before he ever entered the city on the donkey, to do whatever it took to accomplish the mission. >> matthew describes the whole city of jerusalem being in turmoil, with people saying, "who is this?" and the crowds answer, "this is jesus, the prophet from nazareth." >> he arrives just as the city prepares for passover. >> passover is the largest religious event of the jewish calendar. language like "king of the jews" and promises of a new kingdom is very powerful, especially when people are celebrating the liberation of the jewish people from a tyrannical power. >> now we really can understand why the more zealotic disciples would say, "let's get ready to rumble. he's going to come and kick the romans out of town. we're going to get our capital city back." >> jesus riding in to jerusalem through the streets on the back of a donkey isn't just simple transportation into the city.