In the gospels we read the story of the first Palm Sunday.
Jesus was in Bethany with Lazarus and His sisters Martha and Mary. Mary had anointed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume wiping them with her hair.
Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem for the Passover.
As He came to the Mount of Olives He sent two of His disciples to the village Bethphage ahead of them. Bethphage is a suburb of Jerusalem.
Mark 11:1-6
The Triumphal Entry
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 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. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”
4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.
Jesus probably has friends in many, many towns where He has stayed before, who have told Him, "If you need anything -- anything! -- just let me know!" Jesus is not telling His disciples to engage in "grand theft donkey," but is taking up a friend on His long-standing offer.
Notice that once the disciples say, "The Lord needs it," there is no further argument. The owners are happy to have the Lord use their possessions for his work.
How small is a colt? He would have had to ride it with his legs sticking straight out in front or curled up behind Him so they didn’t drag on the ground.
Hardly a way a King would ride but in Biblical times royalty would ride on a donkey during periods of peace rather than a horse which was associated with war. Jesus' instructions are clear that the donkey must be one that has never been ridden. It is set apart, consecrated for a specific use -- for the Master's use.
He is initiating a public, kingly act. He is revealing openly that He is the Messiah.
He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy that a king would come in peace and humility to Jerusalem.
Zechariah 9:9-10
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
In Zechariah's prophecy the gentle king that comes into Jerusalem riding a young donkey is the same one who will defeat chariots and war-horses and bring peace to the nations.
The irony may have been lost on the people at the time, the way it is lost on most of us today, but Jesus’ “triumphal entry” was not that of a General or a warrior.
No, such men ride stallions.
Jesus rode in on a donkey. This symbolized that Jesus came on a mission of peace. The donkey revealed Jesus to be a humble peasant on a peace mission, not a military warrior.
Note that it was a donkey that had carried Jesus and Mary at the beginning of His life just before He was born as they rode into Bethlehem. And now a donkey carries Him into Jerusalem just before His death. Jesus shows us that, that which we think has no value, has tremendous value in God’s eyes.
Mark 11:7
7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.
They use their cloaks as a makeshift saddle.
In 2 Kings 9 we read the prophet Elisha summoned a young man, a prophet, to go and anoint Jehu in Ramoth Gilead. When he got there he told Jehu he had a message for him so Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured oil on Jehu’s head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel’ “. When the prophet had left and Jehu told the people what had happened, they hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”
Spreading clothing to carpet one's pathway was a way to honour the person.
Mark 11:8
The words translated "cloaks" or "garments" can refer generally to any garment, "clothing, apparel," or specifically to outer clothing, "cloak, robe."
The cloak of bible times was a distinctive outer garment made of two pieces of thick woolen material sewn together, with slits rather than sleeves for the arms. A typical Hebrew slept on the floor with his cloak used as a covering to keep him warm. This was especially true for travelers, shepherds or poor people, so a person’s cloak was not to be kept as collateral for a loan.
Exodus 22:26-27
26 If you take your neighbour’s cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, 27 because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
Deuteronomy 24:12-13
12. If the man is poor, do not go to sleep with his pledge in your possession. 13 Return his cloak to him by sunset so that he may sleep in it. Then he will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act in the sight of the LORD your God.
We read earlier in the gospels of the significance of Jesus cloak. The story of the woman who had suffered bleeding for 12 years.
Mark 5:25-34
25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
And then the power of healing
Matthew 14:35-36
35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
The Apostles Heal Many
12 The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
We must not think the clothes on our backs to dear to part with for the service of Christ.
Mark 10:46-53
Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
This prompts the question: Why did the model disciple, Bartimaeus, throw his cloak away while Jesus' followers throw theirs at Jesus' feet?
Bartimaeus was throwing off the "cloak" of royal and hierarchical power. Jesus had condemned such power in Mark 10:42: “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them." Bartimaeus is throwing off the way of power-striving and following "on the way" of Jesus which is opposed to hierarchical power.
The crowd, by strewing cloaks onto His path, is treating the humble, donkey-riding, Jesus as true royalty.
Those that take Christ for their King must lay their all under His feet.
Is there something in your life or possession that you hold very dearly to?
Do you want Jesus to use you for His work?
We must take what we hold onto and throw it to the ground and allow the King – Jesus to pass over it.
It may be a possession; a talent; an area in your life that you struggle with even.
We must be ready and willing for Jesus to claim use of our possessions and positions. Since He is our Master, they don't belong to us, but to Him.
When He sends a message, "The Lord has need of it," we must relinquish our control willingly and immediately.
Let the power of the spirit rest on it so that we can take it up again to be used for the glory of God.
Then we too can call out…
Mark 11:9-10
9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
Prayer
Lord, please help me to be willing to obey your instructions, even when I don't understand all the details or their importance. Thank you for the immense privilege you grant to me and to my brothers and sisters to be participants in your mission, to play important parts in what you are doing. Help me to rejoice in you and praise you with an open heart, not resist because of my pain or from the wound of a doubting or distrustful heart. In your holy name I pray. Amen.
Psalm 118:25-29
25 O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
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