Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 ESV

And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest! Mark 11:7-10 ESV

Our first verse today was written by the prophet Zechariah, who has his own book in the Bible. He lived about 500 years before Jesus. Zechariah told the people of Jerusalem that their king would come into the city on a donkey, actually on the colt (young) of a donkey.

In the Bible verses just before our second verse, Jesus had sent His disciples to get the colt. He told them where the colt was and what to say to anyone who questioned what they were doing.

Jesus came into Jerusalem just as Zechariah had said He would! Jerusalem was crowded with people from all over who came to celebrate the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Crowds began to follow and surround Jesus as he rode down from the Mount of Olives into the city.

In our second verse, the people shouted, “Hosanna” and cut palm branches and other leafy branches to lay in the road welcoming Jesus. Some also laid their cloaks in the road. Kings usually rode on donkeys when most people walked. The people believed that Jesus would be a king that would fight the Romans and drive them out of Israel. And the word Hosanna means “save us” and is also used as a praise and a welcome.

But that wasn’t God’s plan. God loves you and me and everyone so much that He sent Jesus to earth to save us. Jesus came as a man and healed the blind and the lame. He even raised people from death. This week before Easter is called Holy Week. Even though Jesus knew that He would go to the cross, He continued to teach and tell parables. He continued to tell people about the kingdom of heaven. Then Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples.

The chief priests and scribes did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah or that He came from God. They wanted to have Jesus arrested and killed. One of Jesus’ own disciples, Judas, betrayed Him and He was arrested. Jesus was taken first to the High Priest and then turned over to the Roman authorities. The religious leaders demanded that Jesus be killed on a Roman cross, crucified.

Jesus loved us so much that He willingly came to Jerusalem, knowing that would give His life on the cross so that we could be saved and be called children of God. Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb, which was a cave with a large stone rolled in front of the opening. All His followers and disciples mourned His death. But the good news is coming on Easter…

This week talk with your parents about Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Does your family do anything special to remember this time?

Blessings and joy, Easter is coming!