Tag Archives: a colt

LUKE’S GOSPEL…WHICH WAY? – 50

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“After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem…“Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.”…Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them…They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road…As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭28‬, ‭30‬, ‭32‬, ‭35‬-‭36‬, ‭41‬-‭44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…Not the way a Jewish king arrived to claim his throne. The donkey, yes! The crowds! Yes! 

“The scripture describing a Jewish king riding a donkey is Zechariah 9:9, which prophesies a “just and having salvation” King arriving “lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey”. This signifies a humble, peaceful king rather than a warrior on a horse. It is famously fulfilled by Jesus in Matthew 21:5.” 

“Solomon rode a donkey for his coronation (1 Kings 1:33), and various Old Testament leaders used donkeys (Judges 5:10; 10:4; 12:14).” ( Google AI)

“Jesus’ riding a donkey on his triumphant entry to Jerusalem is a model of humility and selflessness. Donkeys are symbols of humbleness, and by choosing one instead of a horse, Jesus showed his humility. This fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy about the coming of a righteous king on a donkey. “

(Source: Google –  “Why did Jesus choose to ride on a donkey if he is the Messiah the King?”)

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ action was a perfect fulfilment of Zechariah’s prophecy. However, unlike an earthly king who would claim his right to an earthly and political throne, Jesus did not move towards Pilate’s residence to challenge and unseat the Roman governor as the people anticipated that their Messiah would do. Instead, He headed for the temple. Why?

Throughout His public ministry, Jesus had one focus…the kingdom of God. He painstakingly taught, through parables and illustrations and, by demonstrating the nature of God’s  rule through signs and miracles, what God’s government on earth looks like. 

Jesus also claimed to be the king, the supreme authority over God’s kingdom. Through His submission and obedience to the Father in His earthly role as the Son of Man…that is, both a human being and God’s Messiah, and after His resurrection…He was given all authority in heaven and on earth.  

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus headed for the temple, the seat of the Father’s spiritual authority over the nation of Israel.  His throne was, symbolically, the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place in the temple. From there, He ruled in judgment and mercy. 

En route to take the throne, Jesus paused for moment to overlook the city from a viewpoint on the Mount of Olives. In His imagination, He could already see  the mayhem of God’s judgment falling on Jerusalem. He could hear the clatter of chariot wheels and horses’ hooves, the clamour of soldiers’ shouts, the wails of wounded and dying Jews. He could smell the blood and see the bodies of men, women, and children randomly scattered on the streets of the city like autumn leaves…ruin and destruction everywhere. 

…and Jesus wept…wept for His people, His beloved nation, the ones He had led through a howling wilderness to their own land, the ones He had come in person to rescue from their self-inflicted destruction. He wept for the “fallen leaves” lying motionless in the streets…God’s unfulfilled purposes, wasted opportunities…now only useless “trash” to be dumped in Gehenna, the city’s garbage dump. He wept for what could have been. 

“If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

If only…but now…! What a terrible indictment against the people, now singing, dancing, and celebrating their ”king”, who would, in the next few days, turn on Him, yell for His death, and watch Him bleed, skewered with nails, like a piece of meat, to a Roman torture stake…for them!

…but it had to be!

In the heart of Jesus, there is both sorrow and joy, sorrow for wasted lives consigned to the trash, and joy for those who turned away from their self-inflicted foolishness, to set self aside forever, and to embrace and follow Him as Lord. The opportunity is still there as long as the earth remains. 

Which way? Not Pilate’s palace to claim an earthly throne. The temple where He reigns as king over heart and life.  

The choice is yours…

To be continued…

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – CRUNCHTIME IN JERUSALEM!

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CHAPTER 11

CRUNCHTIME IN JERUSALEM!

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”
4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Mark 11:1-10

Everything Jesus did had meaning and purpose. Zechariah, the prophet, predicted this event some 400+ years before. Way back in the time of Israel’s weakness and oppression, he visualised Israel’s Messiah riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Now it was happening. What was this? In the eyes of Rome, it was an act of treason. The people were excited. At last their king had come and they looked forward to a new life of freedom from the hated Romans.

The religious leaders were appalled. They had no desire to turn Jerusalem into a war zone against the Romans. What could one man and a motley group of 12 men do against the might of Rome? This man had to be silenced before things really got out of hand. Their past experience reminded them that, if they got rid of the ring leaders the followers would easily be disbanded. This was crunch time for them. Passover was coming up when Jerusalem would be filled with visitors from all over Israel – a good time to trigger a coup.

Despite conflicting agendas between Jesus and His disciples, Jesus was confident. He seemed to know what He was doing. Was He going to head for Pilate’s residence, the Roman Praetorium, or Herod’s palace (Herod happened to be in Jerusalem – convenient for a coup!)? No, the temple was His destination.

The crowd was excited. Everyone hailed Him as the son of David, paying homage by paving the road with their cloaks and palm branches. This was a blatant bid for kingship. Finally, their hopes and dreams for deliverance from Rome were about to be realised. They waited expectantly for the showdown, egging Jesus on by their show of support.

The disciples were bewildered and afraid. Would they have to tackle Rome by themselves? Where was the army? Jesus had never indicated something like this as part of His plan. He had taught them non-violence, humility, gentleness and submission. They could not figure out what was going on. They only thing He kept repeating was that He was going to die in Jerusalem at the hands of the Jews. How would that win their freedom from Rome? They were very apprehensive and reluctant followers as they made their way into Jerusalem.