NOTES for Mar 11:1-11
Six days before Passover, Jesus makes His solemn entry into Jerusalem. For the first time during His earthly ministry, He openly appears before the whole people as the King, the Messiah whom everyone had been waiting for. Jesus' preaching was the proclamation of the Kingdom that had drawn near; His miracles and healings were nothing other than signs of this Kingdom. At the same time, Jesus forbade demons to call Him the Son of God, and forbade those healed to proclaim what had happened. Now He not only does not forbid it, but to the Pharisees' demand, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples," He answers, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:39-40). The Kingdom of God, which had come "without observation," is at last revealed with complete clarity. But why, as He approaches Jerusalem surrounded by the rejoicing crowd, does Jesus weep (Luke 19:41-44)? The reason is that under the oppression of the Roman conquerors, the image of the true King-Messiah (see Isa. 53), formed during the Babylonian captivity under the influence of the preaching of Isaiah and the other prophets, had been forgotten. In its place appeared a much older image, one almost rejected by everyone in Isaiah's time: the image of a militant Messiah, merciless toward the Gentiles, who would restore lost statehood and national power, that is, all those ideals that even now are so dear to many for whom the earthly is above the heavenly. But the King sitting on a donkey is not at all like earthly rulers. From ancient times the donkey was a symbol of peace and meekness. Some evangelists, Matthew and John, even recall the ancient messianic prophecy about the meek King sitting on a donkey (Zech. 9:9). Besides this, at the very beginning of His path Jesus rejected the temptation of earthly dominion when the devil offered Him all the kingdoms of this world. Now what the devil had demanded of Jesus is demanded of Him by His own people. Jesus is now more alone than ever: He alone knows what this jubilation of the crowd is worth, and that in a few days the same crowd will shout, "Crucify, crucify Him!"...
With the same meekness and humility with which Jesus entered Jerusalem, He also comes into our heart and becomes our King, and we become His people. Again and again He conquers us not by force and might, but by love and humility. And we ask Him to preserve our faithfulness to Him, and in hope we cry out: "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"