The crowd welcoming Jesus

At that time, Jesus had become a person of interest amongst the Jewish leaders (John 11:57). However, Jesus entered Jerusalem without hesitation, because He knew that His time was approaching. (1) As we saw last time, Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah by riding on a colt. (2) The crowd also welcomed Jesus as the Messiah. Laying their cloaks on the road and spreading branches were acts of welcoming the Messiah. They were also reciting Psalm 118:25-26 which is the climax of the Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113-118). This is a psalm sung when welcoming the Messiah. Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, went into the temple, and then returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples, where He stayed for the night.

Crowd’s misconception of Jesus

The crowd that welcomed Jesus with such enthusiasm, in a week, will be shouting to crucify Jesus. Why did this happen? The cause lies in the crowd’s perception of Jesus as a political Messiah. (1) The branches the crowd spread were “palm branches,” a tradition associated with the Feast of Tabernacles. This custom is not part of the Passover celebration. Furthermore, the cry of “Hosanna (Save us now!)” is a prayer used during the Feast of Tabernacles. (2) According to the prophecy in Zechariah 14:16-21, during the Messianic Kingdom (Millennial Kingdom), the Feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated. The crowd mistakenly believed that the immediate realization of the Messianic Kingdom would occur with Jesus’ entry into the city. However, this was a misunderstanding. The Feast of Passover (the redemption through the cross) must precede the Feast of Tabernacles (the Millennial Kingdom). The Jewish leaders nor the crowd understood Jesus. Not even the disciples understood Him. Alone, Jesus continued to walk His path to the cross. What about us? Are we, like that crowd and the disciples, trying to impose our own ideas on Jesus? Let’s strive to live a life walking alongside the Lord Jesus, heading towards the hill of Calvary.