Hosanna to the Son of David, Matthew 21 1-11 | Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Oberammergau Passion Play

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

¹ As they approached Jerusalem

The centre of Israel’s religious life and messianic expectations

and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

Jesus refers to himself as the Lord, the sovereign orchestrator of these events.

⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

The inexorable and uncanny fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.

A donkey was an animal symbolic of humility, peace and Davidic royalty.

ESV–Matthew specifies that Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem upon a colt fulfills the prophecy of Zech 9:9. Jesus’ action is an open declaration that he is the righteous Davidic Messiah.

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,

An act of royal homage; it symbolized the crowd’s submission to Jesus as King.

while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna^[b] to the Son of David!”

Hosanna means O Save. It expresses both prayer and praise.

Son of David, an acknowledgment that Jesus is the Davidic Messiah.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[c]

“Hosanna^[d] in the highest heaven!”

This means “May those in heaven sing Hosanna.”

¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred

The religious establishment is stirred up, fearing that Jesus may usurp their power. Much opposition comes from fear and jealous.

and asked, “Who is this?”

Because of Jesus’s dramatic entry into Jerusalem.