Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem from a DonkeyBible World
21:7Matthew 21:7
And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
The verse records the disciples bringing the donkey and its unridden colt, laying their clothes upon them, and seating Jesus upon the colt for His entry into Jerusalem. His riding was humble, without earthly pomp or display, yet it followed the customary royal entry on the kind of animal ridden by Israel's kings. In this He fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy that Israel's King and Messiah would come to His kingdom humbly on a donkey. The ride was a deliberate public presentation of Himself as Redeemer and Messiah, to direct attention to His approaching death as the sacrifice for the sins of the world. He accepted the public homage as the promised King, though the crowds took it as a sign He would establish an earthly kingdom and deliver Israel from Rome, a hope shattered at His crucifixion and revived after His resurrection.
The Humble Royal Entry
The disciples brought the ass and the colt, put their clothes upon them, and set Jesus upon the colt for His entry into Jerusalem. The colt He chose and rode had never been ridden before, on which no one had ever sat. This was the first time in His ministry that He consented to ride.
His riding was humble, without earthly pomp or costly display and without heavenly royal display with angels or divine trumpets, unlike a conqueror's parade. At the same time His riding followed the customary royal entry, using the kind of animal ridden by Israel's kings.
As He rode, followers and onlookers honored His path with their garments and with leafy branches and palm branches amid joyful shouts and rejoicing. The slopes of the Mount of Olives rang with that joyful shouting before His trial.
The occasion was a special, unforgettable gathering at Jerusalem. The crowd honoring Him included people He had rescued from Satan's power and healed — the blind, the formerly dumb and crippled, cleansed lepers, widows and orphans, people He had healed and people raised from the dead. Lazarus, restored to life and strength, guided the beast carrying his Liberator.
Prophecy and Divine Purpose
The seating upon the colt was the customary entry of a king, using the kind of animal ridden by Israel's kings, and in that humble riding Zechariah's prophecy was fulfilled that Israel's King and the Messiah would come to His kingdom humbly on a donkey. The preparation of bringing the donkey and the colt, laying clothes upon them, and setting Him thereon took place amid praise and rejoicing and also fulfilled Isaiah's prophetic vision of the Lord coming to Jerusalem as both ruler and shepherd, bringing God's work and care to His people. The prophecy was truly fulfilled in that special, unforgettable gathering at Jerusalem, where the multitude unknowingly fulfilled it, including people He had healed and people raised from the dead. His followers honored Him as King, believing He was about to be crowned and take David's throne to deliver Israel from its oppressors and establish an earthly kingdom, spreading garments and palm branches before Him with joyful acclaim, yet their hopes were shattered and ended in bitter disappointment when He was crucified and died, though after His resurrection their hope revived.
The ride was a deliberate, humble, public presentation without earthly pomp or heavenly royal display, with no angels or divine trumpets, meant to identify Him as Redeemer and Messiah and King. Its purpose was to direct attention to His approaching death as the sacrifice for the sins of the world, making His final progress to the cross widely known so that afterward, in recalling the events, people would search the prophecies, examine them, and recognize Him as the Messiah. The people's homage and joy shortly before His death for the world's sins faintly prefigured His future coming in the clouds with power and glory, accompanied by the triumph of angels and the rejoicing of the saints. Amid the rejoicing and hosannas the triumphal entrance pointed to Jerusalem's coming doom and destruction, and His tears over the city were His last appeals of love and compassion to it. That entry took place just before He cleansed the temple and presented the barren fig tree as a symbol of that destruction, the tree representing the Jewish nation in pride and apostasy unable to recognize its Redeemer.
Expectations and Present Application
By that seating upon the colt with the disciples' garments laid upon it, he was publicly presented as the promised Messiah and King, and the joyful spreading of garments before him was homage welcoming him as King in the hope he would be acknowledged at Jerusalem. The entry was humble without costly display, yet it followed the custom of a royal entry upon the kind of animal ridden by Israel's kings, and the crowd hailed and treated him as Messiah and King. He accepted that public homage and joyful welcome as King, even as those welcoming him looked for him to free Israel from Roman rule.
The disciples and the crowds took his consenting for the first time in his ministry to ride, upon a colt that had never been ridden, as the sign that he would now assert kingly authority, claim royal power, be crowned and take David's throne. They understood the customary royal entry fulfilling the prophecy of the Messiah coming as King to mean he would establish his kingdom as an earthly kingdom, deliver Israel from its oppressors and from Roman rule. Their hopes were soon shattered and ended in bitter disappointment when he was crucified and died, yet after his resurrection their hope revived.
Proclaiming this account of his riding into Jerusalem exalts and lifts up Jesus as Saviour, showing salvation is through Jesus exalted and not by being saved through law. Preaching it answers the charge of legalism by exalting Jesus more highly, convinces hearers of his centrality, and moves them to baptism and to unite with the church. His entry as the Son of God come into the world to draw all men unto him calls his followers to walk in the light of his glorious example without questioning the cost in labor, trial, and suffering. Each has a work to maintain the truth in its purity, to push the triumphs of his cross, and to extend his kingdom.
