Mark 11:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

NIV: Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

NASB: And those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: 'Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE Lord;

CSB: Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

NLT: Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, 'Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

KJV: And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

NKJV: Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

Although most of the book of Mark is written in Greek, there are some Aramaic words (Mark 5:41; 7:34). Hosanna is a Hebrew term. It's a cry of praise or a prayer for salvation. To come "in the name of the Lord" is to come in God's authority, with His permission and purpose. These two phrases are each the first phrases of Psalm 118:25 and 26, respectively. This is known as the thanksgiving Psalm. The people are—correctly—celebrating that the Jewish Messiah has finally arrived, but they assume—incorrectly—His purpose is to rescue Israel from the Roman oppressors.

This event must have been confusing and nerve-wracking for the religious and secular leaders. News of Jesus' miracles and teaching has spread, particularly the resurrection of Lazarus (John 12:9–11). The scribes of Jerusalem had joined with the supporters of Herod Antipas early on to destroy Jesus (Mark 3:6). The Pharisees and chief priests want to arrest Him (John 11:57). Herod wants Jesus dead in a vague, noncommittal way (Luke 13:31; see: Luke 23:8). And Pilate knows that if Jesus or anyone else incites another Jewish rebellion, he will lose his job.

From a secular, political perspective, Jesus' ministry has been a source of concern. The more popularity He has, the more concerned various groups are over unrest or violence. Now, Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem surrounded by a mob celebrating that He has come to re-establish the kingdom of David (Mark 11:10). It's no exaggeration to say the triumphal entry accelerates the plans to kill Jesus: this event clearly establishes Him as a "problem" which will never go away.

John is much more specific about who these "many" are. Some had seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, while others have heard their account and are curious (John 12:17–18). Others have just come for Passover and hear that Jesus is there (John 12:12).

Meanwhile, the Pharisees lament to each other that the world is more interested in Jesus than their rigid, legalistic rules. In fact, the Pharisees confront Jesus, telling Him to control His disciples (Luke 19:39). "He answer[s], 'I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out'" (Luke 19:40).

Mark 11:1–11 records an event included in all four Gospels: that several days before the crucifixion, Jesus enters Jerusalem, welcomed by the people as the Messiah who will free them from Roman rule. Jesus enters on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy and symbolizing the peaceful nature of His first coming. Matthew 21:1–11 ties the triumphal entry to Isaiah 62:11. Luke 19:29–44 records that the Pharisees demand Jesus silence His followers and that Jesus weeps, knowing what happen when the Romans destroy Jerusalem in AD 70. John 12:12–19 goes into more detail about how the disciples don't realize Jesus is fulfilling prophecy (Zechariah 9:9) until after the ascension (Acts 1:6–11).

Jesus and the disciples arrive in Jerusalem a week before the crucifixion, and Jesus begins the last days of His public ministry. They spend their nights on the Mount of Olives and their days in Jerusalem (Luke 21:37). Jesus accepts the accolades designed for a king (Mark 11:1–11), attacks materialistic tradition that keeps people from worshiping God (Mark 11:15–19), gives an object lesson about the fate of fruitless Jerusalem (Mark 11:12–14, 20–25), and reveals the Jewish religious leaders' hypocrisy (Mark 11:27–33). Despite the support of the crowd, Jesus is pushing the leaders toward the crucifixion.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.