Jesus said, “Leave her alone. You’ll always be able to help the poor, but you won’t always have me. Mary has anointed me for my burial. And as the gospel spreads throughout the world, people will hear of what she did.”

The next day, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. He told two of his disciples, “Go into the village, and there you’ll find a donkey with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, tell them the Lord has need of them.”

The two went into the village and found the donkey and colt. The men untied them and started walking away. The owners said, “What are you doing?” They replied, “The Lord has need of them,” so he allowed them to go. So the disciples brought the donkey and colt to Jesus.

No one had ever ridden the colt before that day, yet the disciples put their robes on it and helped Jesus get on. As he rode along the path, people spread their robes in front of him. The crowds grew as he rode down the Mount of Olives. They got palm branches and laid them on the path.

People shouted for joy, and praised God for all the miracles they had seen. “Blessed is the King who is coming in the name of the Lord!” As Jesus continued on, they shouted, “Hosanna! Hosanna to the Son of David.”

Some of the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Do you hear what your followers are saying? Make them stop!”

Jesus said, “If they stop, the stones will start shouting.”

As he was about to enter the city, he stopped and started to cry. He said, “O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! If you had only known! This was a special day for you, a day that would bring you peace. But now your eyes will be covered so you won’t be able to see. A mighty army will destroy you. All because you didn’t recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

He and the crowd continued into Jerusalem. The entire city was shaken by the event. Visitors from other countries asked, “Who is this?” The people said, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth.”