Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
This psalm is rooted in the opening affirmation that God is good and his love endures forever.
Vss 19 and following lay out a pattern for entering into worship where we praise God for hearing our prayers and coming to our rescue, for God’s vision of seeing a stone that others rejected and claiming as good, for the day of our salvation, for the light that God places in our lives. As an act of worship, people take branches and march up to the altar in praise of God. Vs. 29 echoes the opening verses.
Mark 11:1-11
It is Passover and Jesus and his disciples are in the procession with lots of pilgrims both Hebrew and not, who are going to the holy city for this holy celebration. As they approach the villages nearest the city, Jesus sends his disciples ahead with instructions about finding a colt. They proceed and find the colt and bring it back. They put their cloaks (an outer garment) on the colt and Jesus mounts the colt. As they begin to enter the city of Jerusalem, many of the people either spread their cloaks on the roadway (the red-carpet treatment) of leafy branches on the roadway. Only John names them palms, which are not native to Jerusalem and would have had to have been brought with them. The words that are shouted by people are significant.
1. Hosanna found in Psalm 118:25 means Lord, save us! Or Grant us success.
2. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! A quote from Psalm 118.26. This is a psalm that was traditionally sung at Passover.
3. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! This is the covenant that God made with David for a messianic kingdom.
In singing and shouting these three statements, the people were connecting or identifying Jesus as messiah. These who were calling were probably people who had witnessed or received miracles and teachings from Jesus.