Mark 11:7-11 7And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8And many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that others cutings from the fields. 9And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11And he went into Jerusalem into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was evening time, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Mark’s account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem matches his apparent emphasis or interest in showing Jesus as the Suffering Servant who did not come with an extravagant announcement but in the shadow of the cross of commitment. In this regard, Mark, as an author, shows the same path those who follow Jesus should take. The spreading of cloaks and branches served as a form of “red carpet” in today’s thinking and showed the great honor the people bestowed upon Jesus. Obviously, word had already spread to Jerusalem that Jesus had arrived. People’s expectations were high, and the atmosphere was festive.
The quote of Psalm 118:25-26 in verses 9-10 shows the messianic expectations of the people. Hosanna is the Hebrew word meaning “save us now.” It was a form of praise for God’s salvation. The Psalm attributes salvation to the one who would come in the name of the Lord. The Savior would bear the name and authority of God. The crowd may not have fully understood what they were saying and surely did not know of the looming cross and the death it would bring to Jesus. The Psalm also looks forward to the coming messianic kingdom through the David line. Jesus Messiah did bring a kingdom, and this kingdom fulfilled all prophecy about the line of David, but it was not an earthly kingdom of political power but a heavenly kingdom of spiritual transformation. Jesus was not the kind of king people expected. The new kingdom could and would change earthly kingdoms but is beyond them and not confined or defined by them.
The first place of interest for Jesus was the temple. The crowds had disappeared and the fanfare was over. It was time for confrontation, but before that point, the disciples needed to be prepared. The passage ends with the calm before the storm. Did the people live out their expectations through faith in Jesus? How many would be present by the end of the week when he went to the cross? Would they still proclaim him Savior and Messiah? Have sincere and committed was their faith in Jesus? Were they prepared to change their lives to align with his lordship, or would they continue on with their earthly thinking? This was a moment of decision for them. We also like a Jesus who fits our expectations, but are we prepared to follow him to the cross?
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