David. They had been greeting Him with Hosannas! But enthusiasm, especially in such

a cause, is infectious. They were mostly stranger-pilgrims that had come from the City,

chiefly because they had heard of the raising of Lazarus.19 And now they must have

questioned them which came from Bethany, who in turn related that of which

themselves had been eyewitnesses.20 We can imagine it all - how the fire would leap

from heart to heart. So He was the pro mised Son of David - and the Kingdom was at

hand! It may have been just as the precise point of the road was reached, where 'the

City of David' first suddenly emerges into view, 'at the descent of the Mount of Olives,'

'that the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud

voice for all the mighty works that they had seen.'21 As the burning words of joy and

praise, the record of what they had seen, passed from mouth to mouth, and they caught

their first sight of 'the City of David,' adorned as a bride to welcome her King, Davidic

praise to David's Greater Son wakened the echoes of old Davidic Psalms in the

morning-light of their fulfilment. 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed be He that

cometh in the Name of the Lord. . . . Blessed the Kingdom that cometh, the Kingdom of

our father David. . . . Blessed be He that cometh in the Name of the Lord. . . . Hosanna .

. . Hosanna in the highest . . .Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.'

They were but broken utterances, partly based upon Ps. cvxiii., partly taken from it - the

'Hosanna,'22 or 'Save now,' and the 'Blessed be He that cometh in the Name of the

Lord,'23 forming part of the responses by the people with whi ch this Psalm was chanted

on certain of the most solemn festivals.24 Most truly did they thus interpret and apply the

Psalm, old and new Davidic praise mingling in their acclamations. At the same time it

must be remembered that, according to Jewish traditi on, Ps. cxviii. vv. 25-28, was also

chanted antiphonally by the people of Jerusalem, as they went to welcome the festive

pilgrims on their arrival, the latter always responding in the second clause of each

verse, till the last verse of the Psalm25 was reac hed, which was sung by both parties in

unison, Psalm ciii. 17 being added by way of conclusion.26 But as 'the shout rang

through the long defile,' carrying evidence far and wide, that, so far from condemning

and forsaking, more than the ordinary pilgrim-welcome had been given to Jesus - the

Pharisees, who had mingled with the crowd, turned to one another with angry frowns:

'Behold [see intently], how ye prevail nothing! See - the world  27 is gone after Him!' It is

always so, that, in the disappointment of malice, men turn in impotent rage against each

other with taunts and reproaches. Then, psychologically true in this also, they made a

desperate appeal to the Master Himself, Whom they so bitterly hated, to check and

rebuke the honest zeal of His disciples. He had been silent hitherto - alone unmoved, or

only deeply moved inwardly - amidst this enthusiastic crowd. He could be silent no

longer - but, with a touch of quick and righteous indignation, pointed to the rocks and

stones, telling those leaders of Israe l, that, if the people held their peace, the very

stones would cry out.28 29 It would have been so in that day of Christ's Entry into

Jerusalem. And it has been so ever since. Silence has fallen these many centuries upon

Israel; but the very stones of Jerusalem's ruin and desolateness have cried out that He,

Whom in their silence they rejected, has come as King in the Name of the Lord.