And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?
The question comes as the disciples begin to untie a tied young donkey on which no one had ever sat, and the bystanders notice and demand to know what they are doing in taking it. Jesus had sent two disciples from Bethany at Passover time to fetch the animal for his short ride into Jerusalem, though he had always chosen to travel on foot. When they answer as he had instructed they are allowed to take it, and they bring it back, lay their garments upon it, set him on it, and spread garments in his path. The loosing opens his humble triumphal entry as Messiah and King amid crowds with branches and garments and shouts of triumph, fulfilling the prophecy given five hundred years before of the lowly king riding on a colt. He who had long refused royal honors now accepts homage as the promised heir to David's throne, yet his triumph is unlike earth's conquerors, for his trophies are Lazarus restored from the grave, the blind, the dumb, the crippled, widows, orphans, lepers, and others rescued and healed.
Setting and Action
On the first day of the week at Passover time Jesus sent two disciples from Bethany to bring a colt, the foal of an ass, for the short ride into Jerusalem, though he had always chosen to travel on foot. The command was to bring the animal for his entry into the city and for his own use in riding there.
The unusual order puzzled the disciples, but it raised their hopes that he was about to enter the capital to proclaim himself King and assert royal power. They shared that anticipation with his friends until excitement spread far and near and raised the expectations of the people to the highest pitch. The animal itself was a tied colt upon which never man had sat, selected by Jesus to ride for the Passover.
As the disciples began to loosen the colt, certain people standing there noticed it and challenged them, asking what they were doing and why they were untying it. The colt was not taken without notice and had to be explained. When the disciples answered as Jesus had instructed, the bystanders let them take the animals.
The disciples then brought the colt, prepared it, spread their garments upon it in glad enthusiasm, and set Jesus upon him. They also spread garments in his path as he was loosed to ride into Jerusalem.
King and Prophecy
The loosing of the colt leads to Jesus riding forward into Jerusalem in humble triumphal entry as Messiah and King. He advances seated on the donkey colt in flowing robe and mantle, while a large crowd of men, women and children gathers around Him along the road toward the city. Followers and onlookers raise leafy and palm branches, lay foliage and garments beneath and across the road, spread garments upon the colt and set Him upon it, and spread garments in His path. They kneel and bow in welcome, celebrate His approach, and hail Him with shouts of triumph as Messiah their King, proclaiming THY KING COMETH. He who had so long refused royal honors and never before permitted such homage now accepted it. He comes to Jerusalem as the promised heir to David's throne, just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass, selecting for His own use a colt upon which never man had sat. As soon as He was seated the multitude hailed Him in glad enthusiasm, and the disciples spread their garments upon the colt and placed their Master upon him. His triumph was unlike the triumphs of earth's conquerors with mourning captives as trophies of valor. About Him were the glorious trophies of His labors of love, guided by Lazarus whose body had seen corruption in the grave and was now restored to the full strength of glorious manhood. The blind to whom He restored sight led the way, the dumb whose tongues He loosed shouted the loudest hosannas, the cripples He healed bounded freely and broke palm branches and waved them before Him, widows and orphans exalted Him for mercy, cleansed lepers rescued from living death spread untainted garments in His path, captives rescued from Satan's power praised God, and others awakened from the sleep of death joined the praise. The royal entry on the colt fulfilled prophecy, given five hundred years before Christ's birth, of Zechariah's lowly king riding on a colt. The questioning of the disciples as they untied the colt belongs to the events leading to that prophesied entry. By it public attention was drawn to Jesus as Messiah and King before His approaching sacrifice. The disciples who prepared the colt expected Him to take an earthly kingdom, so their hopes were soon shattered when He was killed, but after His resurrection their hope in Him revived. Together with the cleansing of the temple and the judgment on the barren fig tree, the triumphal entry pointed to Jerusalem's doom.
The question comes as the disciples begin to untie a tied young donkey on which no one had ever sat, and the bystanders notice and demand to know what they are doing in taking it. Jesus had sent two disciples from Bethany at Passover time to fetch the animal for his short ride into Jerusalem, though he had always chosen to travel on foot. When they answer as he had instructed they are allowed to take it, and they bring it back, lay their garments upon it, set him on it, and spread garments in his path. The loosing opens his humble triumphal entry as Messiah and King amid crowds with branches and garments and shouts of triumph, fulfilling the prophecy given five hundred years before of the lowly king riding on a colt. He who had long refused royal honors now accepts homage as the promised heir to David's throne, yet his triumph is unlike earth's conquerors, for his trophies are Lazarus restored from the grave, the blind, the dumb, the crippled, widows, orphans, lepers, and others rescued and healed.
Setting and Action
On the first day of the week at Passover time Jesus sent two disciples from Bethany to bring a colt, the foal of an ass, for the short ride into Jerusalem, though he had always chosen to travel on foot. The command was to bring the animal for his entry into the city and for his own use in riding there.
The unusual order puzzled the disciples, but it raised their hopes that he was about to enter the capital to proclaim himself King and assert royal power. They shared that anticipation with his friends until excitement spread far and near and raised the expectations of the people to the highest pitch. The animal itself was a tied colt upon which never man had sat, selected by Jesus to ride for the Passover.
As the disciples began to loosen the colt, certain people standing there noticed it and challenged them, asking what they were doing and why they were untying it. The colt was not taken without notice and had to be explained. When the disciples answered as Jesus had instructed, the bystanders let them take the animals.
The disciples then brought the colt, prepared it, spread their garments upon it in glad enthusiasm, and set Jesus upon him. They also spread garments in his path as he was loosed to ride into Jerusalem.
King and Prophecy
The loosing of the colt leads to Jesus riding forward into Jerusalem in humble triumphal entry as Messiah and King. He advances seated on the donkey colt in flowing robe and mantle, while a large crowd of men, women and children gathers around Him along the road toward the city. Followers and onlookers raise leafy and palm branches, lay foliage and garments beneath and across the road, spread garments upon the colt and set Him upon it, and spread garments in His path. They kneel and bow in welcome, celebrate His approach, and hail Him with shouts of triumph as Messiah their King, proclaiming THY KING COMETH.
He who had so long refused royal honors and never before permitted such homage now accepted it. He comes to Jerusalem as the promised heir to David's throne, just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass, selecting for His own use a colt upon which never man had sat. As soon as He was seated the multitude hailed Him in glad enthusiasm, and the disciples spread their garments upon the colt and placed their Master upon him.
His triumph was unlike the triumphs of earth's conquerors with mourning captives as trophies of valor. About Him were the glorious trophies of His labors of love, guided by Lazarus whose body had seen corruption in the grave and was now restored to the full strength of glorious manhood. The blind to whom He restored sight led the way, the dumb whose tongues He loosed shouted the loudest hosannas, the cripples He healed bounded freely and broke palm branches and waved them before Him, widows and orphans exalted Him for mercy, cleansed lepers rescued from living death spread untainted garments in His path, captives rescued from Satan's power praised God, and others awakened from the sleep of death joined the praise.
The royal entry on the colt fulfilled prophecy, given five hundred years before Christ's birth, of Zechariah's lowly king riding on a colt. The questioning of the disciples as they untied the colt belongs to the events leading to that prophesied entry. By it public attention was drawn to Jesus as Messiah and King before His approaching sacrifice.
The disciples who prepared the colt expected Him to take an earthly kingdom, so their hopes were soon shattered when He was killed, but after His resurrection their hope in Him revived. Together with the cleansing of the temple and the judgment on the barren fig tree, the triumphal entry pointed to Jerusalem's doom.