Preaching Paths 04.02.23

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary

The semantics of this text are, in part, kinetic and optic. The symbolic nature and timing of Jesus’ ride into the city of Jerusalem just prior to Passover would speak volumes.

Roman governors such as Pontius Pilate annually visited the major cities under their jurisdiction. Ancient sources indicate that such visits were often timed to coincide with major festivals in those cities. Thus, a Roman entourage would have entered Jerusalem just prior to the annual festival of Passover. At Passover, faithful Jews by the thousands, including Diaspora Jews, thronged into Jerusalem. The dense crowds, filled with religious ardor and potentially nationalistic fervor, might well have been regarded as a destabilizing threat to Roman control. The annual visit of a Roman entourage, including the governor, dozens of officials, and a military escort, would have high impact. They very likely entered from Jerusalem’s western gate.

To this point, Jesus, has sought to mute rumors that he is God’s chosen one—the Messiah, “the anointed.” But now, he chooses a donkey and rides into Jerusalem, echoing the prophetic vision of Zechariah 9:9. Furthermore, Jesus enters quite deliberately from the east, from the Mount of Olives (cf Ezekiel 46:12), as opposed to the entry point of the representatives of the Empire. Jesus’ humble mode of transport, coupled with the timing and direction of his entry, signifies a “reign” quite different from that of Rome. The shouts of “Hosanna!” (“Save/liberate us!”—cf Psalm 118:25) clearly indicate the heightened messianic hope stirred by Jesus’ highly symbolic final entry into Jerusalem.