Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11)

[Stephan Choe]

May 28, 2025

Key verse, 9: "And those who went before and those who followed shouted: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

From chapter 11 onwards, we are told about Passion Week. Jesus most likely entered Jerusalem on the Sunday of Passion Week. He then cursed the fig tree on Monday and cleansed the temple (11:12-19). He then taught various things from Tuesday to Wednesday (11:20 - 14:2). On Thursday he held the Last Supper, prayed in Gethsemane, was arrested and condemned to death before the high council (14:12-72). On Friday he was interrogated before Pilate, crucified and laid in the tomb (chapter 15). On Saturday he remained quiet in the tomb. He then rose from the dead on Sunday (chapter 16).

Today we want to get to know Jesus' entry. 

The first verse of this chapter tells us: “And when they came near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives...”

Jesus, his disciples and a group of pilgrims had left Jericho behind and were approaching Jerusalem. We can view the landscape near Jerusalem on the Internet.

The Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. (© Matthias Hinrichsen)[1]

Betfage[2]

Bethany around 1865 . Photo by J. Graham on behalf of the Christian Knowledge Society, London

https://www.israelmagazin.de/israel-orte/jerusalem/olberg

The Mount of Olives lies to the east of Jerusalem. It is part of a mountain range that stretches from north to south. The name “Mount of Olives” comes from the olive trees on its western slope. As the Mount of Olives is 812 m high, while the city of Jerusalem is only 760 m high, it offers a magnificent view of the city and the temple. The main road from Jericho to Jerusalem led from the east over this Mount of Olives to the capital. The two villages of Bethany and Bethfage were located along this road. Bethany was located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about 2.5 km from Jerusalem. The name Bethphage literally means “house of the ground figs”; Bethphage was a neighboring village of Bethany and was located on the south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives.

When Jesus came to Bethany and Bethphage, which were near Jerusalem, he called two of his disciples and said to them, "Go to the village ahead of you. And as soon as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no man has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. And if anyone says to you: Why are you doing this?“ say, ”The Lord has need of it, and he will send it back immediately." (1b-2).

Jesus' instruction to the two disciples is very strange. The disciples did not need to ask the owner of the donkey's colt beforehand whether they could take it, but were simply to untie the colt and bring it back. If someone were to say to them: “Why are you doing this?”, they should answer: “The Lord needs it!” (3a).

No one in the world is allowed to make a claim to another person's property with a short word “I need it”. But Jesus is allowed to do so. He is the incarnate Creator God and the true owner of all creatures.

Many people firmly believe that they themselves are the owners of their lives and possessions. This is because they do not recognize the truth that God or Jesus Christ is the true owner of their lives and possessions. They cling tightly to their possessions. This creates many misunderstandings in the world.

How would we behave if our Lord said to us: “I need it!”? Are we ready to make everything available?

If we are willing to make ourselves and what we have available to the Lord, God can do his wonderful work through us. May God use us for His precious work.

But Jesus did not ignore the donkey owner's right of ownership. That is why the two disciples were to say to the people: “The Lord has need of it, and he will send it back again immediately.”

Although our Lord was the true owner of the donkey, he respected the property rights of the human owner and wanted to return the animal as soon as possible after he had used it. Jesus is so kind and respects people's rights.

What did the two disciples experience when they obeyed Jesus' instruction?

Verses 4-6 tell us: "And they went and found the colt tied to a door outside by the road and untied it. And some who were standing there said to them: 'What are you doing untying the colt? But they said to them as Jesus had commanded them, and they allowed it."

Everything that Jesus had said in advance actually happened. This reveals the divinity of Jesus. Through this commission, Jesus taught his disciples to put their trust in him and to obey his word.

The two disciples of Jesus said to the people: “The Lord needs it!”

Why did Jesus need the donkey's colt?

Verse 7 tells us: “And they brought the colt to Jesus and put their clothes on it, and he sat on it.”

This is how Jesus used the donkey's colt for his entry into Jerusalem.

