Scripture
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed behind shouted,”Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Observation
At the town of Bethphage, Jesus sends two of the disciples ahead to collect a donkey and its colt. He tells them that if anyone asks what they are doing, they should say, “The Lord needs them.”

This is done in order to fulfil the prophecy of Zechariah chapter 9 .

Jesus rides the donkey into Jerusalem, and the crowds cheer him on. They spread their clothes and palm branches on the road.

Jesus goes to the Temple and drives the money changers and sacrificed sellers away. He says to them, “My Temple will be called a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.

Application
The crowds shouted praises to the Lord. Yet shortly, in a matter of days, some of the same people, at the stirring of the scribes and Pharisees, would be calling for his death. How can this be?

Some, no doubt, had no clue about what was really happening or who Jesus was. They were just there for the spectacle. There are people in churches all over the world who have no clue about who they claim to be worshipping. They praise God with their lips, but not with their hearts.

There would have been true followers of Jesus in this crowd. They would be devastated by the events of Holy Week, but then set on fire by the resurrection.

There were some in the crowd who were looking for the wrong Messiah. They were hoping that Jesus would save the nation from its occupation by the Romans. The term “Hosanna” had been used as a nationalistic cry for a long time. The Son of David, of course, was the heir to David’s throne. Jesus was this Messiah also, but his main purpose was to free humanity from the power of sin.

Prayer
Father, your love for us is so great that you keep pouring affection onto us even when we don’t understand it. Please help me to draw near to you by faith. Amen