The Gospel of Matthew
The triumphal entry into Jerusalem
Chapter 20:29 to 21:11
The Lord Jesus now continued on His way to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover where He would give His life. His disciples were with Him and a great crowd followed because He was already famous.
Two blind men healed
He passed through Jericho, at that time the largest city in Judea after Jerusalem, and some twenty-five miles away to the northeast of this city in the plain of the Jordan River. Joshua destroyed this town when the people of Israel entered into the Promised Land, and the Lord cursed whoever rebuilt it. (Joshua 6:20, 21 and 26).
Hiel, of Bethel, rebuilt it during the reign of Ahab. Because of the curse, he lost two sons in the construction (1 Kings 16:34), and the town frequently appears in biblical accounts.
In Jericho, two blind men on the way heard the crowd movement and were informed that they were following Jesus of Nazareth to Jerusalem. The evangelists Mark and Luke report what happened in more detail concerning one of the blind men, called son of Timaeus (Bartimaeus).
According to Luke, Timaeus was sitting on the edge of the road as the Lord approached Jericho, but Mark said it was when he was out of town, as reported Matthew. This slight discrepancy is explained by the translation from Greek as "went closer", which can also mean "passing by", which agrees with the other two.
It is remarkable that the blind men cried "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on us!" They knew His genealogy and so found that He was a descendant of King David, from whom they awaited the Messiah according to the prophecies. His fame as one who healed all illnesses had already been told to them, and their faith was such that they clamoured for him to have mercy on them, in spite of being reprimanded by the people.
The Lord heard their cry, and ordered them to be brought into his presence. When they arrived, he asked them what they wanted from Him.
He already knew, but wanted them to make the request. This again illustrates the fact that God knows what we want, but wants us to ask for it in our prayers. In doing so we recognize our dependence on Him for the supply of our needs: "... give us this day our daily bread …”.
After they made the request, He showed His compassion and gave them their sight. We can imagine the joy of those poor men, who not only could now see but also no longer needed to beg for their bread. They showed their gratitude by following the Lord and Luke tells us that they glorified God, which the people saw and led them also to give praise to God.
The triumphal entry in Jerusalem
As they approached Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus prepared to enter the city with all those people. It was a solemn moment, prophetic, and of such relevance that all four evangelists report it as they had witnessed it, or, in the case of Luke, learned from witnesses who were there.
Shortly after the birth of Christ, wise men had come from the East calling the newborn child King of the Jews (Chapter 2:2). King Herod was dismayed, and searched to kill Him. Now, at the end of His ministry, Jesus the Messiah, heir to the throne of King David, again was introduced as the King of the Jews. He publicly offered Himself on this occasion as their King, escorted by a jubilant crowd, which in this way challenged the ruling Sanhedrin.
The Lord knew that His time was coming, and prepared to deliver Himself to the people. When He previously came to Jerusalem, it had been His procedure to enter through the “door of the sheep”, without standing out and avoiding publicity. However, this time He entered as the King He was, in the manner in which the Scriptures stated that He would go in, "… He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zechariah 9: 9). The very people who accompanied Him would make the proclamation.
They were on the Mount of Olives, at the entrance of a village called Bethpage (green fig house) next to Bethany (house of dates). The Lord sent two disciples to enter the village and borrow a donkey and its colt, which they would find there.
Mark and Luke mention only the colt, which no one had yet mounted, because it was what the Lord mounted. There were very few horses in Judea at that time, and they were mainly used in wars. Riding a donkey, a donkey colt or a mule was an act worthy of kings and princes in peacetime (i.e. Judges 10:4; 12:14; 1 Samuel 25:20, 1 Kings 1:33), and did not symbolize humility as some people think.
Once those two returned with the colt, the disciples covered it with their clothes, the Lord Jesus sat down on it, and so they continued on the road to Jerusalem.
The initial crowd had been increased by the inhabitants of Bethany, where shortly before the Lord Jesus had resurrected Lazarus (John 12:17-18). They went ahead and behind the parade, everyone was jubilant and put their garments and branches from the trees in the fields on the road where He was going.
To put palm branches in the way was a triumphal homage paid at that time to victorious generals or kings (see Revelation 7:9). In those days there were palm trees on the Mount of Olives (Mark 11:8) on the roadside between Bethany and Jerusalem. The people would have cut their branches to acclaim their King.
With growing enthusiasm, they exclaimed: "Hosanna to the son of David; blessed is the kingdom of our father David, blessed is the King of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!" (verse 9, Mark 11:9,10, Luke 19:38 and John 12:13).
We find similar words in Psalm 118:25 and 26. "Hosanna" was a word often used as acclaim in the feast of Tabernacles, and means "save us now", and "save us, we implore".
They barely knew how soon their salvation was coming. Not the political salvation from the Romans which they envisioned, but salvation of their souls from the penalty of sin through the vicarious death which Jesus Christ would be submitting to, at the time when the symbolic feast of the Passover was celebrated by them. This was much more important than the independence of the nation of the Jews, and would reach the entire world for many centuries, up to our days.
In due course, He will also return to save the nation of Israel on a second coming into this world, as also predicted in many prophecies concerning its restoration.
The people hailed Him as the King of Israel, son of David. He was legally the heir to the throne of this king, who had reigned over the twelve tribes of Israel a thousand years before then, and God had promised that the throne would be His forever (2 Samuel 7:16).
Upon entering Jerusalem, the entire city was agitated and great was the uproar when the word spread that He who was being acclaimed was "Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee". John tells us in his Gospel that the Pharisees, His enemies, were discouraged and said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!"
Obviously, Jesus Christ, with all His power, even over death as witnessed by those who were present at the resurrection of Lazarus, could at that time have won the crown for Himself without first going through the cross. The people were with Him and it was His by right.
However, if He had gone immediately to take the crown, and were the King of the world today, we could never have been saved. For this, He had to suffer and die on the cross first.
This was therefore a short moment of triumph before His death. It was not actually His triumphal entry, although traditionally it receives that name. The true triumphal entrance is yet to take place, when He enters the city as King of kings and Lord of lords.
R David Jones
Mat 20:29 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.
30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"
31 Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"
32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
33 They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."
34 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
Mat 21:1 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!"
10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"
11 So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."
Gospel of Matthew, chapter 20 verse 29 to chapter 21 verse 11