Jesus came, Riding on a Donkey
Part 1
by
Pastor Suzanne L. Taylor
When we were in Catholic Church when I was a child, we were handed palm fronds on the way out of the church after the Palm Sunday mass. I used to take the fronds and braid them. One that I made I kept for many years. I no longer have it because I realize the real celebration is not the tree, but the King.
Today is Palm Sunday. This is the day that commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This is the day that Jesus used to declare two things about Himself.
One, Jesus came into town riding. Up to this point the only time Jesus didn’t walk to His destinations is when He sailed to them. This riding signaled to His disciples and the people around Him that today was a new thing. Today Jesus declared Himself King of Israel.
Two, the donkey was the symbol of peace. When the king of a nation rode into town on a donkey, he was declaring peace. Jesus came declaring peace to all who would come to Him. Jesus rode the lowly donkey to declare Himself the King of peace.
There is a controversy about how Jesus got the donkey. Some say that Jesus knew the man who owned the animals, mother and colt, and He pre-arranged with the owner to allow the donkey to come to Him when His disciples came to get them. Others believe the man knew Jesus, so even though this was an unusual request from the Lord, he was very willing to allow his animal to be used. Still others say this was worked out by God 550 years before when God gave Zechariah this prophecy about the coming of Jesus, “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).
Personally, I don’t think it matters all that much. What matters is that Jesus came to earth at all. What matters was His life of service to Jew and Greek alike. What matters is He finally admitted His position as King of kings. What matters is this was the first day in Holy Week which would culminate in the death of Jesus on the cross, yet He didn’t balk at riding toward His death. He didn’t see the cross. Jesus saw the lost Jews and Gentiles and knew He must enter into this final week of life as a human.
Holy Week is often considered to have begun on Sunday when Jesus rode to town. It actually started on Saturday with a meal at Lazarus’ home with Martha and Mary and the disciples. This was the time that the sister of Lazarus, the former prostitute, took her “ointment of spikenard” which was very costly and smeared over Jesus’ feet. She loved her Lord so much that she didn’t bother about a towel, but wiped the feet of Jesus with her hair.
Spikenard is a very fragrant woodsy, musky scent. When Mary anointed Jesus’ feet, the fragrance filled the room. Its scent alerted Judas to the fact that Mary had just used up the ointment that could have brought a great amount of money if sold. Of course, his motives were far from pure as he was the money man for Jesus and the disciples. He said it could have been used for the poor, but he was angry because he saw all that money slipping out of his own fingers. He didn’t care about the poor a bit. John said it like this, “This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein” (John 12:6).
We need to understand why Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with this ointment. It was in preparation of His impending death. Look at what Jesus said when Judas made his foolish remark. “Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this” (John 12:7). Jesus knew, and it seems like Mary knew Jesus would die soon.
Most people associate Palm Sunday with celebration, and they should. But we must be sure we know what we’re celebrating. When Jesus rode into town “a great multitude” of people cut or broke palm branches from the trees and lay them in the road before Jesus as they would a king as they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” (Matthew 21:9). “Hosanna” is an exclamation of adoration. These people who lined the street were people from the towns and cities Jesus had travelled to and preached the gospel in. The people knew Him, had seen His miracles and they came because they thought He would finally take His position as King and free them from Roman dominion. Palm Sunday is all about the praise of God’s Son, the King of the Jews.
This day was one of great rejoicing. People even tossed their cloaks in the road for Jesus to ride over.” And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way” (Matthew 21:8). But this day was only the beginning of this week. Jesus had a lot to accomplish before His Last Supper, arrest, brutalizing, crucifixion, death and resurrection. It would begin with the cleansing of the temple on Monday morning.
Pastor John Gill wrote, “Christ went not to the tower of David, the strong hold of Zion, the palace of his father David; for he entered not as a temporal king; but he went to the house of his heavenly Father, as the lord and proprietor of it, to preach in it, and purge it; whereby the glory of the latter house became greater than that of the former.”
Jesus went to the temple to preach. He also wanted to cleanse it of all evil practices that were taking place. “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12, 13).
