They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” – John 12:13

Jesus enters into Jerusalem and the beginning of the Passover festival with much fanfare. Many have witnessed him raising dead Lazarus to life and are now whipped into a triumphant frenzy. The scene was typical for when a city would welcome a returning king from the victory of battle.