Rejoice, O people of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your King is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
Yet he is humble, riding on a donkey –
riding on a donkey’s colt.
Zechariah 9:9
Key Facts:
WHO?
Jesus – the wandering Holy man from Galilee. Is he a King? A preacher? Or a troublemaker?
A colt – a young donkey picked up by Jesus’ disciples
The Disciples – Jesus’ closest friends and followers.
The crowds in Jerusalem – they have arrived from all over the Roman world for the great Jewish festival of the Passover.
WHERE?
The streets of Jerusalem – the great holy city of the Jews, currently under Roman occupation
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, with the crowd shouting praise to God.
This scene appears in all four Gospels (the recordings of Jesus’ life and ministry): Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19
Reflect:
It was the time of the Jewish Passover Feast, when the Jewish people celebrated their freedom from exile in Egypt. Jesus was one of the many people who went to Jerusalem to celebrate.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Crowds were waiting to welcome him. Some laid down their cloaks in front of him, others waved palm branches. The mood was festive/ Jesus was the king who they thought would save them from the Romans who were the occupying force at the time.
However, among those who welcome him, there were others who were worried that Jesus would cause trouble with the Romans, and they began plotting his death.
Who do you think Jesus is?
Watch:
Listen and Sing:
What happens next?
Come back on Thursday for Jesus’ last supper with his friends, the next step in the path to the Cross and beyond.