The seed of Israel will always be protected by God. Even though they sin His mercy will never depart from them. The new covenant was given to Israel but Gentiles, as the little dogs, are blessed in it. Israel is at the core of God’s plan for the world.
Deuteronomy 32:8 God separated the sons of Adam and set the boundaries of the people according to Abraham’s seed.
John 12:12–19 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:“Hosanna!‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’The King of Israel!”…
Satan will continue to try to destroy Israel. It will not happen.
The Old Testament foretold of the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ the King of Israel
Psalm 118:26
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
Now that Jesus has already come, died on the cross and risen again, He will return for us.
James invites us to pray frequently and also to confess any sins that keep us from living fully for Jesus: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise … Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray …" (James 5:13-16).
No matter the circumstances, we can pray. God is powerful enough not only to change our circumstances but to change us from the inside out. First5
Every single one of us can (and is invited to) dance in the dark, and shine a light in a dark world. Of course, in the darkness, we feel the (our) brokenness, and easily assume that is all there is to the story. We don’t know what to do with the sense of vulnerability.
Literally speaking, courage comes from the Latin cor, meaning heart. So, when I open up to any experience fully, with courage—whole hearted—it naturally opens me up to a deep love. And the good news? The blind musician Facundo Cabral said it beautifully: "If you are filled with love, you can't have fear, because love is courage." True vulnerability, in its most profound form, is an act of love.
We can take a bite out of apathy. Out of intolerance. Out of small-mindedness. Out of unkindness. Out of cruelty. Out of shame. And out of fear. Sabbath Moments
God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27 NLT).
Matthew 21:1-9
21 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” 6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!”
Mark 11:1-11
11 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; 2 and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.” 4 So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. 5 But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?” 6 And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ 10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Luke 19:28–44
28 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. 31 And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. 33 But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” 35 Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. 36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. 37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
John 12:12–19
12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. 17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.
The New King James Version
Bethphage and Bethany are just east of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from the gates of Jerusalem. Lazarus was raised to life at Bethany.
This crowd probably consists of peasants, most of whom seem to have accompanied Jesus from Galilee. Unlike the city dwellers who later call for Jesus’ death, these peasants believe that He is the Messiah. Spreading their cloaks on the ground was part of the crowd’s acknowledgment that Jesus was King.
Hosanna was a Hebrew expression, meaning “help” or “save us,” developed into a liturgical expression of praise.The crowd understood that Jesus was declaring Himself to be the Messiah. Their shouts of praise reflect Psalm 118:25–26.
Mount of Olives is a two-mile-long ridge that forms Jerusalem’s eastern border and rises about 300 feet above the city; a site of many olive groves. In the book of Zechariah, the Mount of Olives is the place where God’s glory is revealed.
The Lord is an instance of the Greek term, kyrios, is likely the common usage to refer to a social superior, meaning something akin to “teacher” or “sir.”
Kings were known to enter cities in splendor, especially during coronation or after a victorious battle. They may have ridden a chariot pulled by four horses or even elephants and been accompanied by troops. While Jesus does enter as king, His approach is humble—He is not accompanied by soldiers and rides on a borrowed colt. This not only emphasizes Jesus’ humility as king, but also reflects the nature of the kingdom of God.
Many people spread their cloaks is a public declaration of political allegiance. Jesus enters Jerusalem as its king, and the people accept Him as such. They shout an adaptation of Psalm 118:25–26, which commemorates God’s victory over foreign armies through His agent (presumably the Davidic king).
Hosanna is a transliteration of the Hebrew phrase hoshi'ah na, which means “save us!”
Blessed is He who comes is a quotation of Psalm 118:26. This announcement happens in response to a display of God’s favor. The coming kingdom of our father David reflects the expectation that the kingdom of David would be restored to Israel, involving someone from David’s line sitting on the throne and the restoration of Israel. In the highest refers to the heavens and their inhabitants.
Going up to Jerusalem refers to the final ascent to the holy city, which was located on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains. Bethphage and Bethany were villages on the outskirts of Jerusalem. The location has prophetic connotations. In the book of Zechariah, the Mount of Olives (on the east side of Jerusalem) is identified as the place where God will take His stand in battle against those who attack His people. Just as He had told them suggests divine arrangement. This scene reflects Zechariah’s image of the king triumphantly returning to Jerusalem from battle
This act has messianic connotations: Jesus is riding into Jerusalem as the king of the Jews, in David’s line.
