Was the entrance into Jerusalem a messianic ovation? That depends, in the first place, upon how one interprets the cry of the people; but then also, upon one’s notion of the encounter between Jesus and the blind man. If it was actually a question there of his being greeted as the Son of David,—a greeting which he no longer repudiates, but tacitly admits, so that the people learn to apprehend what he takes himself to be,—the consequence is inevitable that it was a messianic ovation. For the exact understanding of the description of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, the differences in detail between Mark and the parallels are of far reaching importance. In Mark we have two clearly distinguishable acclamations. The first is directed to the person of Jesus in their midst: “Hosanna! Blessed be ‘the Coming One’ in the name of the Lord” (Mk 11:9). The second refers to the expected coming of the Kingdom: [pg 157] “Blessed be the coming Kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest!” The Son of David is thus not mentioned at all! It is different in Matthew. There the people shout “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed be the Coming One in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” (Mt 21:9). We have here therefore only the cry which was directed to the person of Jesus; the Kingdom is not mentioned; men acclaim instead the Son of David and, at the same time, the Coming One. Luke’s version does not come into account, for he deals with reminiscences from the history of the infancy “Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (Lk 19:38). Thus Matthew in his account interprets the Coming One as the Son of David. We possess no direct proof that this expression (the Coming One), which is derived from Psalm 118:25 ff[.], was employed in Jesus’ time for the Messiah. It has been shown, however, that _the Baptist as well as Jesus applied it rather to the Forerunner Elijah._ It is therefore unhistorical when Matthew represents the people as acclaiming in the same [pg 158] breath both the Coming One and the Son of David. Mark has here, too, preserved in his detail the original situation. The people acclaimed Jesus as the “Coming One,” i. e. as the Forerunner, and sings an “Hosanna in the highest” to the Kingdom which is soon to descend upon earth. A fine distinction is made in the use of _Hosanna_ and _Hosanna in the highest_ (“places” is to be supplied). The former applies to the Forerunner present in their midst; the latter, to the heavenly Kingdom. The secondary character of the account in Matthew is evident in the fact that it applies to the Son of David and to the Coming One not only an Hosanna but likewise an Hosanna in the highest,—whereby the Messiah is first assumed to be on earth and then, still in heaven! Here it becomes plain that the second Hosanna belonged originally with the Kingdom.