As we turn the page in our Bible to Matthew 21, we realize that the first 20 chapters covered activity outside of Jerusalem. The last eight chapters of this book will deal with eight days when Jesus taught, was arrested, and crucified in Jerusalem, before appearing risen from the dead in Galilee.
We never hear of Jesus riding an animal anywhere in the Gospels, except for this one instance. He and his disciples seemed to have walked everywhere.
His decision to ride a donkey for the last mile or two into Jerusalem, when he had walked more than a hundred miles from Caesarea Philippi, can hardly have been anything but an attempt to show who he was.
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,
“Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.
“If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately” (Matthew 21.1-3).
We can expect that the loan of a donkey had been prearranged with a local follower of Jesus and was not a case of theft.
Like a Sign Prophet
My friend Rudy Ross frequently says, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” When Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem, he was acting out a well-known prophecy from Zechariah 9.9.
This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:
“Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Matthew 21.4-5)
After David defeated Absalom’s rebellion, he returned as a triumphant king, but he came humbly and in peace. This is the picture Jesus gave to the people.
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, he didn’t ride a war horse, but rather a donkey. He didn’t come as a militaristic king challenging Roman rule, but rather a meek and peaceful donkey rider.
His view of power is opposed to the ideas of the world’s kingship and authority.
Nevertheless, Jesus didn’t quietly slip into Jerusalem. He came to reveal who he was and to have a confrontation with the authorities in the city.
Just as Isaiah prophesied the preparation for the return of God’s presence to the Holy City, the people prepared the way for Jesus. They rolled out the only red carpet they had – the very cloaks on their backs.
Go through, go through the gates;
prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones;
lift up an ensign over the peoples.
The Lord has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
Say to daughter Zion,
“Look, your savior comes;
his reward is with him
and his recompense before him.” (Isaiah 62.10-11)
The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21.6-9)
During Passover week, the crowd in Jerusalem would swell from a population of 30,000 to well over 100,000. Most of the people walking with Jesus were from Galilee, and they were the ones singing his praises.
“Hosanna” and “Blessed is he who comes in the Lord’s name” both come from Psalm 118. It was traditionally chanted at the major festivals in Jerusalem.
Hosanna means “save us now,” which asks for God’s blessing. In general, it is used as a shout of praise, like hallelujah.
“The one who comes in the Lord’s name” was likely the king leading the festival procession in the Psalm. As such, it fit Jesus’s entrance into the city.
An Unknown King
It is possible that the crowd who asked, “Who is this?” didn’t know who Jesus was. He had performed most of his ministry outside of Jerusalem and was primarily surrounded by people from Galilee.
The Judeans may have wondered who this person was, coming in and acting out the role of a king.
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?”
The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee” (Matthew 21.10-11).
Any suggestion of a Jewish king can only mean trouble with the Roman government, and even more so if that king were a Galilean.
It’s worth noting that the title “King of the Jews” was used against Jesus at his trial. The crowds recognized the risk with the Romans and pointed out that Jesus was not a Judean, but rather a Galilean.
Yet, Jesus’ presence was not only a threat to the Roman government but also to the religious authorities vested with powerful positions around the temple. The presence of Jesus always confronts human power that has not surrendered to divine will.
Personal Application
As we travel with Jesus between Bethany and Jerusalem over the next few days of his life, is it worth finding a place in the crowd?
Are we walking with Jesus, giving him the praise he deserves? Or are there areas in our lives that resist him, like the religious authorities and the Judeans?
Let’s ask ourselves these questions, find ourselves in the story, and be one of his devoted followers.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 