“Now when they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, telling them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you. Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, “The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: ‘Tell the people of Zion, “Look, your king is coming to you, unassuming and seated on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”’” —Matthew 21:1–5
Jesus traveled a lot by foot—dusty roads, weary steps, and dirty feet were all His companions as He went about doing good. And yet, in our verses for today, as Jesus ventures towards suffering and death, He chooses to ride in triumph. He gives two of His disciples clear directives—even to the point of supplying them with a response to a question they will be asked. Jesus, of course, had full knowledge of where His disciples would find the donkey and its colt. It is important to remember that when Jesus directs us to do something, He will make the way clear and provide the supplies we need—we can count on it! Nothing is too difficult for Him:
The prophecy Christ fulfills in the key passage for today is presented to us in Zechariah:
“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! Look, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” —Zechariah 9:9
In Bible times, when a king arrived, he was typically met with great pomp and fanfare. The king arrived in the city as a conqueror, riding on a horse. Something magnificent was expected! Yet there was nothing of that here. Jesus comes gentle and riding on a donkey, even the colt of a donkey. In lieu of majesty, Christ’s glory appears in His meekness and humbleness. His temperament was mild and He was willing to suffer the greatest injuries and indignities for mankind’s cause. The Creator stooped, came down, and died for those He created—willingly. He was easily entreated, His government was lovingly gentle and mild, and His yoke easy. This all was all particularly evidenced by His humble appearance on a donkey, a creature used for service not for show, for burdens of not for battles—slow, sure, constant, steady, and safe.
Jesus models for us true humility.
Become More
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” —Matthew 11:28–30
Further Reflections
“The truly wise are those whose souls are in Christ.” —Ambrose
“Instead of being motivated by
selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat
one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned
not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.
You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus.” —Philippians
2:3–5