Mark’s version of Jesus’ arrival and entrance into Jerusalem celebrates the drama and pageantry of the event and yet is far more understated than the other gospel accounts. All the common elements of the story are found: the borrowed colt, the cheering crowd, the garments on the ground, the branches gathered, the temple destination. But Mark’s treatment of this “triumphal entry” is tempered by his continued emphasis on the unexpected nature of Jesus’ messianic mission and identity. In Mark’s telling, at the end of the day, the crowd itself seems to have missed the significance of this messianic moment.

Mark begins his rendition just outside of Jerusalem. Jesus and his disciples approach Bethphage and Bethany, small villages some two miles outside of the city. Jesus directs two unnamed disci…