Prophets had already predicted that Jesus would enter Jerusalem on a donkey's colt. Prophet Zechariah, who was active from around 520 BC, had said the following:

"You, daughter of Zion, rejoice greatly, and you, daughter of Jerusalem, shout for joy! Behold, your king is coming to you, a righteous man and a helper, poor and riding on a donkey, on a donkey's colt." (Zechariah 9:9).

Jesus' entry on a donkey's colt also shows us the character of his kingship. The kings of the world ride on a horse. A horse is a symbol of war and arrogance. But Jesus rode on a donkey's colt. Because the donkey's colt is a symbol of humility and peace. And everyone, even small children, can come to him without fear and shake his hands. Jesus is a humble, friendly and peaceful king. He reigns in our hearts through love and grace.

Let us look at the entry of Jesus on the donkey's colt:

"And many spread their garments in the way, and others green branches which they had cut down in the fields. And those who went before and those who followed cried out: <Hosanna! Commandment be to him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise be to the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!" (8-10).

The crowd believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah and rejoiced: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Their shout of joy is taken from Psalm 118. And the word “Hosanna” literally means “Save!” or “Help!”.

Their exclamation "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord“ means ”Save us, the Messiah, who comes in the name of God!"

Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Savior. He has come to save us from the power of sin and death. What a joy! We should rejoice and sing praises to him.

Jesus entered Jerusalem to offer himself as a sacrificial lamb for us. He rode on a young donkey, as the prophet Zechariah had said in advance. If he wanted to pretend to be a power-hungry king, he would have ridden on a horse. But he wanted to proclaim peace with God. That is why he came on a young donkey, so that everyone, young and old, could come to him and touch him without fear.

Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was also a decisive hour for Jesus. He had often said in the past: “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20). By this he meant that “the hour of his death and resurrection” had not yet come. Now in the 12th chapter, however, he said for the first time: “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23).

Jesus knew exactly what God would do and when, because he always had perfect communion with the Father. But we can also say that Jesus thereby recognized the will of God, because he knew that the rulers of the Jews were determined to kill him after his triumphal entry.

Jesus also recognized the will of God through the visit of some Greeks, as verses 23 and 24 tell us. The good news is to be proclaimed to all the world so that countless people may believe and be saved. But first Jesus must fall into the ground and die, just as the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies before it sprouts and bears much fruit.

Because Jesus knew about the imminent rejection of the people, their suffering, and their death, he was faced with a major crisis, i.e., a decision-making situation. We can recognize his agony of decision through his two opposing wishes. He first prayed in Gethsemane: “Father, save me from this hour.” Then he said: "But that is why I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" And he chose the cross. This gave him the confidence of victory and he said in verse 32: “If I am lifted from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.”

In his crisis, Jesus decided to obey God. This was truly a turning point, a pivotal moment in history. Thank God that Jesus decided to obey God to save us from the captivity of the devil.

Jesus said that whoever believes in him will not remain in darkness. Everyone should believe in Jesus so as not to be judged. Your crisis and my crisis are actually a decision situation to believe or not to believe. We are in a decision-making situation. Do we believe that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God? Do we believe that God sent Jesus into the world for our salvation? If we believe this, this belief can become a turning point in our lives.

In John 12:47-48, Jesus said the following about the hour of salvation: "I will not judge him who only hears my words and does not obey them, for I did not come to judge the world but to save it. He who despises me and does not accept my words already has his judge: the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day."

Now is the time of decision for all people. We are to stand before God and make the right decision, either to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and King or to reject Him. We are faced with the decision to receive or reject Jesus Christ as our King. Many people call themselves Christians, but in their practical lives they act according to their selfishness. But we should ask ourselves: "Do I call Jesus my King and Lord from my heart? Or do I want to remain king over my own life?"

Some might say: "I'm sure I'll get plenty more opportunities. I don't want to think about it seriously now and make a decision."

But we should take Jesus' words in John 12:35 seriously: "Then Jesus said to them: 'Only a little while longer the light is with you. Go your way while you have the light, lest the darkness surprise you. He who walks in darkness does not know where he is going."

Jesus says that there is not much time left. No one knows how many more opportunities they will have or how long they can live. You should recognize your time of crisis as soon as possible and make a faithful decision.