The Pharisees recognize the symbolism of Jesus’ manner of arrival, as well as the messianic overtones in the cries of the crowd. Also, they might have feared that shouts of praise to the king would incite a violent response from the Romans, as it could have been viewed as anti-imperial. His reply to the Pharisees accepts the people’s praises as appropriate, implying that He truly is Israel’s king who comes in the name of Yahweh.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, He weeps and delivers a lament. Jesus probably is describing the Romans’ destruction of Jerusalem that will occur in ad 70 (about 40 years later). Jesus is addressing the city itself; the reference to children indicates Jerusalem’s inhabitants, the Jews.
Faithlife Study Bible
The Mount of Olives was directly east of Jerusalem, across the deep ravine of the Kidron valley. Bethphage was on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. The owner of the animals was likely a follower, or at least an admirer, of Jesus.
The emphasis in these prophecies are about Jesus’ humility. The disciples laid their clothes on both animals so that Christ could ride either one. Perhaps the mother donkey walked in front, followed by the colt on which Jesus was seated.
This great multitude refers not to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but to the large crowd that had accompanied Jesus from Jericho. The scene was a royal procession. Prior to this time, the Lord Jesus had steadfastly avoided such a display. Now He was publicly presenting Himself to Israel as the nation’s Messiah and King.
Hosanna literally means “save now” but it was used as an exclamation of joyous praise. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord is a quotation of Psalm118:26.
Christ’s deity is evident in this passage it demonstrates His omniscience.
It is possible for a donkey on which no one has sat to be very calm and accommodating, but Jesus is also master of all nature and all creatures. This was the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday. The crowd recognized Jesus’ lordship by repeating a messianic psalm. Jesus was in control of the events of the last week of His life, even though those events led to His death.
Such borrowing of an animal was not as strange as it may appear. There was an ancient custom by which a political or religious leader could commandeer property for short-term use.
Jesus was entering Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, festivals that commemorated the great act of God’s deliverance of the nation. Such feasts were often celebrated at this time with the hope that God’s decisive deliverance would come.
The scene recalls the declaration of Jehu as king in 2 Kings 9:13. The ride on the colt or mule resembles the events in which David made the new king, Solomon, ride to Gihon on a mule. Zechariah had prophesied that the coming King would ride into Jerusalem humbly on a donkey. However, Luke does not emphasize these connections with OT prophecy as Matthew and John do. They spread their clothes on the road spread their clothes on the road describes the actions here that indicate a dignitary was being greeted. This is like “rolling out the red carpet” today.
The disciples recognized that Jesus was the promised King sent from God. He is the One who brings peace to the relationship between people and God.
Jesus knew that so many of the people of Israel had rejected Him that the nation would suffer judgment, in the form of the terrible destruction that came on Jerusalem in a.d. 70. Build an embankment is a prediction of Rome’s successful siege of Jerusalem under Titus. The details reflect a divine judgment for covenant unfaithfulness, similar to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 b.c.. The totality of the destruction is made clear in this further description of the siege of Jerusalem. Even children would die, and buildings would be destroyed.
The chief priests were mostly Sadducees. They had an additional reason to kill Lazarus. He was a living refutation of their doctrine that there was no resurrection. Yet this was not a meeting of the Jewish council, nor was it a formal sentence of death. The ultimate motivation for wanting to kill Lazarus was that because of him many were believing in Jesus. Went away implies that these individuals were withdrawing from the Jewish leaders.
This was the Sunday before Christ arose, today called Palm Sunday. They cried out King of Israel. Until this point, Jesus had discouraged expressions of support from the people here He allowed public enthusiasm.
He entered Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey. This act fulfilled prophecy and as such was a symbolic proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah. The disciples did not catch the prophetic significance of Jesus’ act. After Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, the disciples finally understood that the OT prophecies concerning the Messiah had been fulfilled in Jesus. These verses explain the series of events that led to the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus.
The NKJV Study Bible
Zechariah 9:9
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!Shout,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
Luke 13:34–35 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ ”
Luke 2:13–14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
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