The verse records the disciples bringing the donkey and its unridden colt, laying their clothes upon them, and seating Jesus upon the colt for His entry into Jerusalem. His riding was humble, without earthly pomp or display, yet it followed the customary royal entry on the kind of animal ridden by Israel's kings. In this He fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy that Israel's King and Messiah would come to His kingdom humbly on a donkey. The ride was a deliberate public presentation of Himself as Redeemer and Messiah, to direct attention to His approaching death as the sacrifice for the sins of the world. He accepted the public homage as the promised King, though the crowds took it as a sign He would establish an earthly kingdom and deliver Israel from Rome, a hope shattered at His crucifixion and revived after His resurrection.
The Humble Royal Entry
The disciples brought the ass and the colt, put their clothes upon them, and set Jesus upon the colt for His entry into Jerusalem. The colt He chose and rode had never been ridden before, on which no one had ever sat. This was the first time in His ministry that He consented to ride.
His riding was humble, without earthly pomp or costly display and without heavenly royal display with angels or divine trumpets, unlike a conqueror's parade. At the same time His riding followed the customary royal entry, using the kind of animal ridden by Israel's kings.
As He rode, followers and onlookers honored His path with their garments and with leafy branches and palm branches amid joyful shouts and rejoicing. The slopes of the Mount of Olives rang with that joyful shouting before His trial.
The occasion was a special, unforgettable gathering at Jerusalem. The crowd honoring Him included people He had rescued from Satan's power and healed — the blind, the formerly dumb and crippled, cleansed lepers, widows and orphans, people He had healed and people raised from the dead. Lazarus, restored to life and strength, guided the beast carrying his Liberator.
Prophecy and Divine Purpose
The seating upon the colt was the customary entry of a king, using the kind of animal ridden by Israel's kings, and in that humble riding Zechariah's prophecy was fulfilled that Israel's King and the Messiah would come to His kingdom humbly on a donkey. The preparation of bringing the donkey and the colt, laying clothes upon them, and setting Him thereon took place amid praise and rejoicing and also fulfilled Isaiah's prophetic vision of the Lord coming to Jerusalem as both ruler and shepherd, bringing God's work and care to His people. The prophecy was truly fulfilled in that special, unforgettable gathering at Jerusalem, where the multitude unknowingly fulfilled it, including people He had healed and people raised from the dead. His followers honored Him as King, believing He was about to be crowned and take David's throne to deliver Israel from its oppressors and establish an earthly kingdom, spreading garments and palm branches before Him with joyful acclaim, yet their hopes were shattered and ended in bitter disappointment when He was crucified and died, though after His resurrection their hope revived.
The ride was a deliberate, humble, public presentation without earthly pomp or heavenly royal display, with no angels or divine trumpets, meant to identify Him as Redeemer and Messiah and King. Its purpose was to direct attention to His approaching death as the sacrifice for the sins of the world, making His final progress to the cross widely known so that afterward, in recalling the events, people would search the prophecies, examine them, and recognize Him as the Messiah. The people's homage and joy shortly before His death for the world's sins faintly prefigured His future coming in the clouds with power and glory, accompanied by the triumph of angels and the rejoicing of the saints. Amid the rejoicing and hosannas the triumphal entrance pointed to Jerusalem's coming doom and destruction, and His tears over the city were His last appeals of love and compassion to it. That entry took place just before He cleansed the temple and presented the barren fig tree as a symbol of that destruction, the tree representing the Jewish nation in pride and apostasy unable to recognize its Redeemer.
Expectations and Present Application
By that seating upon the colt with the disciples' garments laid upon it, he was publicly presented as the promised Messiah and King, and the joyful spreading of garments before him was homage welcoming him as King in the hope he would be acknowledged at Jerusalem. The entry was humble without costly display, yet it followed the custom of a royal entry upon the kind of animal ridden by Israel's kings, and the crowd hailed and treated him as Messiah and King. He accepted that public homage and joyful welcome as King, even as those welcoming him looked for him to free Israel from Roman rule.
The disciples and the crowds took his consenting for the first time in his ministry to ride, upon a colt that had never been ridden, as the sign that he would now assert kingly authority, claim royal power, be crowned and take David's throne. They understood the customary royal entry fulfilling the prophecy of the Messiah coming as King to mean he would establish his kingdom as an earthly kingdom, deliver Israel from its oppressors and from Roman rule. Their hopes were soon shattered and ended in bitter disappointment when he was crucified and died, yet after his resurrection their hope revived.
Proclaiming this account of his riding into Jerusalem exalts and lifts up Jesus as Saviour, showing salvation is through Jesus exalted and not by being saved through law. Preaching it answers the charge of legalism by exalting Jesus more highly, convinces hearers of his centrality, and moves them to baptism and to unite with the church. His entry as the Son of God come into the world to draw all men unto him calls his followers to walk in the light of his glorious example without questioning the cost in labor, trial, and suffering. Each has a work to maintain the truth in its purity, to push the triumphs of his cross, and to extend his kingdom.