Jesus came, Riding on a Donkey
Part 2
by
Pastor Suzanne L. Taylor
God bless you all and welcome to our Resurrection Sunday message. It doesn’t matter that we are having it on what’s called Maundy Thursday, the night of deception, as we really don’t know the exact day Jesus was sold out or the day He was crucified. What we know is that the events which took place on Maundy Thursday led to the death and resurrection of our blessed Redeemer.
Last week we saw the Triumphal Entry of Jesus as the King of Israel, the King of the Jews into Jerusalem. This was done to fulfill this prophecy, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9). When the disciples of Jesus brought back the animals to Jesus, they laid their coats on the back of the colt. This was done because a king never rode on the back of an animal that was uncovered either by a saddle or by coats. The Lord rode on this baby animal because it was still pure; it hadn’t been ridden or worked as yet. In other words, it remained untouched by the world.
We also saw that the next several days were very busy ones for Jesus, in which He accomplished many things. He dealt with religion, spoke the 8 woes against the scribes and Pharisees, cleansed the temple, predicted the destruction of the temple, dried up a fig tree from the roots overnight, taught sound doctrine using parables, confounded the Pharisees with questions like, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" Jesus wept over Jerusalem, predicted His own destruction, was anointed for death, and told the signs of the times. He said, “Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified” (Matthew 26:2).
After Jesus had dressed down the scribes, Pharisees, and the Rabbis for being hypocrites, and after He declared the woes upon them, He left the temple with His followers. His disciples came to Him, and they asked, “Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?” (Matthew 26:17)
Passover was the most important feast day for the Jews. Till this day the Jews celebrate Passover in the same fashion as they did on the night Moses and all of Israel in Egypt did. Jesus ate it the same way with His disciples. There are very strict regulations about the foods they use, where they purchase them from, and how they prepare it all. Everything they eat that day must be “kosher.” The lamb must be butchered in a precise way. The bread has to be unleavened, no yeast, as they had no time to wait for it to rise before they baked it. The bitter herbs, the symbol of their slavery to Egypt, had to be washed and dried in a particular way. None of the foods for Passover can touch a tool or vessel or cutting board that is used for daily meal preparation. Everything had to be prepared exactly as God had commanded Moses.
Just as an aside: If you see something in a store showcase marked “kosher” don’t believe it. Just being in the showcase with other products denies that truth. Store butchers do not have the sanitary facilities to provide the care in producing kosher products. If they come pre-packaged, and have been shipped with other products, and have been displayed in cases that hold non-kosher products, it ain’t kosher!
Jesus answered the disciples with, “Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples” (Matthew 26:18). Did you notice that? Jesus said they should tell the man of the house that His “time was at hand.” Jesus was forecasting His impending death. He had told the followers several times that He would soon die, but they glossed over it. Jesus will tell them again. That will be during this Last Supper with them.
Jesus knew there was a traitor in His midst. He knew who that betrayer was and that he had already sold Jesus to the Chief Priests and scribes. He said, “Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me” (Matthew 26:21). Can you imagine the indignation the Apostles felt when Jesus said that? I can hear Peter now, “What do you mean someone will betray You? Show him to me. I’ll take care of the problem.” Yet, Peter betrayed Jesus that very night when he denied Jesus the three times. Eleven of the Apostles of Jesus who sat at table with Him that night would betray Jesus except for John who stayed true.
Yes, Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him. When Judas asked, “Master, is it I?” Jesus answer, “Thou hast said” (Matthew 26:25). Yet, even knowing Judas would do this, Jesus went on with the celebration of the feast. During the meal, Jesus took some bread, blessed it, which is, He prayed over it, and broke it. He then passed the bread to the Apostles, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26). Please take the bread of life. (John 6:47, 48)
Then Jesus poured the wine that would symbolize His shed Blood into a cup and passed it around, saying, “Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27, 28). Please drink the cup.
The “new testament” doesn’t mean a new Bible, or a new gospel. It means a new covenant. Jesus made a pact with the Apostles to be their blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin and their justification. He promised to lay His life down for them and their part of the covenant was to believe on Him, accepted Him as Lord and Savior, and to always commemorate this night by sharing His body and blood (bread and wine) with the brethren. The Apostles taught this practice to the church and it’s been passed way down through the centuries to us. This bread and blood are just as powerful for us today as it was the Apostles and disciples of Jesus’ day.
Of the Blood of Jesus, Pastor Alan Carr said, “Some people don’t like to talk about the blood. They make fun of us Baptists with our “bloody, slaughterhouse religion”. I would just remind you that there is no salvation apart from the shed blood of the Lamb, Heb. 9:22. You may not like the blood, but it is the blood of Jesus that washes all sin away, 1 John 1:7; Eph. 1:7. The blood of Jesus is the only thing that can reconcile a lost sinner to a holy God, Eph. 2:13. I think I’ll just stick with the blood! I think I’ll just keep preaching the blood! I think I’ll just keep rejoicing in the blood!” Isn’t that good? I’ll keep on with the Blood too.
