John 12:13

The waving of date palm fronds (i.e., branches) had become a common practice at national celebrations in Israel (Leviticus 23:40). Palm fronds had become a national symbol (cf. 1 Maccabees 13:51; 2 Maccabees 10:7). They appear on the coins that the Jewish nationalists produced during the war with the Romans in A.D. 66-70. [Note: Carson, The Gospel . . ., p. 432.] Used on this occasion they probably signaled popular belief that Israel’s Messiah had appeared (cf. Revelation 7:9).

"Hosanna" is the transliteration of a Hebrew phrase that means "give salvation now." The Jews commonly used this word in their praise at the feasts of Tabernacles, Dedication, and Passover. It was part of the Hallel (Psalms 113-118) that the temple choir sang at these feasts (Psalms 118:25). [Note: Ibid.] "Blessed is He . . ." is the very next statement in Psalms 118 (Psalms 118:26). The Jews of Jesus’ day regarded the phrase "He who comes in the name of the Lord" as referring to Messiah (cf. John 11:27). Originally it referred to pilgrims who went to Jerusalem for the feasts and, perhaps in the first instance, to the Davidic king whose coronation the psalmist wrote the psalm to honor. "Even the King of Israel" is not in Psalms 118. It was the people’s identification of Jesus as the Messiah (cf. Luke 19:38; John 1:49; John 18:37; John 19:19).

"I imagine that some of the Roman soldiers must have smiled at the ’Triumphal Entry,’ because it was nothing like their own ’Roman triumph’ celebrations in the city of Rome.

"Whenever a Roman general was victorious on foreign soil, killing at least 5,000 of the enemy, and gaining new territory, he was given a ’Roman triumph’ when he returned to the city. It was the Roman equivalent of the American ’ticker-tape parade,’ only with much more splendor. The victor would be permitted to display the trophies he had won and the enemy leaders he had captured. The parade ended at the arena where some of the captives entertained the people by fighting wild beasts. Compared to a ’Roman triumph,’ our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem was nothing." [Note: Wiersbe, 1:340.]