Jesus Rides a Donkey in the Triumphal EntryBible World
11:4Mark 11:4
And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.
On the first day of the week on the short journey from Bethany to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two disciples to bring a colt for Him to ride, and they found it tied outside by a doorway where two roads met exactly as He had said, and loosed it. It was a humble beast upon which no one had ever sat, yet He chose it for His own use, and the disciples in glad enthusiasm spread their garments upon it and set Him upon it. He had always traveled on foot, and the disciples were puzzled why He preferred to ride so short a distance and did not yet understand His purpose. His riding thus fulfilled the prophecy given five hundred years before His birth that the King would come to Zion just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass, following the custom of a royal entry. His precise knowledge of where the colt would be found reveals His divinity, while His asking it of a stranger shows His dependence on another's kindness though all creation is His own.
Finding the Colt
On the first day of the week Jesus resumed the short journey from Bethany to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, accompanied by multitudes who had flocked to Bethany to see Him and by other companies on their way to keep the feast who continually joined them, all eager to witness His entry while all nature rejoiced. Though He had always chosen to travel on foot, He sent two of His disciples to bring a colt, the foal of an ass, for Him to ride into Jerusalem. The disciples were puzzled why He preferred to ride so short a distance when He had usually traveled on foot, and did not yet understand why He chose to ride.
They found the colt tied outside by a doorway in a place where two roads met, exactly where Jesus had said it would be, just as He had directed them. They loosed and untied it to prepare it for His entry into Jerusalem. It was a humble beast upon which no man had ever sat, yet Jesus selected it for His own use. In glad enthusiasm the disciples spread their garments upon the colt and placed their Master upon him.
The Humble King Enters
Riding the colt followed the custom of a royal entry and fulfilled the prophecy given five hundred years before His birth that the King would come to Zion just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass. After long refusing royal honors, Jesus now came to Jerusalem as the promised heir to David's throne and as Liberator and King of Glory, and He accepted the crowd's homage as Messiah and King. No sooner was He seated than a loud shout of triumph broke out as the multitude hailed Him with the worship of happy hearts.
His triumphal procession was unlike those of earthly conquerors, with no train of mourning captives but the glorious trophies of His love surrounding Him praising God for deliverance. The blind led the way, the dumb shouted the loudest hosannas, healed cripples broke palm branches and waved them, widows and orphans exalted Him for mercy, cleansed lepers spread garments in His path, those awakened from death were in the throng, and Lazarus restored from corruption in the grave to full strength guided the beast. A large crowd of men, women, and children gathered around Him advancing on the donkey, rejoicing, raising leafy and palm branches, strewing foliage in His path, spreading garments across the road, gesturing toward Him, and kneeling and bowing in welcome.
The entry took place in the beautiful season when many had gathered for the feast and all nature rejoiced, accompanied by multitudes who had flocked to Bethany to see Him and by other companies on their way to keep the feast. The raising of Lazarus had stirred great interest in Jesus and drawn an enthusiastic crowd to where He was staying. The disciples took the command to mean He was about to enter the capital to proclaim Himself King of the Jews and assert His royal power, and the people wrongly expected Him to take an earthly kingdom and to drive out Rome and restore Israel's political independence.
While going to loose the colt the disciples told their glowing anticipations to friends, and excitement spread far and near and raised expectations to the highest pitch. Their hopes were disappointed when He was crucified, then revived by His resurrection. His precise instructions reveal His divinity, and the owner readily granted the request when told that the Lord needed the animals. His dependence on a stranger's kindness contrasted with His ownership of all creation. Together with the cleansing of the temple and the withering of the barren fig tree, the triumphal entrance pointed to Jerusalem's coming doom, and the tears He shed looking over the city were His final appeals of love and compassion to a people who had rejected Him.
On the first day of the week on the short journey from Bethany to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two disciples to bring a colt for Him to ride, and they found it tied outside by a doorway where two roads met exactly as He had said, and loosed it. It was a humble beast upon which no one had ever sat, yet He chose it for His own use, and the disciples in glad enthusiasm spread their garments upon it and set Him upon it. He had always traveled on foot, and the disciples were puzzled why He preferred to ride so short a distance and did not yet understand His purpose. His riding thus fulfilled the prophecy given five hundred years before His birth that the King would come to Zion just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass, following the custom of a royal entry. His precise knowledge of where the colt would be found reveals His divinity, while His asking it of a stranger shows His dependence on another's kindness though all creation is His own.
Finding the Colt
On the first day of the week Jesus resumed the short journey from Bethany to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, accompanied by multitudes who had flocked to Bethany to see Him and by other companies on their way to keep the feast who continually joined them, all eager to witness His entry while all nature rejoiced. Though He had always chosen to travel on foot, He sent two of His disciples to bring a colt, the foal of an ass, for Him to ride into Jerusalem. The disciples were puzzled why He preferred to ride so short a distance when He had usually traveled on foot, and did not yet understand why He chose to ride.
They found the colt tied outside by a doorway in a place where two roads met, exactly where Jesus had said it would be, just as He had directed them. They loosed and untied it to prepare it for His entry into Jerusalem. It was a humble beast upon which no man had ever sat, yet Jesus selected it for His own use. In glad enthusiasm the disciples spread their garments upon the colt and placed their Master upon him.
The Humble King Enters
Riding the colt followed the custom of a royal entry and fulfilled the prophecy given five hundred years before His birth that the King would come to Zion just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass. After long refusing royal honors, Jesus now came to Jerusalem as the promised heir to David's throne and as Liberator and King of Glory, and He accepted the crowd's homage as Messiah and King. No sooner was He seated than a loud shout of triumph broke out as the multitude hailed Him with the worship of happy hearts.
His triumphal procession was unlike those of earthly conquerors, with no train of mourning captives but the glorious trophies of His love surrounding Him praising God for deliverance. The blind led the way, the dumb shouted the loudest hosannas, healed cripples broke palm branches and waved them, widows and orphans exalted Him for mercy, cleansed lepers spread garments in His path, those awakened from death were in the throng, and Lazarus restored from corruption in the grave to full strength guided the beast. A large crowd of men, women, and children gathered around Him advancing on the donkey, rejoicing, raising leafy and palm branches, strewing foliage in His path, spreading garments across the road, gesturing toward Him, and kneeling and bowing in welcome.
The entry took place in the beautiful season when many had gathered for the feast and all nature rejoiced, accompanied by multitudes who had flocked to Bethany to see Him and by other companies on their way to keep the feast. The raising of Lazarus had stirred great interest in Jesus and drawn an enthusiastic crowd to where He was staying. The disciples took the command to mean He was about to enter the capital to proclaim Himself King of the Jews and assert His royal power, and the people wrongly expected Him to take an earthly kingdom and to drive out Rome and restore Israel's political independence.
While going to loose the colt the disciples told their glowing anticipations to friends, and excitement spread far and near and raised expectations to the highest pitch. Their hopes were disappointed when He was crucified, then revived by His resurrection. His precise instructions reveal His divinity, and the owner readily granted the request when told that the Lord needed the animals. His dependence on a stranger's kindness contrasted with His ownership of all creation. Together with the cleansing of the temple and the withering of the barren fig tree, the triumphal entrance pointed to Jerusalem's coming doom, and the tears He shed looking over the city were His final appeals of love and compassion to a people who had rejected Him.