After the supper was over, Jesus set aside His outward garment, wrapped a towel around His waist, filled a wash basin with water and began to wash the Apostles’ feet. When Jesus bowed in front of Peter, Peter gave Jesus a hard time. “No way, Master. You are not washing my feet!” But Jesus answered, and said, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” Then Peter said, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. (John 13:6-9). Jesus put His outer garment back on, sat back down and they sang the Hallel together before they left that upper room. A Hallel is any or all of Psalms 113-118. These are Psalms of praise. Jesus was praising God on His way to the Garden of Gethsemane.
This foot washing was done to demonstrate the humility shepherds should have for their sheep. It also demonstrated how everyone who claims Jesus as Savior should treat each other. One thing we should learn from Jesus’ entire ministry is compassion. There was no one who came to Jesus who was turned away. He loved and cared for all. That’s what we should do also.
Jesus warned the Apostles, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad” (Matthew 26:31). Peter responded, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Matthew 26:33). Jesus was correct. His inner circle all ran like scared rabbits afraid to taste the same condemnation Jesus suffered, and the same crucifixion. Peter stayed in the courtyard where he could hear what was going on, but every time it was suggested he was a follower, he denied it, and the third time he denied it vehemently using cuss words. That’s when he looked up into the eyes of Jesus, and he was undone.
When Jesus and the Apostles arrived in the garden, Jesus said, “Sit ye here, while I shall pray.” Then He called forth His core group, Peter, James, and John and said to them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). Every successful pastor has a core group of people around her that upholds her in prayer. They support the pastor any way they can. When she has a need, they stand in the gap for her. This core group is not a good example of that as they could not even stay awake for one hour to pray for Jesus. Three times Jesus came back from His passionate prayer for release from what was to come that very night. Three times the Apostles whom Jesus trusted most were sleeping. They did not stand in agreement with Him as He struggled in prayer for His life.
People ask, “Why was Jesus praying for release? He’s God, how much could the hanging hurt Him?” They forget that Jesus had to SUFFER. He was in a human body as we are and He endured pain as we do.
Jesus told the disciples, “Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me” (Matthew 26:46). Then, Judas appeared with the priests and the soldiers. Judas kissed Jesus and the soldiers arrested Him. And that was the beginning of the Passion of the Christ.
We know all that Jesus endured for us. He was ridiculed, mocked,, had a crown of thorns jammed onto His head so that it cut His head and face, His beard was yanked out of His face, He was punched, spat on and slapped in the face, and that’s before the big suffering began. He was brutally whipped across His back with such severity that His flesh was literally torn, not only torn open, but torn from His back.
When He was beaten down, weakened from pain and loss of blood, He was made to carry the cross beam of His cross. It was large and very heavy. Jesus needed help carrying that cumbersome burden. “And after they had mocked Him, they took His robe off and put His garments on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. And as they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross” (Matthew 27:31, 32).
Then it happened. The spikes were hammered. The Savior was hanged. He could not breathe, He was thirsty, His injuries were painful, and pain of all pain, God turned His back on Jesus. There is not one humiliating thing Jesus didn’t suffer in His humanity. He didn’t want to suffer any more than we do, but He did it for our sakes, for us to be saved. This is our example. “For even to this were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps” (I Peter 1:21). When we suffer, we should do so without anger or bitterness. This is a demonstration of the love we have for Jesus and others will see it, just as they looked on Jesus and were saved.
Name one who was saved by seeing Jesus suffer? I can’t give you his first name, but the thief on the cross near Jesus was saved when He watched Jesus love on the people as He suffered. “Father, forgive them,” He cried.
It is finished, over with, Jesus is dead. The soldiers don’t have to break His legs, the spear in the side caused His life to flow out of Him, and He’s dead. Joseph of Arimathea came to claim Jesus’ body. He buried it in his own tomb hewn from the side of a hill. The women quickly washed Jesus and covered Him in the herbs of burial, wrapped Him in a cloth with another one over His face, then left the tomb to run home and prepare for the Sabbath. When they left, the soldiers rolled a very heavy stone in front of the entrance of the tomb to keep anyone from stealing the body of the Lord.
After the Sabbath the women went running to the tomb to have the stone moved so they could properly prepare Jesus for His eternity. When they got to the garden tomb they were shocked and in despair to find Jesus wasn’t there. Yet instead of reflecting on His words in Matthew 17:22, 23, “The Son of man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up,” they went about wondering where the Romans could have taken Him! They knew that Jesus had said when He died He’d be raised in three days, yet they could not believe that One who had died such a horrible death could ever be brought back to life. They were wrong! Hallelujah, praise the Lamb!
Jesus had to come out of that tomb in order to finish the work of salvation. If He had stayed buried, we’d still be buried in sin. Once He came out, Jesus opened the door to Heaven that allows us to be free and live eternally with the Father. “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:44-49).
“Jesus came for the benefit of the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). The sinners, the demon possessed, the lepers, the blind, the enslaved were all the sheep Jesus sought to save. Did that originally include you and me? Yes! It’s recorded in the Old Testament that Jesus would be Savior of all. “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles” (Isaiah 42:1). Just remember that the Lord wanted to save God’s elect first, not only! It was always in His plan to make salvation available to all who “call upon the name of the Lord” (Romans 10:13).
Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed, and because He is risen, we will rise to the glory of God for eternity. Praise God, praise God! He arose for you and me! And He’s coming back soon!!!
