“On the next day a great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. They took branches of palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!’
“Then Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written: ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.’
“His disciples did not understand these things at first. But when Jesus was glorified, they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.
“Now the crowd that was with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The crowd went and met Him for this reason: They heard that He had performed this sign. So the Pharisees said among themselves, ‘See, you are gaining nothing! Look, the world has followed Him!’” John 12:12-19

Do you know what the triumphal entry and the events of that day are all about? Yes, you may know what happened that day — how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt and was hailed King of the Jews, but why? What does it all mean?

If you don’t know, you’re not alone. Jesus’ own disciples didn’t understand these things until after Jesus had risen from the dead and was glorified. It was as John writes, “Then Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written: ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.’”

What was written about Jesus? From the Book of Zechariah, we see the ancient prophecy: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! And cry aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; he is righteous and able to deliver, he is humble and riding on a donkey, a colt, the offspring of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9). We see these very words fulfilled; the people shouted words of praise to Jesus as the Messiah and Savior of Israel. They hailed Him as their King. Jesus was riding upon a donkey’s colt, just as the prophecy said and similar to the way King Solomon was made known as the king of Israel (cf. 1 Kings 1:32ff.).

And what did they cry out? John tells us the multitude cried out: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!” In Matthew 21:9, we read: “The crowds that went before Him and that followed Him cried out: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’” Compare that to the words of Psalm 118:19ff. Hosanna, which is a call to the LORD to save now, together with the references to the Son of David, King of Israel, and He who comes in the name of the LORD, is an acclamation that Jesus is the Messiah and promised Savior who would save His people and establish an everlasting kingdom (cf. 2 Sam. 7:16).

Thus, the events of that day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem were a declaration that Jesus was the long-promised Messiah, the Son of David and King of Israel, who would save His people and establish an eternal kingdom. The people were calling upon Him to save them as God had promised. He was the one who would “redeem Israel from all his iniquities” (Psalm 130:8). And this acclamation and these words of praise came just days before He was crucified and died for the sins of the world to provide that promised salvation!

We, too, cry out: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!” We pray that He would usher in the day of our salvation — the salvation he won for us upon Calvary’s cross. We long for Him to come again and enter into the gates of the New Jerusalem and establish His everlasting kingdom and be our God and King forevermore! Cf. Phil. 2:5ff.; Rev. 7:9ff.; 19:11ff.; 21:1ff.; 21:22ff.

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We praise You, Christ Jesus, our Savior, and pray that You would come and establish Your everlasting kingdom and reign over us as our God and King. Amen.

[Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version, Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.]