In varying amounts of detail, the Triumphal Entry is described in all four gospel accounts. Only Matthew and John were present at the event, and all four gospel writers had different purposes in choosing the details of their story line.
Although the Triumphal Entry is traditionally taken to have happened on the Sunday before the crucifixion of Jesus, experts vary on the exact day it happened. John wrote that Jesus arrived in Bethany six days before the Passover, and indicates the entry happened the next day. Based on the placement of the passages in the other gospels, it could be interpreted that the entry could have happened as late as two days before Passover.
When Jesus arrived on the top of the Mount of Olives, he would have looked over the western side of the Mount, across the Kidron Valley, up the eastern side of the Temple Mount, and at the Temple. The Temple was ornately covered with gifts and offerings, many of which were made of gold. It must have been quite a sight to see the many thousands of pilgrims with their campfires, the fires of sacrifice at the Temple, the ancient graves of the prophets, and the city of Jerusalem. The followers of Jesus were rightly impressed with what they could see. Jesus, however, was sorrowful. He could envision the future destruction of everything that his followers were admiring.