All Posts Archived Lessons New Testament Old Testament Book of Mormon Doctrine & Covenants Search “Behold, Thy King Cometh” CFMCorner May 13, 2023 19 min read Updated: Apr 11, 2025 CFM: May 15–21 Matthew 21 INT , 22 INT , 23 INT ; Mark 11 INT ; Luke 19 INT , 20 INT ; John 12 INT Videos and Podcasts Video/ Podcast ​Lesson Extension ​Additional Materials Scripture Central Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12: Part 1 , Part 2 ​Resource Guide Follow Him Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12: Part 1 , Part 2 Transcripts Line Upon Line Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12 ​FHE Lesson Teaching with Power Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12 ​ Don't Miss This Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12 ​ ​CFM New Testament Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12 ​Unshaken Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12: Part 1 , Part 2 ​ ​The Interpreter Foundation Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12 ​Study helps by Jonn Claybaugh ​Teaching Helps with John Hilton Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12 ( not yet posted ) ​ ​Talk of Him Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12 ​ ​Ponderfun Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12 ( not yet posted ) ​Talking Scripture Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12 Show Notes Resources and Insights about this Week's Lesson The Triumphal Entry “Behold, Thy King Cometh” is the central message and Theme for this week's lesson, and all four gospels give an account of Christ's Coronation Procession into Jerusalem. In John's account, ​John 12:1-8 ( INT ), we read that Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus whom Christ had just raised from the dead, anointed the Savior's feet. In Daniel Smith's video and commentary on these events ( Messages of Christ ), Daniel provides some significant and powerful insights about the women that anointed Christ, both Mary and the unnamed woman, who anointed Christ's feet, and the unnamed woman who anointed Christ's head. Daniel makes a compelling argument that these were separate events, not a single event slightly altered in different accounts. Daniel explains that these holy anointings were not just simple acts of service. Instead, they were likely sacred ordinances that served significant purposes. Daniel writes, " In ancient times three main groups of people were anointed : prophets, priests, and kings. Both words Messiah in Hebrew, and Christ in Greek mean the “anointed one” and refer to anyone that has been anointed." Daniel explains that Mary's anointing of Christ's feet was preparatory for Christ's ordination as the King of Israel. This preceded his Triumphal Entry into the City as both the bridegroom of Israel ( Zechariah 9:9 INT ) and the son of David, the rightful heir to the throne ( 1 Kings 1:33 INT ) . The unknown woman who anointed Christ's head corresponded with Christ's ordination as the High Priest of Israel ( Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9 ). This ordinance heralded Christ's performance of the Atonement, an event foreshadowed during the annual festival of Yom Kippur, the “Day of Atonement.” Daniel beautifully describes how these ordinances and traditions can teach us about the life and mission of Jesus Christ. The Triumphal Entry is frequently referred to as Palm Sunday. This is because when Christ entered the city, the people waved palm branches to welcome him. The palm branches were highly symbolic to the people, as these were frequently associated with the Sukkot festival, or the Feast of Tabernacles. During Sukkot, it is the tradition of Jews to make temporary shelters to live in during the High Holy Days to remind them of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. Traditionally, palm leaves were and are used to cover the Suukot (temporary shelters). This serves as a reminder that God has promised to protect and shelter us during our sojourn through mortality, our wandering in the wilderness in our temporary bodies or tabernacles. This concept is symbolically depicted with the palm frond. In Greek, the word for a palm leaf was φοῖνιξ Phoenix. This is where the name for the city of Phoenix was derived, and it was also associated with the mythological Phoenix , the story of an immortal bird that rises from the ashes. This was a resurrection story that the Phoenicians spread, and yes, there is an etymological relationship between the names Phoenix and Phoenician. As discussed in previous lessons, the Phoenicians had been significant allies and friends with Israel during the time of King David. They helped to build both Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple. They shared the same alphabet and spoke a similar language. As such, it should not be surprising to see similar relationships and themes regarding their mythologies and traditions; at some point, these stories, histories, and legends intermingled with Jewish culture and later