Matthew 21:1-11

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.”

Commentary

Vs. 1-3 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.”

Now the Lord Jesus Christ along with the multitudes of people following Him on the road up from Jericho, draw near to Jerusalem. And arriving at Bethpage, on the Mount of Olives. Jesus will now send two disciples into the village opposite them, where He tells them they will find a donkey tied with her colt. Now upon finding her Jesus tells them they are too loose the donkey and the colt and bring them to Him (vs. 1-2). Now Jesus also tells them that, “And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” Indicating that what was about to occur as they sought out the donkey and the colt had already been prepared for them according to the Will of the Lord. 

Vs. 4-6 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.

Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ doing all of this was so that the Scripture in Zechariah 9:9 would be fulfilled. Thus, the long-awaited arrival of Israel’s Messiah as King had now dawned upon the nation, however as we will see the Nation itself would not receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their King.

Vs. 6-8 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.

And so, in fulfillment of the prophecy the two disciples return with the donkey and her colt. Then laying their clothes on them they set the Lord Jesus Christ upon them; as well a very great multitude likewise spread their clothes upon the road, while others cut down branches from trees and spread them on the road. In so doing they were preparing the way for the Lord Jesus to enter into Jerusalem as the Messiah. Previously Jesus had come to both Jerusalem and the Temple (John 2:13-17); thus, visiting the sons of Levi in partial fulfilment of Malachi 3:3, during which time Jesus also said to them: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” In reference to His body and His future Crucifixion at their hands (John 2:18-21). However, instead of receiving Him as the Messenger of the Covenant they would later use His Words to justify condemning Him to death (Matt. 26:59-65; Mark 15:29-31).

Vs. 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!”

In continuing His journey to Jerusalem as the Messiah; the crowds who are following Jesus and the crowds lined along the road to Jerusalem now begin to yell out and say, ““Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” Thus, declaring the Scriptural welcoming of the Messiah via Psalm 118:25-26 which was given for this very day and moment.

Vs. 10-11 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.”

Now with the Lord Jesus arrival into Jerusalem the people there are “moved”, literally shaken (with an anxious fear) by the Presence of the Lord and throngs of people crying out in this manner before Him. For though Jesus’ fame had spread far and wide, He had never sought to enter Jerusalem with this Messianic declaration going on before Him. Indeed, up until this moment He was adamant that His Person as the Messiah not be declared to anyone by His disciples, for to do so before now surely would’ve meant the “common” people trying to make Him their King, (which would’ve brought the ire of Herod and the Romans) or those who stood the most to lose in Jerusalem with the Messiahs arrival would’ve sought to kill Him before the Scriptures could be fulfilled about this moment. Therefore, those in Jerusalem though likely having heard of Jesus’ Person, but very likely having never seen Him, nor heard Him before, now ask the multitudes doing so, “Who is this?” To which they respond, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” Now their declaration that Jesus was the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee though true, is only a partial and very incomplete revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Person, and thus would’ve moved no one there; especially amongst the scribes and chief priests to believe in Him. Since all there were convinced that no prophet could arise from Galilee (see John 7:52). Therefore, in fulfilling the Scripture about Himself the Lord Jesus Christ is not about to take His rightful place as the King of Israel until He is first rejected and then put to death by them, which is why He has come to Jerusalem at this time. For just as they had rejected God’s rule over them for centuries so must they now also reject and crucify His Son (Matt. 21:33-45).

Scripture Quotations: The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.