And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?” Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him. (John 11:55-57)
God had instituted the Passover while the children of Israel were still in Egypt. He had commanded that, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. ... Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. ... Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. ... ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. ... (Exodus 12:1-28)
How perfectly God fulfills all His prophesies. As John the Baptist declared by the power of the Holy Spirit, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29, 32-35) Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. (I Corinthians 5:6-7)
Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. (John 12:1; see THE GOSPEL: Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life -pt3) Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. (John 12:9-11)
When He had said this [see THE GOSPEL: Parable of Ten Minas], He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’” (Luke 19:28-31; Matthew 21:1-3; Mark 11:1-3)
Why a donkey? Why not a horse? "In the ancient Middle Eastern world, leaders rode horses if they rode to war, but donkeys if they came in peace. The mention of a donkey in Zechariah 9:9-10 fits the description of a king who would be 'righteous and having salvation, gentle.' Rather than riding to conquer, this king would enter in peace. " (read "Why would a king ride a donkey instead of a warhorse?") So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” (Luke 19:32-34; Mark 11:4-6) All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
“Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ [Zechariah 9:9] ” (Matthew 21:4-5; John 12:14-15)
Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. (Luke 19:35; Matthew 21:6-7; Mark 11:7) The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 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!’[Psalm 118:26]
The King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13)
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’[Psalm 118:26]
Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:8-9)
“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’[Psalm 118:26]
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David
That comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:9-10)
And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:
“ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’[Psalm 118:26]
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:36-38)
And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:10-11) And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:28-40) The people are cheering and praising God because The King of Israel was coming, but He was not coming to do what they were expecting Him to do, in the way they would have desired.
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44) And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. (Mark 11:11)
His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!” (John 12:16-19)
"Hind-sight is 20/20!" The disciples, bystanders, Pharisees, everyone was looking to Jesus to do what they thought He should do, quoting the scriptures and prophecies but not understanding what they meant regarding Him. God did all that is necessary and needed for us to overcome our sins and have our relationship with Him restored, according to His Will, through His Perfect Sacrifice, Christ Jesus. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ [Psalm 40:6-8]” (Hebrews 10:5-7); see HEBREWS: The Perfect Sacrifice- pt1, pt2) By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all! (Hebrews 10:10)
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