diverged into various forms. In Hebrew, the word for a palm tree was usually T amar , and the word for a palm leaf was Kaph . This is where we get the symbol for the Hebrew letter כך Kaph, the 11th letter of the alphabet, and this is where the letter K was derived. The כַּף Kaph has several symbolic associations in addition to a palm leaf. It represents the concept of a cover and shelter, as in the word Kippur , which means “Atonement,” and kipp a h , which is a head covering or cap. Kaph is also identified as the palm or hollow of the hand, and our word cup may have been derived from this ancient concept as a cup represent the measurement of a palm full. Like the palm of a hand and the fronds of a palm branch, the kaph was depicted with several lines that radiated outward. Like papyrus and other soft and absorbent fibers, palm fronds made writing materials that could absorb and preserve knowledge and lines of instruction. Kaph was regarded as a symbol of learning and humility because of its willingness to bow down and bend, as demonstrated in the word כָּפַף Kahaph , which is where the name kaph was derived. The word כְּתָב Katav means writing and scripture. The structure of this word helps to illustrate the principle of learning as one humbles themselves to receive lines of instruction through observing God's covenant, demonstrating symbolic Kaph associations. As explained by Dr. Keith Wilson in this week's “Follow Him” podcast, the palm branch was also seen as a symbol of victory in the ancient world, associated with the Greek goddess Nike . As Christ entered Jerusalem, crowds surrounded him and welcomed him with palm branches and shouts of ὡσαννά Hosannah . The phrase Hosannah comes from יָשַׁע (Yasha) and נָא (na), meaning “Save/ Deliver Us Now, we beseech you.” Yasha is also the root for the name יְהוֹשׁוּעַ Yehoshua, the Hebrew name for Jesus . When we dedicate a temple, a significant tradition that we observe is the “Hosanna Shout.” In essence, we are inviting and welcoming Jesus into his home, his Kingdom upon the Earth. Efforts to Entrap the Savior On three occasions , the Chief Priests and Scribes tried to entrap Jesus by strategically placing spies in the crowd. In Matthew 22:15-46 and Luke 20:21-44, various religious leaders and experts in Jewish law attempted to trap Jesus with carefully crafted questions. Their goals were to discredit Jesus, create legal problems for him, and undermine his influence among the people. Here are the methods they employed and some of the logic behind their attempts: The Question of Paying Taxes (Matthew 22:15-22, Luke 20:21-26): The Pharisees and Herodians took the first swing; they strategically positioned their spies to ask Jesus whether it was lawful to pay taxes to the Roman authorities. They believed this question could potentially entrap Jesus because if he advocated for paying taxes, it might anger the Jewish population, who despised the Roman occupation. On the other hand, if he denounced paying taxes, it could be seen as an act of rebellion against Roman rule, which could result in legal trouble. Additionally, this question had a deeper and more complicated context. The subject of taxes was a sticky subject that went back to the beginning of the Second Temple Period. During the construction of the Temple, the Persian government granted the Jews tax benefits to help offset the costs of the Temple's construction. During the reconstruction, several members outside the Jewish community wanted to be included, and they petitioned the government to allow them access. This community included Samaritans, Phoenicians, and others who believed that they were descendants of Israel and that they, too, had rights to the Temple. This community might have even included Persians and Magi, wise men and scholars, who had witnessed the miracles performed by Daniel and his colleagues. As converts to Daniel's God, they also wanted to be part of this historic restoration process. Over the course of several decades, legal battles ensued between the Jews and their “enemies,” and the Temple's construction was significantly delayed. After much deliberation, the Persians finally reached a verdict, and this verdict was in part reached because of tax issues. Jewish lawyers argued that if the Persians granted tax benefits to the Jews, what would stop others from trying to capitalize on the benefits, whether they observed Jewish law or not? Furthermore, the area was filled with people who could claim Israelite lineage in one way or another. If the Persians opened the door, this could drastically reduce the revenue they could collect in taxes. This argument helped to persuade the Persian government to side with the Jewish position. The Governor (Tirshatha) issued a decree that until a Priest could be found with Urim and Thummim, those who could not prove pure genealogical blood-lines would be denied not only access to the Temple but also access to the blessings of the Priesthood ( Ezra 2:62-63 and Nehemiah 7:64-65) . Christ vehement