“Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
‘Hosanna!’
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’
‘Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!’
‘Hosanna in the highest!’”
Mark 11:8-10
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APRIL 10, 2025
All four Gospel writers present this event as one of uninhibited enthusiasm. “Hosanna!” could be interpreted as “Save!” or “Save us now!” Mark quotes the exclamation, “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” Clearly many had the hope of imminent restoration of national sovereignty with a reintroduction of political leadership akin to that of King David. With this thinking, “Hosanna!” might also be translated, “Liberty!” or “Freedom now!”
Other Gospel writers cite joyous people in the throng shouting “Son of David” and “King of Israel.” These are Messianic, political titles. There was an anticipation of a messiah who would fulfill dreams of Jewish independence and mastery over not only their own lands, but also Gentile peoples. For the crowds, Israel was about to finally assert itself as God’s chosen nation, destined to rule on earth under the leadership of its King. In the midst of the Roman empire, this was a deeply dangerous political assertion.
Keep in mind their time and place, what they could see—or not see. Jerusalem had been under foreign pressure and domination for hundreds of years. Jewish people had talked of a coming messiah for generations. It is easy to be critical of the Pharisees, who couldn’t see the forest for the trees due to their unrelenting emphasis on obedience to the Law—the way they imagined they could bring about God’s blessing. Or the Sadducees who, with their denial of resurrection, may have secularized Judaism for the purpose of maintaining of their own power and comfort.
Yet Jesus came to change the world, but not in a way that anyone understood. This is the paradox of the gospel. Yes, God’s plan was for Jesus to confront those abusing power, taking on the deeply controversial titles of “King of Kings” and “Lord of Lords”—but to be killed as a result. God’s greatest loss was the means of God’s greatest victory. We are recipients of the perfect righteousness of the Son of God, which grants us confidence to enter the Holy of Holies in the presence of the living God.
All of this was made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, historical events that were completed within just seven days after His entry.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- What sorts of misunderstandings do we still have have regarding Jesus Christ today?
- Are there elements in our stories that could be emphasized or included to address some of the confusion about Jesus?
- Think through a concise, less than one minute, telling of the gospel, and practice it with a brother or sister in Christ this week.
Church Reading Plan: Leviticus 14; Psalm 17