Episode 33: Hosanna, The King Arrives

Would you recognize rescue if it came in a dinghy at Dunkirk, or on a donkey into Jerusalem?

In episode 33, we finally arrive in Jerusalem with Mark 11:1-11. Jesus sends two disciples to find a colt no one has ever sat on, rides toward the city from the Mount of Olives, and is greeted by crowds spreading cloaks and branches and shouting "Hosanna." Then he enters the temple, looks around at everything, and quietly leaves for Bethany because it's already late.

Pastor Steven discusses what one donkey teaches us about God's providence in ordinary things, how Jesus acts out Zechariah 9 and Genesis 49, and why Mark bothers to mention the Mount of Olives and the time of day. We also explore Zechariah 14's picture of a mountain split open as a path of escape, Jesus as the true temple, and whether the crowd's hopes were let down when he went to the temple instead of to Pilate.

So, what about us? Like the crowd, we often decide in advance what God's rescue should look like. But Jesus came to save us from something far more dangerous than Rome, and the only question is whether we see our need clearly enough to follow him out.