Luke 19:35

And they brought him to Jesus: and they threw their garments upon the colt, and set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their garments in the way.

Brought him to Jesus ...

Matthew's statement that the foal's mother was brought to Jesus as well as the foal does not contradict Mark and Luke. Matthew's account is probably intended to emphasize that Zechariah's prophecy was literally fulfilled.[45]

Spread their garments in the way ... This was commonly recognized as an act of homage to a king or other royal person. The officers of Jehu's army paid such a tribute to him (2 Kings 9:13); and Spence says that "Agamemnon walked on costly carpets and tapestries when he entered his palace at Mycenae."[46]

Moreover, it must not be thought that there was anything unkingly about Jesus' riding on a donkey. The donkey was always ridden by a king who was going upon a mission of peace; in war, he rode a horse. As Ryle said, "In Eastern countries, asses have in every age been used by persons of high rank."[47]

The scene was one of unbelievable splendor and magnificence. The number of people was far greater than some have supposed. Some have written this off as "a rather small affair"; but it cannot be doubted that incredibly large numbers of people participated. Hobbs tells us that thirty years after this particular Passover, a Roman governor required a count of the lambs slain at Passover, and the "number was a quarter of a million."[48] Since one lamb was the requirement for every ten people, the total number who partook of the Passover was two and one-half million! Jesus had only recently raised Lazarus; and John's Gospel recounts how the throng that surged around Jesus was dramatically increased by the countless thousands flowing out of Jerusalem to see Jesus who had raised Lazarus, and by the continuing flood of Passover pilgrims accompanying the Lord on his entry. The fearless Christ was truly the King. As Barclay said,

It is a breath-taking thing to think of a man with a price on his head, deliberately riding into a city in such a way that every eye is fixed on him. It is impossible to exaggerate the sheer courage of Jesus.[49]

[45] Norval Geldenhuys, op. cit., p. 483.

[46] H. D. M. Spence, op. cit., p. 139

[47] J. C. Ryle, op. cit., p. 311.

[48] Herschel H. Hobbs, op. cit., p. 278.

[49] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 249.