As He neared Jerusalem Jesus sent two disciples ahead to fetch an unridden colt, bidding them answer any challenge by saying He needed it, and on that word it was given for His use on entering the city. Though all belonged to Him, He depended on a stranger's kindness for the animal, and His exact directions for finding it showed His divinity. The riding was a royal entry fulfilling prophecy that Messiah would come as King, a public claim to kingship which He accepted amid the multitude's worship and hosannas. The people and disciples took the homage to mean He would at once take David's throne, free Israel and reign as a temporal prince, and when within days He hung on the cross their hopes turned to bitter disappointment, yet prophecy was being fulfilled and He remained true to His promises. His weeping over the city in that ride looked beyond Jerusalem's destruction to a doomed impenitent world, so the entry points to scenes to be repeated in the last great day.
The Colt and Setting
The saying belongs to the account of Christ riding into Jerusalem in triumph. As He approached the city for His purpose in entering it, Jesus sent two of His disciples ahead to bring a colt, and when asked why they were taking it they were to answer that the Lord needed it. So the colt was taken and obtained for Jesus' use. He had commanded them to bring an ass's colt so He could ride into Jerusalem as He neared the city to attend the Passover surrounded by multitudes also going up to the feast.
The errand took place on the first day of the week on the short journey from Bethany to Jerusalem to keep the feast of the Passover. Multitudes who had flocked to Bethany to see Jesus accompanied Him, and other pilgrim companies going to the feast continually joined Him on the way to the city. It was a beautiful season when nature rejoiced in verdure and blossom fragrance, and many people had gathered for the feast. The raising of Lazarus had drawn an enthusiastic crowd eager to see Him. Though the distance was short and Jesus had always chosen to travel on foot, He now chose to ride.
The animal was a colt, the foal of an ass or donkey. It was deliberately chosen for His own use although no one had ever ridden or sat upon it. In the triumphal procession the humble beast was guided by Lazarus. The disciples in glad enthusiasm spread their garments upon the colt and placed Jesus upon it, and the moment He was seated the entry began. As He rode the crowd spread outer garments as a carpet in His path, strewed olive and palm branches in the way, and waved palm boughs.
The plea that the Lord had need of the animals was readily granted. The colt was obtained for His use because the Lord needed it. Although all the cattle belonged to Him, He depended on a stranger's kindness for a colt to ride into Jerusalem as King. His precise instructions and directions for obtaining it revealed His divinity.
Kingship, Disappointment, and Warning
The colt He claimed was for a royal entry, for riding an animal associated with Israel's kings fulfilled prophecy that the Messiah would come as King. That prophecy had to be fulfilled, so that if the people held their peace even the stones would cry out.
The entry was a public acknowledgment of His kingship which Jesus accepted. The moment He was seated the multitude broke into triumphant acclamation of Him as Messiah and King with the worship of happy hearts, with loud hosannas and shouting. Unlike the processions of earthly conquerors it had no train of mourning captives as trophies of valor, but was surrounded by the trophies of His labors of love for sinful man. About Him were captives rescued from Satan praising God, the blind whose sight was restored leading the way, the dumb whose tongues were loosed shouting hosannas, healed cripples waving palm branches, widows and orphans exalting Him for mercy, cleansed lepers spreading garments in His path and hailing Him as King of Glory, and others awakened from the sleep of death, with the humble beast guided by Lazarus restored from corruption in the grave to full strength.
The disciples and people hailed Him as Messiah and King, but wrongly took that homage as proof that He would soon be acknowledged as Israel's king in Jerusalem. They expected Him to take David's throne and an earthly kingdom, to free Israel from its oppressors, to enter the capital and proclaim Himself King of the Jews and assert His royal power, and to reign as a temporal prince. Though the distance was short and He had always chosen to travel on foot, the disciples were puzzled by His choice to ride, yet hope brightened in them. They told that hope on their errand, until excitement spread far and near and raised the expectations of the people to the highest pitch, and people flocked from all the region about crying Hosanna to the Son of David.
Those high hopes were not realized as imagined, and soon turned to bitter disappointment. In a few days those same disciples who believed He would reign on David's throne saw their beloved Master stretched upon the cruel cross above the mocking, taunting Pharisees, with the darkness of death closing about them. That disappointment of the disciples was greater than later disappointment, yet prophecy was being fulfilled and Christ was true to His promises, giving sweet consolation to His people and rich reward to the true and faithful.
The riding into Jerusalem is a solemn subject. Christ's weeping over Jerusalem in that ride looked beyond the destruction of Jerusalem to an impenitent world doomed to destruction. The entry points to scenes that will be repeated in the last great day.
