“And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:”
My Notes
What Does Mark 11:9 Mean?
"Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." The crowd quotes Psalm 118:25-26 as Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey. "Hosanna" (hoshi'a na) literally means "save now" or "save, please" — it's a prayer for deliverance that has become a shout of acclamation. The crowd is simultaneously praying and celebrating.
The phrase "he that cometh in the name of the Lord" was understood messianically. The one who comes in God's name is God's representative — the anointed, the promised, the one Israel has been waiting for. The crowd recognizes Jesus as the fulfillment of this hope, at least momentarily.
The tragedy beneath the celebration is that many in this crowd will call for Jesus' crucifixion within the week. The Hosanna-shouters become the crucify-shouters. The people who recognized Him on Sunday rejected Him by Friday. The adoration was real but not durable.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Has your recognition of Jesus ever been enthusiastic but temporary?
- 2.What's the difference between crowd faith and personal faith?
- 3.Why does the same crowd shout Hosanna on Sunday and Crucify on Friday?
- 4.Will your commitment to Jesus survive the 'Friday' that tests it?
Devotional
Hosanna! Save now! Blessed is He who comes in God's name! The crowd roars with recognition. They see what's in front of them — the Messiah on a donkey, the fulfillment of prophecy, the one they've been waiting for.
For this one day, they get it right. The recognition is genuine. The excitement is real. The Psalm 118 quotation is theologically accurate. Jesus IS the one who comes in God's name. He IS blessed. The crowd's theology is perfect — on Sunday.
By Friday, the theology evaporates. The same mouths that shouted Hosanna will shout Crucify. The same people who laid down palm branches will stand at the foot of the cross. The recognition was momentary. The commitment didn't survive the week.
This is the terrifying fragility of crowd faith. A crowd can recognize Jesus on Sunday and reject Him on Friday. A crowd can shout the right theology and abandon it when the cost becomes clear. Crowd faith is real in the moment and gone when the moment changes.
The question isn't whether you've ever shouted Hosanna. It's whether your Hosanna survives Friday. The crowd that welcomed Jesus and the crowd that condemned Him may have been the same people. The test of faith isn't what you shout on Palm Sunday. It's whether you're still standing on Good Friday.
Will your recognition of Jesus survive the week?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And they that went before, and they that followed,.... They that came from Jerusalem to meet him, and they that followed…
See this passage illustrated in the notes at Mat. 21:1-16. Mar 11:4 Two ways met - A crossroads. A public place,…
We have here the story of the public entry Christ made into Jerusalem, four or five days before his death. And he came…
they that went before From St Joh 12:12 we gather that a second stream of people issuing from the Holy City came forth…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture