By the end of chapter ten, the Slave-Savior’s gospel ministry had been completed. We have seen that the ministry of the Slave-Savior included five matters as the contents of the gospel service: preaching the gospel, teaching the truth, casting out demons, healing the sick, and cleansing the leper. All these matters were completed by the end of chapter ten. Therefore, chapters eleven through sixteen are different in nature from the preceding chapters of the Gospel of Mark. In the last six chapters of this Gospel we no longer have such things as the casting out of demons or the healing of the sick. Instead, in 11:1—14:42 we have the preparation of the Slave-Savior for His redemptive service. Before the Lord could perform His redemptive work, a certain preparation was necessary.
Not many readers of the Gospel of Mark realize that chapter eleven is concerned with the Lord’s preparation for His redemptive service. In this chapter the Lord prepared the environment, He prepared those who were to crucify Him, and He also prepared His disciples. The Lord went to Jerusalem for the purpose of accomplishing His redemptive death. But this death required a great preparation. Therefore, the Lord went to Jerusalem ahead of time in order to carry out this preparation, as recorded in 11:1 through 14:42. All that is recorded in these chapters is not accidental. Rather, all the matters recorded here are related to the Slave-Savior’s preparation for the accomplishment of His redemptive service.
The first aspect of the preparation of the Slave-Savior for His redemptive service was to enter into Jerusalem and lodge in Bethany. Mark 11:1 and 2 say, “And when they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethpage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sends two of His disciples, and says to them, Go to the village opposite you, and immediately, entering into it, you will find a colt tied, on which no man has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it.” Here we see the Slave-Savior’s omniscience, which spoke forth His deity.
Verses 7 and 8 say, “And they bring the colt to Jesus and throw their garments on it, and He sat on it. And many spread their garments in the road, and others spread layers of leaves, cutting them out of the fields.” “Garments” signify the human virtues of people’s conduct. The disciples honored the Slave-Savior by putting their garments on the colt for Him to ride on, and the crowd honored Him by spreading their garments in the road for Him to pass through.
The leaves (v. 8) came from branches of palm trees (John 12:13). Palm branches signify the victorious life (Rev. 7:9) and the satisfaction of enjoying the rich produce of this life, as typified by the feast of tabernacles (Lev. 23:40; Neh. 8:15). The crowd used both their garments and the palm tree branches to celebrate the coming of the Slave-Savior.
The Slave-Savior made a glorious entrance and received a warm welcome. This took place according to the Lord’s wisdom. As a preparation for His redemptive service, the first thing He arranged was this welcome. By means of this welcome, He received the approval of the people. It was as if He received their vote. The people were in favor of Him and recognized Him as the Messiah.
Mark 11:9 and 10 say, “And those going before and those following cried out, 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!” The words shouted by the people were quoted from Psalm 118:26, a prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah. Such a declaration will be repeated at the Lord’s second coming. At that time, Psalm 118 will be fulfilled in a complete way. When He comes the second time, He will be riding on a cloud, not on a colt, and He will be coming from the heavens, not from Jericho. Then the converted Jews will exclaim, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” What we have in Mark 11:9 and 10 is a foretaste or a prefigure of the welcome the Lord will receive in that day. But in either case the principle is the same in that God’s chosen people recognize and acknowledge their Messiah.
The Lord knew that in Jerusalem He would confront many opposers. But before He confronted them, He first received the approval of the people. This was the first step in His preparation for His redemptive service.