A STRING OF LITTLE MIRACLES

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples, 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. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say. ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back shortly.’ They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, ‘What are you doing untying the colt?’ They answered as Jesus told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the cold to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it (Mark 11: 1-7).  

Have you noticed how we tend to read this incident as a matter-of-fact account of something that was miraculous from beginning to end?

Take, for instance, the very fact that Jesus was nowhere near the village. He had no way of knowing that a colt was tethered in the doorway of a house on the outskirts of the village. How did He know that the colt was there and had never been broken in?

He instructed His disciples to help themselves to the colt without asking permission from the owner. Was this a usual practice in Israel? Wasn’t it tantamount to theft? And then He knew that some people would query their action and allow them to take the colt when they responded, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back shortly.’ No discussion, no questions asked! How could they be so trusting?

And then there is the matter of a young animal that had never been ridden. Wasn’t it risky for Jesus, a grown man, to climb on the back of a donkey that could bolt with Him out of fear? And yet, without a qualm, the donkey accepted this unknown rider as though they were old friends.

There is something supernatural about this whole event if one digs a little deeper. It’s as though it were all planned and rehearsed beforehand and went off smoothly and without a hitch. Was this one of those innumerable times when Jesus had communed with the Father, received His instructions and carried them out to the letter?

Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father, David! ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven,’ (Mark 11:8-10).

The atmosphere was electric with excitement and anticipation. How was it that many of the people were equipped with branches to spread on the road when Jesus entered Jerusalem? It’s almost as though they had received a tip-off that Jesus was about to set up His messianic rule in Jerusalem. They greeting Him and hailed His as their long-awaited Messiah. Finally their dreams were on the brink of fulfilment, so they thought. They were lavish with praise. The noise must have been deafening. People had gathered in Jerusalem from all over the land for the Feast of Passover. Thousands thronged the streets at that moment.

What was their expectation? When you listen to their words, you get a feeling of the intensity of their desire. All their hopes were pinned on this miracle-working prophet of God who said and did things that blew their minds. They had no doubt that He was able to send the Romans scurrying out of Israel in a heartbeat. There was no lack of evidence from their history that God could do this. Remember the Midianites whom Gideon defeated with only 300 men and no weapons? Remember the Assyrian host, all 186,000 of them wiped out supernaturally in one night?

Excitement and anticipation ran very high. The mob was whipped up into a frenzy of joy. At last they were going to be free of these pesky Roman soldiers who harassed them around every corner. God’s man had finally arrived and they were breathless with anticipation. What was about to happen? How was He going to handle this situation? They were ready to hound the Romans out of town and help them on their way if necessary.

But Jesus didn’t need their help. He could have called down the entire host of heaven to do the job for Him without lifting a finger. What was He going to do? Imagine the disciples’ excitement. Were they about to receive their commissions in this new kingdom of God? What places would each of them occupy? Which way would He go? To Pilate’s residence to throw down the gauntlet? To Herod’s palace to topple him from his throne?

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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