Why did Jesus ride on a small donkey instead of, say, a chariot?
First, it was to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, which described the Messiah’s coming. Second, it showed how Jesus, though He was divine, took upon Himself such simple and humble circumstances. His humiliation demonstrates to us the extent of God’s love, that He would stoop so low to save us. Such humble circumstances, however, were not able to hide His divine qualities, which the crowd will later praise Him for. (7) What are “cloaks”? Any outer clothing or robe, to be distinguished from undergarments. Note that Jesus entered the city with such simplicity that the donkey didn’t even have a saddle. (8) Why did the crowd “spread their cloaks on the road” and “cut branches”? To humbly give honor to Jesus Christ. Just as we would roll out a red carpet for a dignitary, the crowd created a “carpet” out of their own clothing. (9) What does “Hosanna” mean? It is a Hebrew expression meaning “save.” It was always used as an expression of praise, much in the same way that the British used
