Week 1: The Parade

“[The disciples] brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and 

[Jesus] sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut 

branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of 

him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one 

who comes in the name of the Lord!’” — Matthew 21:7-9 (with references to Matthew 

21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12: 12-19) 

Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week was full of risk. Rather than a 

nice impromptu celebration, it can be seen for the carefully planned and significantly 

symbolic event that would rub those in power the wrong way. In a moment already filled 

with tension, this “victory parade” had many implications, and as we know, many 

consequences. We will stop the action just at the beginning of the parade to take stock 

of all the players, including the role the city itself plays full of pilgrims for the Passover.