Jesus was zealous for God’s house. “And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (John 2:17). Jesus was righteously angry because of what these blasphemous men had done to the temple area. They were overcharging people for the animals they sold for sacrifices. They knew that the distance some people travelled to reach Jerusalem precluded their bring sacrifices with them, so took advantage of them. And the Jews knew this was against their own spiritual Laws. “And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise” (John 2:13-16).
Jesus is still zealous for God’s house which we are. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the bride of the Christ and He loves us.
Look how beautiful Jesus is. Even though He was very angry with those who contaminated the holiness of the temple, He could take time to reach out to those who needed Him. “And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them” (Matthew 21:14). Know what? If we come to Jesus in our needed, trusting in Him, He will heal us too. Problem with us is, we want Jesus to heal us, but we don’t want to change our lifestyle to keep our healing. “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:22).
The temple incident and the healings of the blind men were only two things that irked the spiritual leaders of the Jews. “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Matthew 21:15, 16) The priests and scribes hated Jesus passionately. He threatened their position, their livelihood, and they wanted Him gone.
During the week Jesus was busy telling the parable of the vineyard (Matthew 21:33-46), and the parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14). Jesus taught the lesson about paying taxes (Matthew 22:15-22). He taught about resurrection (Matthew 22:23-33).
On Wednesday, called “spy Wednesday” because it’s the day Judas turned traitor and agreed to show the High Priests where they could capture Jesus. He price was 30 pieces of silver, the price of a lowly slave who had no rights in this world but to do what their master told them. For this piddly sum, Judas sold out the Lord of the Kingdom.
On Thursday, called Maundy [pronounced môn'dE] Thursday because the Lord instituted the Lord’s Supper, Jesus did several things. He gave His apostles charge of getting the room and fixing the Passover meal. Jesus ate this Passover meal with His apostles and Passover has never been the same. He washed their feet as a demonstration of His humility, a humility we should have for each other. He broke bread for them and drank wine with them. He warned them He was about to be betrayed, and He told Judas, the traitor to do it quickly.
Margaret Minnicks, “Holy Communion is a reminder that just as physical food and drink nourish our physical bodies, Jesus’ death and resurrection give eternal life to our spirit.”
On this day Jesus was betrayed by one of His inner circle, Judas. Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane with such stress and agony that He sweat drops of blood. Jesus asked His Father, our God, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus was betrayed in that very same garden by a kiss from a man who walked closely with Him, again, Judas.
During this week, Jesus gave us a new commandment. “A new commandment I give unto you: that you love one another” (John 13:34). Oh, that we could learn to love as Jesus does!
Thursday we will go through the rest of Holy Week to the Resurrection of Jesus. Hallelujah!
Communion
As we take communion tonight, let’s remember all that Jesus did. There are no wasted days in His life. He used every moment to accomplish His purpose knowing the whole while that it would all end badly for Him. But He “so loved the world” that He came when His Father sent Him.
Know what? Jesus still loves the world, and He still loves the Jews. He will come again when His Father issues the command, “Go to earth and get my children, Your bride, and bring them Home.” This very well could be out last Passover/Resurrection Sunday on earth. Glory to God! I pray it is.
As you lift the bread to your mouth tonight, see it as the real body of Jesus made edible for our nourishment, for that’s what it is. Take it as spiritual food. Let it nourish your spirits as we praise God for it.
When you lift the cup, understand that this is the Blood of cleansing: The Blood out of the human body of our Holy God: The Blood that washes us white as snow. As we drink the cup, think of how close it brings you to Jesus.
“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me” (I Corinthians 11:23, 24). Please take the bread of Life.
“After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come” (I Corinthians 11:25, 26). Please drink the Blood of purification and justification.
Praise You, Father for this Holy Week when we can honor You and Jesus. Thank You for the Holy Spirit who strengthened the Savior when He suffered. Thank You, Father, for all You do for us through the bread and Blood of the King. Please give us a spiritual connection to Jesus this week like we have never known before. Let everything we think do and say be honoring to Him and His sacrifice for us.
Lord, bless this word as it goes forth and all who read this study, either here in the room as it’s given, or out there wherever it ends up. Bring the lost to salvation and the saved to a deeper spiritual commitment to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We love You, Lord and we’re so grateful for having You in our lives, in Jesus’ name, amen and amen.
