“Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David
That comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!” – Mark 11:7-10
Jesus entered Jerusalem in humility and love, fully aware that within days the cross awaited Him. Yet He moved forward with steady resolve. It was A.D. 30, the third year of His ministry, the very prime of His earthly life. Luke tells us that “He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51, NKJV). From that moment until Luke 19:27, Scripture traces His long, deliberate journey toward the place where He would lay down His life. When Mark writes, “Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives…” (Mark 11:1, NKJV), we are standing on holy ground. These two small towns sat on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about 2,600 feet above sea level, offering a breathtaking view of the Holy City. As Alfred Edersheim described, pilgrims approaching Jerusalem would first see it “vaguely looming in the grey distance,” then rising in majesty as they drew near. This was the road Jesus chose for His triumphal entry.
Mark tells us Jesus sent two disciples ahead to secure a colt. This simple act reveals something profound. Mark’s Gospel begins with the call to “prepare the way of the Lord,” yet the preparation throughout the book is done through ordinary obedience—preparing boats, gathering food, securing rooms, setting tables, and now fetching a donkey. The way of Christ is paved not with prestige, but with faithfulness in the small things. Jesus adds that the colt had never been ridden, echoing the Old Testament pattern that animals untouched by burden were set apart for holy purposes (Numbers 19:2). Matthew reminds us that this moment fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy: “Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey” (Matthew 21:4–5, NKJV). The people understood the symbolism. They laid their garments on the road, waved palm branches—symbols of victory and salvation—and cried out from Psalm 118, “Hosanna!… Blessed is the kingdom of our father David!” (Mark 11:9–10, NKJV). They were openly declaring Him the Messiah.
Yet the scene carried a sharp contrast. Some welcomed Him with joy; others, like the Pharisees, demanded silence (Luke 19:39–40). This public declaration of His kingship set in motion the final steps toward His death. Mark ends the moment quietly: “And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple… then went out to Bethany with the twelve” (Mark 11:11, NKJV). No more secrecy. No more shadows. The King had arrived—lowly, loving, and fully committed to the mission that would redeem the world.
Walk the path of Christ with the same humility and obedience. Greatness in God’s kingdom is found not in grand gestures, but in faithfulness to His voice in the ordinary moments. Let your daily acts of obedience—small, unseen, simple—become the road on which Jesus is honored in your life.
“The triumphs of Christ are won not by earthly pomp, but by the meekness that stoops to serve and the love that dares to obey.”—F.B. Meyer
surrendered devotions 