah that was promised the kingship:

The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until he comes to whom it belongs

and the obedience of the nations is his.

He will tether his donkey to a vine,

his colt to the choicest branch;

he will wash his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes will be darker than wine,

his teeth whiter than milk.

(Genesis 49:10-12)

Here the king from the tribe of Judah is associated with the colt of a donkey. That the donkey should never have been ridden is based upon Old Testament law that animals devoted to sacred tasks must be consecrated, separated from common use. We see this in the Book of Numbers:

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “This is a requirement of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.” (Numbers 19:1-2)

After the donkey was brought to Jesus, it was draped with the garments of the disciples:

When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. (Mark 11:7-8)

The draping of the animal with their own garments was an act of honor bestowed upon Jesus by His disciples. Apparently the crowd along the way took up the homage spontaneously by spreading their garments in Jesus’ path. This action was reminiscent of the homage paid to Jehu when he became king over Israel:

They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!” (2 Kings 9:13)

In John’s account of the triumphal entry he mentions the use of palm branches in the acclamation Jesus received from the crowd:

The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13)

Mark does not specify the use of palms but speaks of the people cutting down leafy branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. The people shouted loud cries of acclamation:

Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:9-10)

The use of the cry “Hosanna!” was significant. The term was originally used as a cry to heaven for help. It meant “save us.” As language changed, the cry came to signify rejoicing and acclamation. In the English-speaking world it has similarities with the expression “God save the king!” Originally this phrase had a comma—“God, save the king.” In this form it is a prayer. Once the comma is dropped, it becomes a shout of praise or honor.

There is also a tradition that indicates palm branches themselves became known as “Hosannas” because they were waved during celebrations. They were often used during the Feast of Tabernacles. Only John’s Gospel specifically mentions palm branches. The land around Jerusalem had been denuded of palm trees. It was customary, however, for pilgrims to carry bundles of palm, which were shaken whenever “Hosanna” was said in the Feast of Tabernacles.

There is an unusual scene recorded in the Apocryphal book of 2 Esdras. The Son of Man appears at the Last Judgment. He distributes palm branches to the martyred saints, signifying their participation with Him in His victory. Though this scene is not a part of the New Testament record, it does correspond with the New Testament theme that believers who are willing to participate in the suffering and the humiliation of Christ will also take part in His final glorious triumph. To share in His humiliation is to have a part in His exaltation. This theme of participation with Christ is exactly what is missing in the events of the week of the triumphal entrance. The same people who were shouting “Hosanna!” and waving palms and other branches were unwilling to identify with Him shortly after at Golgotha. They wanted to participate in the exaltation, but desired no part of the humiliation.

Mark records the content of the shouts and praises of the people:

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:9-10)

The language of these praises is taken from a series of Old Testament Psalms known as the Hallel. (The word Hallel is part of the familiar Hallelujah—“Praise the Lord.”) The Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113–118) were songs of praise that accented the messianic ascent to the Holy City. They were used in the liturgy of the Jews with specific application to Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Psalm 118 contains the following words:

O LORD, save us;

O LORD, grant us success.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.

From the house of the LORD we bless you.

(Psalm118:25-26)

Jesus is hailed with the language of the Psalm as the Blessed One who comes in the name of the Lord. It refers to the Old Testament promise of “The One who is Coming.” This has specific reference to the royal Messiah, who comes to restore David’s throne. To come “in the name of the Lord” is not merely to come by God’s authority; it is to come as a divine revelation by which the Lord makes Himself known.

The crowd repeats the cry “Hosanna” and adds “in the highest. The One who comes is from the house of the Lord.” His praises are not only to be sung by the multitudes on earth but also by the host of heaven. “Hosanna in the highest” reflects the jubilation found in Psalm 148:

Praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.

Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.

(Psalm148:1-4)

According to Luke’s Gospel, not everyone who was present for the entry in to Jerusalem joined in the celebration. The enemies of Christ were also assembled and took note of what was going on. The Pharisees also shouted to Jesus. Their shouts were not of acclamation, but of rebuke. They demanded that Jesus put a stop to this public display of adulation: “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” (Luke 19:39). The religious authorities demanded that Jesus quell the outburst of His disciples. Jesus refused to obey their command: “‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out’” (Luke 19:40). Jesus declares that it is impossible to keep the earth quiet about His messianic vocation. If the people are silent, there will be a cry from the inanimate objects of nature. The creation cannot deny what the Pharisees are willing to deny. The Messiah of Israel is no mere earthly king. He is a cosmic king. His domain is the entire order of His own creation. Those elements of creation that are mute will be moved to shouting if the lips of men are sealed.

The rabbis had taught that the earth itself bears witness against the evil of man. They specifically declared that the stones of the earth could cry out against those who do evil. Perhaps this is based upon the testimony of Genesis regarding the first act of homicide:

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” (Genesis 4:8-10)

The evil is attested by the blood of Abel on the ground. God speaks of Abel’s blood that “cries out to me from the ground.” The blood cannot be silent. It renders loud testimony to the guilt of Cain.

The reference to the stones of the earth also echoes the rebuke John the Baptist leveled against the Pharisees and Sadducees:

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.” (Matthew 3:7-9)

That the whole creation has a stake in Jesus’ kingship is underscored by the cosmic scope of His redemption. The apostle Paul declares:

     Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

     We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:18-23)

Luke tells us that as Jesus entered the city to the tumultuous welcome of the people, His own spirit was not festive. When He saw the Holy City, He wept over it and pronounced a prophetic oracle of doom:

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19:41-44)

At the very moment that the crowds are hailing Him as the one who comes from God, Jesus is aware that they did not really understand who He was or what His mission involved. He understood that His redemptive task was still hidden from their eyes. They celebrated peace but knew nothing of the meaning of peace. For the ultimate peace to be established Jesus had to die as an atonement for His people’s sins. His words came true within decades when the Roman legions entered Jerusalem and leveled the city, slaughtering a million Jews and tearing the temple down.

The king of Israel had arrived in Jerusalem. The Son of David had made His messianic office now a public matter. The initial welcome of the crowds was enthusiastic. Yet the weeping of Jesus was an ominous portent of what was shortly to come to pass. The Passover was rapidly approaching and the paschal lamb was being prepared for the slaughter.

-- Source: Sproul, R. C. The glory of Christ.