The last week of Jesus upon this earth began with what we know as “the Triumphal Entry” into the city of Jerusalem. All four of the gospel stories mention this event. As Jesus and his disciples neared the city, somewhere near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of his disciples into the city and there they would find a young donkey tied to a rail. This was a donkey that had never been ridden in its life. When they found the donkey, just like Jesus said, they were to untie it and bring it to Him, and if anyone were to ask them, “Why are you doing this?”, they were to say, “The Lord has need of it, and then it will be returned.”
Sure enough, just as Jesus had predicted, those two disciples found the young donkey tied to a rail, just as Jesus had said and those who were standing near the animal asked, “What are you doing untying this donkey?” Then they answered just as Jesus had told them, “The Lord has need of it.” And all four gospel accounts report that when Jesus came riding upon this unridden donkey, the people of Jerusalem began to spread their robes upon the ground for Jesus and the donkey to travel over and others cut down broad palm branches and spread them on the ground for the same reason, and people began shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna to the son of David, Hosanna to the Highest of Heavens!” Others who were there in the city had come because it was soon near the time of the Passover, began asking, “Who is this? Why is everyone shouting so?” To which they were told, “We are shouting because this is the Prophet Jesus who had come from the town of Nazareth of Galilee! He is worthy of our praise!” However, not everyone in the city was a part of this celebration. Some of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the Temple, began to say to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for even saying things like that!” But Jesus replied, “If I did, and they became quiet, the very stones upon which I am riding over would burst into cheers!”
And yet, in it all, Jesus knew that these very people who were crying out, “Hosanna”, would by the end of the week, be mocking Him and crying out quite the opposite, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! And give us Barabas instead!” Barabas was a notorious thief and robber who himself was facing a crucifixion and would have done so if it were not for these same religious leaders who had led the mob of people to say, “Give us Barabas! Give us Barabas instead!”