As He neared Jerusalem Jesus sent two disciples ahead to fetch an unridden colt, bidding them answer any challenge by saying He needed it, and on that word it was given for His use on entering the city. Though all belonged to Him, He depended on a stranger's kindness for the animal, and His exact directions for finding it showed His divinity. The riding was a royal entry fulfilling prophecy that Messiah would come as King, a public claim to kingship which He accepted amid the multitude's worship and hosannas. The people and disciples took the homage to mean He would at once take David's throne, free Israel and reign as a temporal prince, and when within days He hung on the cross their hopes turned to bitter disappointment, yet prophecy was being fulfilled and He remained true to His promises. His weeping over the city in that ride looked beyond Jerusalem's destruction to a doomed impenitent world, so the entry points to scenes to be repeated in the last great day.
The Colt and Setting
The saying belongs to the account of Christ riding into Jerusalem in triumph. As He approached the city for His purpose in entering it, Jesus sent two of His disciples ahead to bring a colt, and when asked why they were taking it they were to answer that the Lord needed it. So the colt was taken and obtained for Jesus' use. He had commanded them to bring an ass's colt so He could ride into Jerusalem as He neared the city to attend the Passover surrounded by multitudes also going up to the feast.
The errand took place on the first day of the week on the short journey from Bethany to Jerusalem to keep the feast of the Passover. Multitudes who had flocked to Bethany to see Jesus accompanied Him, and other pilgrim companies going to the feast continually joined Him on the way to the city. It was a beautiful season when nature rejoiced in verdure and blossom fragrance, and many people had gathered for the feast. The raising of Lazarus had drawn an enthusiastic crowd eager to see Him. Though the distance was short and Jesus had always chosen to travel on foot, He now chose to ride.
The animal was a colt, the foal of an ass or donkey. It was deliberately chosen for His own use although no one had ever ridden or sat upon it. In the triumphal procession the humble beast was guided by Lazarus. The disciples in glad enthusiasm spread their garments upon the colt and placed Jesus upon it, and the moment He was seated the entry began. As He rode the crowd spread outer garments as a carpet in His path, strewed olive and palm branches in the way, and waved palm boughs.
The plea that the Lord had need of the animals was readily granted. The colt was obtained for His use because the Lord needed it. Although all the cattle belonged to Him, He depended on a stranger's kindness for a colt to ride into Jerusalem as King. His precise instructions and directions for obtaining it revealed His divinity.
Kingship, Disappointment, and Warning
The colt He claimed was for a royal entry, for riding an animal associated with Israel's kings fulfilled prophecy that the Messiah would come as King. That prophecy had to be fulfilled, so that if the people held their peace even the stones would cry out.
The entry was a public acknowledgment of His kingship which Jesus accepted. The moment He was seated the multitude broke into triumphant acclamation of Him as Messiah and King with the worship of happy hearts, with loud hosannas and shouting. Unlike the processions of earthly conquerors it had no train of mourning captives as trophies of valor, but was surrounded by the trophies of His labors of love for sinful man. About Him were captives rescued from Satan praising God, the blind whose sight was restored leading the way, the dumb whose tongues were loosed shouting hosannas, healed cripples waving palm branches, widows and orphans exalting Him for mercy, cleansed lepers spreading garments in His path and hailing Him as King of Glory, and others awakened from the sleep of death, with the humble beast guided by Lazarus restored from corruption in the grave to full strength.
The disciples and people hailed Him as Messiah and King, but wrongly took that homage as proof that He would soon be acknowledged as Israel's king in Jerusalem. They expected Him to take David's throne and an earthly kingdom, to free Israel from its oppressors, to enter the capital and proclaim Himself King of the Jews and assert His royal power, and to reign as a temporal prince. Though the distance was short and He had always chosen to travel on foot, the disciples were puzzled by His choice to ride, yet hope brightened in them. They told that hope on their errand, until excitement spread far and near and raised the expectations of the people to the highest pitch, and people flocked from all the region about crying Hosanna to the Son of David.
Those high hopes were not realized as imagined, and soon turned to bitter disappointment. In a few days those same disciples who believed He would reign on David's throne saw their beloved Master stretched upon the cruel cross above the mocking, taunting Pharisees, with the darkness of death closing about them. That disappointment of the disciples was greater than later disappointment, yet prophecy was being fulfilled and Christ was true to His promises, giving sweet consolation to His people and rich reward to the true and faithful.
The riding into Jerusalem is a solemn subject. Christ's weeping over Jerusalem in that ride looked beyond the destruction of Jerusalem to an impenitent world doomed to destruction. The entry points to scenes that will be repeated in the last great day.