The next day the scene changes. The narrator picks up the story from the point of view of the growing Passover crowds in Jerusalem. The crowd received news that Jesus was on his way into the city (v. 12). How this news reached them the text does not say—until later (vv. 17–18). Not even the reader has been told in so many words that Jerusalem was Jesus’ destination—though an attentive reader would have guessed. Before analyzing the reasons for the crowd’s action or attempting to link the scene with the preceding one, the narrator simply describes, as briefly as possible, what the crowd did and what Jesus did. As they came out to meet him with palm branches, shouting praises to God and blessings on their coming king, Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it (vv. 13–14a). That is all there…