And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?
As they were untying the colt its owners asked why they were loosing it, in the errand in which Jesus sent two of His disciples to bring the animal because the Lord needed it for His entry into Jerusalem, and the request was readily granted. He who had always traveled on foot chose for this short ride to the Passover a colt, the foal of an ass, upon which never man had sat, and the disciples in glad enthusiasm spread their garments upon it and set Him upon it. The loosing of the colt opened His royal entry into Jerusalem on the first day of the week as the promised humble King riding as Jewish custom required, in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. It opened a triumphal procession unlike those of earth's conquerors, with no mourning captives but the trophies of His love around Him, while the multitude welcomed Him as Messiah and King with hosannas and worship, carpeting His path with garments and waving palm branches of victory. He who had never before permitted such public homage now accepted it, though the disciples and people who expected Him to take David's throne and free Israel from Rome did not yet understand that He must suffer and rise, and the ride led to His weeping over the doomed city in mercy and love toward those who rejected Him, looking beyond Jerusalem to an impenitent world and warning all to recognize their need of Him.
The Errand for the Colt
As they were untying the colt its owners asked why they were loosing it. This belonged to a carefully directed errand to obtain the animal for the royal entry into Jerusalem, and the message that the Lord needed it was readily granted. The colt belonged to owners who questioned the disciples, and the fetching of it was done at direction for the journey into Jerusalem as part of the preparations to enter as the promised King.
Two disciples were sent to bring the colt, the foal of an ass, so He could ride the short distance into Jerusalem for the Passover. He had always chosen to travel on foot, and this choice to ride puzzled the disciples. Nearing Jerusalem for the Passover, the two brought the colt at command so He could ride into the city.
For His own use He deliberately chose a colt that had never been ridden and upon which never man had sat. In glad enthusiasm the disciples spread their garments upon the colt and placed their Master upon it to ride toward Jerusalem. They placed their garments on the colt, and then spread garments and leafy branches in His path.
This took place on the first day of the week as He resumed His journey to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. He was accompanied by multitudes who had flocked to Bethany to see Him and by others on the way to the feast who kept joining Him. It was the beautiful season when the Mount of Olives was green and many had come for the feast, and the raising of Lazarus had drawn a large, enthusiastic crowd eager to see Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
The untying of the colt opened His royal entry into Jerusalem as the promised humble King riding a donkey. It was in keeping with Jewish custom for a king, and it fulfilled the prophecy about the Messiah in Zechariah 9:9. His followers honored Him as King, hailing Him as King and Messiah.
Its loosing opened a triumphal procession unlike those of earth's conquerors, with no train of mourning captives as trophies of valor but with the glorious trophies of His labors of love for sinful man around Him as Saviour, Liberator and King of Glory. The beast was guided by Lazarus, whose body had seen corruption in the grave and was now restored to the full strength of glorious manhood. About the rider pressed captives rescued from Satan's power praising God for deliverance, the blind with restored sight leading the way, the dumb with loosed tongues shouting the loudest hosannas, the healed cripples bounding and waving palm branches, widows and orphans exalting Him for mercy, cleansed lepers spreading untainted garments in His path, and those awakened from the sleep of death.
The crowd welcomed Him as Messiah and King with shouts of triumph and hosannas and the worship of happy hearts. They spread outer garments as a carpet in His path and strewed leafy branches of olive and palm in the way. They cut down spreading palm boughs as nature's emblem of victory and waved them aloft with loud acclamations. The scene presents Him as the coming King riding the colt brought at His command as He neared Jerusalem for Passover.
Jesus now accepted this public homage, though He had never permitted it before. The disciples took it as a sign that their hopes of seeing Him acknowledged as Israel's king in Jerusalem would be fulfilled.
The disciples and the people expected Him to enter the capital to proclaim Himself King of the Jews and assert His royal power, to be crowned king and take David's throne in Jerusalem and free Israel from Rome and its oppressors with political freedom. They mistakenly expected Him to take an earthly kingdom, and people flocked from all the region about crying Hosanna to the Son of David. While on their errand the disciples told their glowing hopes to friends of Jesus, so excitement spread far and near and raised the expectations of the people to the highest pitch.
The disciples did not yet understand that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. When the priests and elders asked Jesus to still the multitude, He declared that if they held their peace even the stones would cry out, because prophecy must be fulfilled. In a few days those same disciples saw their beloved Master, whom they believed would reign on David's throne, stretched upon the cruel cross above the mocking, taunting Pharisees, with their high hopes disappointed and the darkness of death closing about them. That disappointment was greater than the later disappointment over His expected coming.
Mercy and Final Warning
The untying of the colt opened the ride into Jerusalem that led to His weeping over the city from the crest of Olivet. That entry displays His mercy and love toward a doomed city that rejected that mercy and love. It points especially to His mercy and love in dying for sinful man so that he might not perish in his sins.
His weeping over Jerusalem in that solemn entry looked beyond the destruction of Jerusalem to an impenitent world doomed to destruction. His entering Jerusalem, weeping over the city, and performing mighty works also point to events of the last great day. They warn people to recognize their need of Christ and to respond to Him.
The same triumphal ride raised the expectation among the disciples that He would be crowned king, while people flocked from all the region about crying Hosanna to the Son of David. When the priests and elders asked Him to still the multitude He declared that if they held their peace even the stones would cry out, because prophecy must be fulfilled. Yet in a few days those same disciples saw their beloved Master, whom they believed would reign on David's throne, stretched upon the cruel cross above the mocking, taunting Pharisees, with their high hopes disappointed and the darkness of death closing about them. That disappointment was greater than the later disappointment over His expected coming. Even so, Christ remains true to His promises, with sweet consolation for His people and rich reward for the true and faithful.
