Why did the crowd shout "Blessed is He who comes" in Mark 11:9? Canonical Text “Those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting: ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ” (Mark 11:9) Historical Setting: Passover Pilgrimage and Messianic Fever Jerusalem swelled to perhaps three times its normal population in the week before Passover. Josephus records that hundreds of thousands of lambs were sacrificed (War 6.422–426), implying vast crowds. Pilgrims commonly formed processional caravans from the Mount of Olives down into the city, singing the Hallel (Psalm 113-118). Jesus chooses this exact moment, deliberately riding a colt (cf. Zechariah 9:9), so the multitude’s minds are primed for messianic expectation. Old Testament Source: Psalm 118:25-26 “Save us, we pray, O LORD… Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD” . The Hebrew cry “hoshia‘na” was transliterated “Hosanna,” evolving from a plea for deliverance into a festive shout of praise. This psalm was sung as pilgrims entered the Temple precincts, so the words were on every worshiper’s lips. By applying them to Jesus, the crowd shifts the psalm from liturgy to proclamation: the awaited Savior has arrived. Liturgical Function and Rabbinic Echoes Rabbinic sources (m. Sukkah 4.5) show palm branches waved while reciting Psalm 118 during the Feast of Booths. First-century Jews imported that same acclamation to Passover week. Dead Sea Scroll 11QPsᵃ preserves Psalm 118 virtually identical to the Masoretic Text, underscoring textual stability and the antiquity of the phrase. Kingship Motif and Davidic Overtones Mark immediately records the sequel: “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” (11:10). The shout joins Psalm 118 with the covenant promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). By crying “Blessed,” the people perform the ancient enthronement liturgy that greeted righteous kings entering Zion (cf. 1 Kings 1:38-40). Prophetic Fulfillment: Zechariah 9:9 and Genesis 49:10-11 Zechariah foretold Israel’s King arriving “humble and mounted on a donkey.” The Genesis oracle links Judah’s ruler to a colt. Jesus arranges transport (Mark 11:1-6) to signal He is that ruler. The crowd’s exclamation answers Zechariah’s command: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!” Eschatological Expectation: Malachi 3:1 Malachi prophesied, “The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple.” By greeting Jesus with Psalm 118 as He advances toward the Temple courts (11:11), the masses intuitively connect Him with the long-awaited appearance of Yahweh Himself. Contrast with the Religious Authorities While the populace blesses Jesus, the chief priests fear Him (Mark 11:18). The divergent reactions fulfill Isaiah 8:14: the same cornerstone becomes a sanctuary to believers and a stone of offense to skeptics. Theological Significance: Recognition of Messiah and Lord By quoting Psalm 118, the crowd unknowingly testifies that Jesus is: 1. the Messianic King (Davidic heir), 2. the sacrificial deliverer (“Save, we pray”), and 3. the divine Visitor foretold to come to His temple. Foreshadowing of the Passion Psalm 118 also contains, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (v. 22). Their blessing and His upcoming rejection dovetail. The same psalm anticipates resurrection victory (v. 17: “I will not die, but live”). Archaeological Corroboration: Pilgrim Route and Inscriptional Evidence The stepped Pilgrimage Road from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple, excavated 2013-2019, shows the path likely used in first-century processions. Ossuary inscriptions such as “Yehosef bar Caiapha” (discovered 1990) confirm the historical presence of the priestly class Mark mentions. Practical Application for Today Believers echo “Blessed is He who comes” in worship, anticipating Christ’s promised return (Revelation 22:20). The phrase invites each hearer to submit to the King now rather than oppose Him later. Summary Answer The crowd shouted “Blessed is He who comes” because Psalm 118 was the traditional pilgrim song, and Jesus’ deliberate fulfillment of Zechariah 9 signaled to them that the promised Davidic, saving King had arrived. Their cry fused liturgy, prophecy, and national hope into an acclamation that Jesus is the divinely authorized Messiah entering Jerusalem to accomplish salvation. |
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