Cloaks and branches on the road are red-carpet treatment declaring Jesus as king — the only OT parallel is 2 Kings 9:13 where Jehu is declared king of Israel.

The cloaks on the colt were practical (no saddle for an unridden animal) and honorable. The cloaks on the road had no practical purpose — this was a royal declaration. The only other biblical instance of garments placed on the ground for someone is 2 Kings 9:13, when Jehu is proclaimed king: "They hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps and blew the trumpet saying Jehu is king." The branches serve the same red-carpet function.