Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday

Jesus Christ and his disciples came from Bethany, on the east side of the Mount of Olives. “Then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village in front of you [Bethphage], and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.” Matthew 21:1-2. “All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” Matthew 21:4-5, quoting Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9. “And brought the ass, and the colt, an put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” Matthew 21:7-9. “And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” Luke 19:39-40. Hosanna means Save Now in Hebrew.

Once inside the city, the Lord went into the temple complex. It is unclear which gate he took, but there are two possibilities. The direct route which entered the city just north of the temple (near the Pool of Bethesda and what is today Lion’s Gate), marked with the red arrow. And the longer route to the southern Dung Gate which then would bring the Lord into a more populated section of the city, marked with the blue arrows.

This begins Holy Week, or Easter Week.

The current street level of Jerusalem is between approximately 6 to 20 feet (depending where you are in the city) above the street level of the Jerusalem that Jesus knew. However, there are a few excavations which have revealed the streets of the first century Jerusalem.

When the Lord entered the temple complex he cast out those who sold animals and the money changers a second time. This hurt the pocket books of the high priest and his fellow Sadducees. During this temple visit the Lord observes the “widow’s mite,” and comments “render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God that which is God’s.”