And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
The entrance of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem, is recorded by all the Evangelists, as if in confirmation of the prophecies. Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9. Some short observations were made on it in Matthew 21:1 and Mark 11:1, but, from the importance of the thing itself, it will be proper in addition to what hath been there brought before the Reader, yet further to remark some of the more prominent features attending it. And, first, I do not think it unlikely that God the Holy Ghost had an eye both to Christ's triumphs, and Christ's humiliations, at those memorable spots, Bethphage, and the Mount of Olives; when David, who was an illustrious type of the Lord Jesus, went there bare-footed, 2 Samuel 15:30. The humiliations of the Lord Jesus were the highest of his glories. And I would in the next place, beg the Reader to remark with me, how the Lord Jesus, in preparing for his triumphal entrance into the holy city, gave evidences of his divine nature, in telling the disciples where they should find the colt, and overruling the mind of the owners to lend the beast to Christ. And what I would yet more particularly desire the Reader to remark with me, are the circumstances which attended our Lord's entry into Jerusalem. What but God working upon the human mind, could in one and the same moment overrule so great a multitude, to make the air ring with their Hosannas; and literally to call Him what their scriptures of the Prophets had foretold of the Messiah, in the very hour the Scribes and Pharisees were ripening their schemes to destroy him? And, what but the same Almighty grace, acting to the same purpose, could have caused the mouths of unconscious children, In spite of their Jewish parents, to proclaim a truth their tender years could not understand. According to my view of this subject, yea, to every man's view of the subject, who will look at it as it really is, it forms one of the most palpable and decided testimonies, as far as outward evidence can go, to the glories of Christ's person; and is such, as our Lord himself most blessedly observed upon it, so full in point, as if resisted, became enough to make the stones exclaim.