Verse of the day: John 12:14-15 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is
written: 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
As many of us celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into
Jerusalem today, I have to ask, “Do we really understand the significance of
what took place on that day?” For us here in the West, we may not truly
understand what the people were seeing and feeling at that moment because we do
not see the young donkey (or colt) in the same way as they did in the East.
Throughout Scripture we see men of great status who rode on the donkey, as
opposed to a horse (which is what most of us in the West equate with royalty or
importance). In the Book of Judges (3-4) we see Jair’s, one of the judges of
Israel, thirty sons, who ruled thirty cities in Gilead, all riding on colts. In
Judges 12:13-14, we see the sons and nephews of Abdon, another of Israel’s
judges, riding on colts. Not only was the riding of a colt a mark of prestige
and royalty, but it was significant in the sense that it was the mode of
transportation for one who held the office of a judge (Judges 5:10). Also note
that it was typical of the judge or king to ride the donkey, and the prince(s)
to ride the colt(s). This is significant in that Jesus took the position of
Prince, leaving the donkey without rider, as that would be the place of His
Father. One of the other practices or customs of the East was to lay down garments
and wave palm branches while shouting “Hosanna” in celebration of the coming of
their Prince and King. During the week long Feast of Tabernacles the branches
were waved and Hosanna was shouted, in intervals, during the reading of Psalms
113 and 118. In 2 Kings 9:13 we see that the people accept Jehu as king after
being anointed by Elisha. As a way to show their acceptance of the king they
laid their garments on the top of the stairs for him to walk on. While we see
the Lord’s riding into Jerusalem as a gesture of humility, the people of
Jerusalem saw it as an announcement that royalty had arrived; hence, they waved
the palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna”, and referred to Him as the “King of
Israel”, as the Prince of Peace rode triumphantly into their City; in
fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. Today, as Palm Sunday is celebrated, let us
remember that while we celebrate the Lord’s humility, we must also celebrate
what the people of that time would have understood by the way our Lord entered
Jerusalem. He is our Prince of Peace who brought peace between God and man by
His death and resurrection. It is Jesus who gives us peace in turbulent times
(regardless of the trial). He is also King of kings and Lord of lords. Is He Lord
of our lives? If that be so, then it will show in our obedience to His Word and
commands. It will show by our faithfulness, loyalty, and submission to His will
in our lives. Not only is He Lord, but someday the world will stand before Him
as our Judge. Let our shouts of Hosanna not be empty shouts that later turn to “crucify
Him” when we betray Him with our denial of Him, when we refuse to speak His
Name or live in accordance to the Word of God. Let us praise Him with our lips,
giving thanks always, but let us also worship Him with our lives, so that His entry
into our lives will shine before a dark world that needs a Savior.
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