Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE QUESTION OF JESUS SELF-UNDERSTANDING 515.3
strands of Jewish expectation. 127 And the Jesus tradition's echo of two or more
important expressions of eschatological expectation 128 indicates that earliest
Christian interpretation of the symbolic act went along the same lines. Although
such expectations did not necessarily feature a royal Messiah (but note Pss. Sol.
17.30), it is likely that the one who enacted them in symbolic fashion would
prompt speculation regarding his own eschatological and messianic (anointed)
status.
Here too, therefore, it is hard to doubt that among the reverberations set off
by Jesus' action in the Temple would be the question, 'Could this be the expected
Davidic messiah?'
e. The Entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11.1-11 pars.)
The famous account of Jesus setting in train arrangements for his entry into Jerusalem
on an ass (polos) 129 climaxes in the acclamation he received:
Matt. 21.9-11
9 And the crowds that
went before him and
that followed cried out,
'Hosanna to the Son of
David! Blessed is he
who comes in the name
of the Lord!
Mark 11.9-11
9 And those who
went before and those
who followed cried out,
'Hosanna!
Blessed is he
who comes in the name
of the Lord! 10
Blessed is the kingdom
of our father David that
Luke 19.37-40
37 ... 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, 38
saving, 'Blessed is the
Kins who comes in the
name of the Lord!
Peace
John 12.13-19
13 So they took
branches of palm trees
and went out to meet
him,
crying,
'Hosanna!
Blessed is he
who comes in the name
of the Lord, even the
King of Israel!'
127. Isa. 4.4; Mai. 3.1-4; Jub. 4.26; 11QT 29.8-10; Pss. Sol. 17.30. Tan points out that
Pss. Sol. 17.30 has in view the purging of Jerusalem; the Temple is not mentioned (Zion Traditions
172-73). But he ignores the severe condemnation of Temple profanation earlier {Pss. Sol.
1.8; 2.3; 7.2; 8.11-13, 22). Cf. Wright: 'Jesus was performing Maccabean actions' (Jesus 493).
128. Mark 11.17 pars, cite or clearly echo both Isa. 56.7 and Jer. 7.11; possibly also
Zech. 14.21, on which Catchpole places particular weight ('"Triumphal" Entry' 333-34); see
earlier C. Roth, 'The Cleansing of the Temple and Zechariah xiv.21', NovT 4 (1960) 174-81.
On expectation of an eschatological pilgrimage of Gentiles to participate in the Temple service
see above, chapter 12 n. 71. Caird suggests that the thought is of the court of the Gentiles being
filled (all of it?!) with a market, so as to deprive the Gentiles of a place to sacrifice and worship
(Theology 397). In contrast, Crossan and Reed observe that with its huge court of Gentiles, the
Temple was already 'a house of prayer for all nations' (Excavating Jesus 198, 200); but would
Gentile access to this outermost court have been seen as fulfilment of Isaiah's eschatological
vision (Isa. 56.3-8)?
129. See Davies and Allison, Matthew 3.116.
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