Day 40: Jesus rides into Jerusalem as King
In The Lord of the Rings, when Aragorn is finally crowned king of Gondor, Tolkien writes, “All that beheld him gazed in silence, for it seemed to them that he was revealed to them now for the first time. Tall as the sea-kings of old, he stood above all that were near; ancient of days he seemed and yet in the flower of manhood; and wisdom sat upon his brow, and strength and healing were in his hands, and a light was about him.” Today, we’ll read about Jesus entering Jerusalem as its humble but glorious King.
As He was nearing Jerusalem, what did Jesus send two disciples to get (v. 2)?
The word translated “colt” means a young horse or donkey. The prophet Zechariah prophesies about God’s promised King like this:
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)
What did Jesus tell His disciples to say if someone asked why they were untying the colt (v. 3)?
What did the disciples do to the colt when they’d brought it to Jesus (v. 7)?
What did Jesus do (v. 7)?
What did lots of people do to the road in front of Jesus (v. 8)?
In our culture, we might roll out a red carpet in front of someone super important before they walk down the aisle. People laying down branches they had cut from the fields and putting their cloaks on the road in front of Jesus would have been similar to that.
What were the people around Jesus shouting in verse 9?
“Hosanna” means “Save now!” and was shouted to God. For example, in Psalm 118, we read, “LORD, save us! LORD, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” (Psalm 118:25–26).
How does the crowd shouting “Hosanna” line up with Jesus’ claim that He came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many?
What are people shouting out in verse 10?
How does this show that Jesus was being welcomed as the Messiah?
When Luke tells this story, he records the Pharisees telling Jesus to rebuke His disciples for proclaiming that He’s the Messiah. Jesus responds, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40).
Where does Jesus go when He’s gone into Jerusalem (v. 11)?
Why did He leave again (v. 11)?
Throughout Mark’s gospel, we’ve seen Jesus try to keep people quiet when they start to realize who He is. But today, we see Him entering Jerusalem with crowds proclaiming that He’s God’s long-promised King.
Why do you think Jesus is going public at last?
Praise Jesus that He is God’s promised King and that He used His power to save. Pray that you would have courage to tell your friends and family that Jesus is the King who came to save them.