As they were untying the colt its owners asked why they were loosing it, in the errand in which Jesus sent two of His disciples to bring the animal because the Lord needed it for His entry into Jerusalem, and the request was readily granted. He who had always traveled on foot chose for this short ride to the Passover a colt, the foal of an ass, upon which never man had sat, and the disciples in glad enthusiasm spread their garments upon it and set Him upon it. The loosing of the colt opened His royal entry into Jerusalem on the first day of the week as the promised humble King riding as Jewish custom required, in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. It opened a triumphal procession unlike those of earth's conquerors, with no mourning captives but the trophies of His love around Him, while the multitude welcomed Him as Messiah and King with hosannas and worship, carpeting His path with garments and waving palm branches of victory. He who had never before permitted such public homage now accepted it, though the disciples and people who expected Him to take David's throne and free Israel from Rome did not yet understand that He must suffer and rise, and the ride led to His weeping over the doomed city in mercy and love toward those who rejected Him, looking beyond Jerusalem to an impenitent world and warning all to recognize their need of Him.
The Errand for the Colt
As they were untying the colt its owners asked why they were loosing it. This belonged to a carefully directed errand to obtain the animal for the royal entry into Jerusalem, and the message that the Lord needed it was readily granted. The colt belonged to owners who questioned the disciples, and the fetching of it was done at direction for the journey into Jerusalem as part of the preparations to enter as the promised King.
Two disciples were sent to bring the colt, the foal of an ass, so He could ride the short distance into Jerusalem for the Passover. He had always chosen to travel on foot, and this choice to ride puzzled the disciples. Nearing Jerusalem for the Passover, the two brought the colt at command so He could ride into the city.
For His own use He deliberately chose a colt that had never been ridden and upon which never man had sat. In glad enthusiasm the disciples spread their garments upon the colt and placed their Master upon it to ride toward Jerusalem. They placed their garments on the colt, and then spread garments and leafy branches in His path.
This took place on the first day of the week as He resumed His journey to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. He was accompanied by multitudes who had flocked to Bethany to see Him and by others on the way to the feast who kept joining Him. It was the beautiful season when the Mount of Olives was green and many had come for the feast, and the raising of Lazarus had drawn a large, enthusiastic crowd eager to see Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
The untying of the colt opened His royal entry into Jerusalem as the promised humble King riding a donkey. It was in keeping with Jewish custom for a king, and it fulfilled the prophecy about the Messiah in Zechariah 9:9. His followers honored Him as King, hailing Him as King and Messiah.
Its loosing opened a triumphal procession unlike those of earth's conquerors, with no train of mourning captives as trophies of valor but with the glorious trophies of His labors of love for sinful man around Him as Saviour, Liberator and King of Glory. The beast was guided by Lazarus, whose body had seen corruption in the grave and was now restored to the full strength of glorious manhood. About the rider pressed captives rescued from Satan's power praising God for deliverance, the blind with restored sight leading the way, the dumb with loosed tongues shouting the loudest hosannas, the healed cripples bounding and waving palm branches, widows and orphans exalting Him for mercy, cleansed lepers spreading untainted garments in His path, and those awakened from the sleep of death.
The crowd welcomed Him as Messiah and King with shouts of triumph and hosannas and the worship of happy hearts. They spread outer garments as a carpet in His path and strewed leafy branches of olive and palm in the way. They cut down spreading palm boughs as nature's emblem of victory and waved them aloft with loud acclamations. The scene presents Him as the coming King riding the colt brought at His command as He neared Jerusalem for Passover.
Jesus now accepted this public homage, though He had never permitted it before. The disciples took it as a sign that their hopes of seeing Him acknowledged as Israel's king in Jerusalem would be fulfilled.
The disciples and the people expected Him to enter the capital to proclaim Himself King of the Jews and assert His royal power, to be crowned king and take David's throne in Jerusalem and free Israel from Rome and its oppressors with political freedom. They mistakenly expected Him to take an earthly kingdom, and people flocked from all the region about crying Hosanna to the Son of David. While on their errand the disciples told their glowing hopes to friends of Jesus, so excitement spread far and near and raised the expectations of the people to the highest pitch.
The disciples did not yet understand that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. When the priests and elders asked Jesus to still the multitude, He declared that if they held their peace even the stones would cry out, because prophecy must be fulfilled. In a few days those same disciples saw their beloved Master, whom they believed would reign on David's throne, stretched upon the cruel cross above the mocking, taunting Pharisees, with their high hopes disappointed and the darkness of death closing about them. That disappointment was greater than the later disappointment over His expected coming.
Mercy and Final Warning
The untying of the colt opened the ride into Jerusalem that led to His weeping over the city from the crest of Olivet. That entry displays His mercy and love toward a doomed city that rejected that mercy and love. It points especially to His mercy and love in dying for sinful man so that he might not perish in his sins.
His weeping over Jerusalem in that solemn entry looked beyond the destruction of Jerusalem to an impenitent world doomed to destruction. His entering Jerusalem, weeping over the city, and performing mighty works also point to events of the last great day. They warn people to recognize their need of Christ and to respond to Him.
The same triumphal ride raised the expectation among the disciples that He would be crowned king, while people flocked from all the region about crying Hosanna to the Son of David. When the priests and elders asked Him to still the multitude He declared that if they held their peace even the stones would cry out, because prophecy must be fulfilled. Yet in a few days those same disciples saw their beloved Master, whom they believed would reign on David's throne, stretched upon the cruel cross above the mocking, taunting Pharisees, with their high hopes disappointed and the darkness of death closing about them. That disappointment was greater than the later disappointment over His expected coming. Even so, Christ remains true to His promises, with sweet consolation for His people and rich reward for the true and faithful.