Ride the Donkey
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Describe the scene?
So what we have is a celebration pretty much like that of a Roman Triumphus. Except in this case it is a Jewish Rabbi or teacher riding a donkey.
What is a Roman Triumphus you ask? Well...
(Photo of Roman) The Roman triumph (triumphus) was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the success of a military commander who had led Roman forces to victory in the service of the state or, in some historical traditions, one who had successfully completed a foreign war.
On the day of his Triumph the honored military commander was elevated above a King and worshipped as though divinity.
That’s exactly what is happening here. Jesus is being proclaimed King and being worshipped as if He were deity - God.
1 When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.
3 “If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them,
7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.
8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.
9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!”
10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?”
11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Three important points that fulfill prophecy or point to history in some way.
Colt - never been ridden
Coats - covering the colt & road
Hossana - The peoples proclamation
Colt
a. Never Ridden - a few questions come to mind.
Horses need to be broken - what about donkeys?
Was it big enough to carry Him?
What about Mamma donkey (photo)? Mat 21:2
2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.
The mother’s presence probably helped to calm the foal.
b. Not a Horse - just a beast of burden, ( ever ride one at a petting zone)
c. Ridden in Peace - 1 Kings 1:33-34
33 The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.
34 “Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
Small - see the photo, only comes up to the man’s waist.
Kings rode Horses - in war, Donkeys (Mules) in peace
Prophecy fulfilled...
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Coats (Openly declared Himself King and Messiah) Mat 21:7-8
7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.
8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.
Cover Colt/Under Him 2 Kings 9:13
13 Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”
b. Cover the Road (see picture)
c. Palm Branches
However, you could think of this as a red carpet treatment. Explain...
The Red-Carpet Treatment
The Red-Carpet Treatment
Lavish hospitality; a royal welcome. This term comes from the practice of rolling out a carpet for a particularly esteemed visitor to walk on. Although similar practices surely were common from the earliest days of welcoming royalty, the term red carpet dates only from the early twentieth century.
3. Hossana (Welcomed Him/Blessed Him) The coming Kingdom of David (2 Sam 7:8-17)
This word carries two ideas - depending on a slight pronunciation change.
Save Us! Psalm 118:25-26
25 O Lord, do save, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
The idea here is to save from peril - story about hanging on a cliff. (plea for help)
ii. The other idea is to adore and praise - praising Him as the coming King of David’s Kingdom 2 Sam 7:16
16 “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
With this they are saying they believe in Him as the King/Coming King/Messiah.
b. From Rome - the expectation
c. From Sins - the truth Bring Reconciliation with God Col 1:19-20
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Jesus’ blood reconciled all those who believe in Him to the Father. That is what was really needed. Not saving from Rome - that would have only been temporary and for the Hebrews. The reconciliation was for all things on earth and in heaven. So put your faith and trust in Him so that you to might be reconciled to God.
One last special point. This is the one time Jesus actually allowed Himself to be exalted as King. He allowed it and even encouraged it. His encouragement is obvious when we look at Luke’s telling of the story. Luke 19:39-40 says:
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”
40 But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”
So cry out for salvation and cry out your adoration for the one who can and will save you if you believe in His name.
Exit - Remind everyone why this day is important - Begins the passion week. This week in the life of Jesus was so important that almost half of the Gospel of John comes after this day.
The big question to carry away today is… Which Hossana are you doing? Are you calling out Hosanna - Save me or Hosanna - thank you for saving me? On the one hand we want to be saved from peril, physical or spiritual and on the other hand we are saying that we love and adore Him and already know that He has saved us. If you are looking to be saved the alter is available for you to come and cry out to Him so that when you leave here today you will know that you have been saved.
1 As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,
2 and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.
3 “If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.”
4 They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it.
5 Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
6 They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.
7 They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it.
8 And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.
9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: “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!”
32 Then King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence.
33 The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.
34 “Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
35 “Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and be king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! Thus may the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say.
37 “As the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
39 Zadok the priest then took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”
40 All the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shook at their noise.
41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the city making such an uproar?”
42 While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good news.”
43 But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king.
44 “The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule.
45 “Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard.
46 “Besides, Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom.
47 “Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ And the king bowed himself on the bed.
48 “The king has also said thus, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’ ”