Which words did the crowds shout as Jesus entered Jerusalem?

Answer 1

John 12:

12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Answer 2

In the first of the gospels, they waved leafy branches (Mark 11:8-9, NAB): "Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

The time of the Passover is too early for leafy branches (except palms), which the author of John's Gospel recognised, changing this reference to 'palm branches', thus creating our modern tradition of Palm Sunday (John 12:13): "So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, Hosanna! How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!"

John Shelby Spong (Jesus for the NonReligious) says that Mark's Gospel seems to have taken the reference to 'leafy branches' from the traditional Jewish observance of Sukkoth at an entirely different time of year:

The Jewish eight day celebration of the harvest, known as Sukkoth, and also called the Festival of the Tabernacles or Booths, was probably the most popular holiday among the Jews in the first century. In the observance of Sukkoth, worshippers processed through Jerusalem and in the Temple, waving a bunch of leafy branches made of willow, myrtle and palm. As they waved these branches in that procession, the worshippers recited words from Psalm 118, the psalm normally used at Sukkoth. Among these words were "Save us, we beseech you, O Lord." Save us in Hebrew is hosianna or 'hosanna'. This is typically followed by "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. (Psalm 118:25-6)."

The original account could not have happened, so the story of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem did not actually happen. The author of John's Gospel is known to have copied the account in Mark's Gospel, amending this detail in order to make it more realistic, but this is only a correction. John's account is not what really happened, but what would have happened. People did not really come and wave anything as Jesus entered Jerusalem. John 12:13 tells us that they used branches of Palm trees, while the other three Gospels with slightly less detail simply mention that the people cut branches off trees.

Answer 3

A:

The first account of the triumphal entry of Jesus was in Mark's Gospel, where the people waved leafy branches as he road into Jerusalem on a donkey. The author has taken the imagery of festival held later in the year and placed it in the time of the Passover and the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. John Shelby Spong (Jesus for the NonReligious) puts it this way:

• "The Jewish eight day celebration of the harvest, known as Sukkoth, and also called the Festival of the Tabernacles or Booths, was probably the most popular holiday among the Jews in the first century. In the observance of Sukkoth, worshippers processed through Jerusalem and in the Temple, waving a bunch of leafy branches made of willow, myrtle and palm. As they waved these branches in that procession, the worshippers recited words from Psalm 118, the psalm normally used at Sukkoth. Among these words were 'Save us, we beseech you, O Lord.' Save us in Hebrew is hosianna or 'hosanna'. This is typically followed by 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. (Psalm 118:25-6)'."

Although the Passover is too early for leafy branches (except palms), Mark 11:8-9 says (NAB), "Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out: 'Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'." The Gospels of Matthew and Luke more or less follow Mark, but John's Gospel corrects this to say 'palm branches', creating our modern tradition of Palm Sunday.

Answer 4

The people waved palm leaves when Jesus came into Jerusalem.

Answer 5

The crowds shouted "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" as Jesus entered Jerusalem.