HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID!

Passage: Matthew 21:1-11

Key verse: 9

NIV

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King(A)(B)

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,(C) 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.”

4 This took place to fulfill(D) 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.’”[a](E)

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(F) on the road, 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!”(G)

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

“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”(I)

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet(J) from Nazareth in Galilee.”

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 21:5 Zech. 9:9
  2. Matthew 21:9 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15
  3. Matthew 21:9 Psalm 118:25,26
  4. Matthew 21:9 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Triumphal Entry

21 (A)Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to (B)the Mount of Olives, then Jesus (C)sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place (D)to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 (E)“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
    (F)humble, and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt,[a] the foal of a beast of burden.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd (G)spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, (H)“Hosanna to (I)the Son of David! (J)Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna (K)in the highest!” 10 And (L)when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is (M)the prophet Jesus, (N)from Nazareth of Galilee.”

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 21:5 Or donkey, and on a colt
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Israel was celebrating Passover, their highest holiday. This visit to Jerusalem would fulfill all the hopes and prayers of Passover (20:17-19). What did Jesus, Son of David, choose to do?

Jesus chose to fulfill what was spoken of through the prophet (4) by entering Jerusalem on a donkey (Isa 62:11; Zech 9:9). King Jesus is gentle and humble but also has authority. He sets his disciples on a task to test their faith and to teach them to trust that “the Lord needs it.” Their participation echoes what it means to serve our king today.

The symbolism of the donkey was not lost on the disciples or the people. As they spread cloaks and branches on the road (8), they shouted out the words of Psalm 118:26. They were crying out from their need for a Savior: “Save us!” These people suffered nationally, locally, and in their families. Seeing King Jesus willingly come to them filled them with great joy. In contrast, the city folk were not impressed by this rabble. They could not reconcile the idea of a Messiah with the humility of Nazareth of Galilee. Jesus’ coming brought them no joy. They thought they knew better who their king should be and what he should do.

Prayer: Father, in my struggle often I want a king who will bless me and bring justice swiftly. O Gentle and Humble King, Save us! I trust your ways to resolve this according to your plan, not mine.

One Word: Find joy by trusting in our Savior King