The Servant-King (Mark 11:1–11)

On the road Jesus took, a traveler would arrive first at Bethany and then come to Bethphage, about two miles from Jerusalem. The elevation at this point is about 2,600 feet, and from it you have a breathtaking view of the Holy City. The Lord was about to do something He had never done before, something He had repeatedly cautioned others not to do for Him: He was going to permit His followers to give a public demonstration in His honor.

I. Jesus sent two disciples.

1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; 2 and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”

A. They were to get a colt.

Jesus sent two of His disciples to Bethphage to get the colt that He needed for the event. Most people today when they think of a donkey they are often given very little respect. Many people today would probably have two words come to mind, stubborn and stupid but in that day, a donkey was looked on as an animal fit for a king to use.

Our Lord needed this donkey so that He might fulfill the messianic prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” In fulfilling this prophecy, Jesus accomplished two purposes: (1) He declared Himself to be Israel’s King and Messiah; and (2) He deliberately challenged the religious leaders.

B. The Lord needs it.

The two disciples found things just as Jesus had told them, replied as instructed and returned with the colt. It is not clear that anyone other than the two disciples overheard Jesus’ instructions, nor does the account stipulate that they said anything to anyone except the people in the village who wanted to know what they were doing with the colt.

The fact that the colt had never been ridden and yet submitted to Jesus indicates our Lord’s sovereignty over His creation.

II. The disciples’ carried out Jesus’ instructions.

4 So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. 5 But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?” 6 And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

A. It happened as Jesus said.

This situation demonstrates the detailed accuracy of His prediction. This highlighted the untying of the colt, which Jesus may have intended as a messianic sign. Had Jesus made prearranged plans with the colt’s owner, or did this event reflect His supernatural knowledge?

The large amount of detail Mark included on securing the colt (11:2–6) convincingly favors the view that this was not because he knew the owner of the donkey, but it was supernatural knowledge. Even so, the colt’s owner probably had had previous contact with Jesus.

B. The disciples put their outer cloaks on the colt, and the people put their cloaks on the road.

Cloaks were laid on the colt to serve as a rough saddle. The cloaks thrown on the ground along with the branches served as recognition of royalty. There was lavishness in their love, even though their love had not reached full potential. At this moment, they did love him with all their hearts and desired to honor him as king, they just misunderstood what kind of a king he was.

Many patriotic Jews from the crowd of pilgrims eagerly joined the procession that proclaimed Jesus as the King, the Son of David come in the name of the Lord. The visitors from Galilee were most prominent in the procession, along with the people who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 12:12–18). You sometimes hear it said that the same people who cried “Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday ended up crying “Crucify Him!” on Good Friday, but this is not so. The crowd that wanted Him crucified came predominantly from Judea and Jerusalem, whereas the Galilean Jews were sympathetic with Jesus and His ministry.

III. Jesus rode into Jerusalem, as David or Solomon might have entered the capital.

9 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:“Hosanna!‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ 10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord!Hosanna in the highest!” 11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

A. The disciples and the crowds began to praise him.

They shouted, “Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David.” Their praise was motivated by the promise of a future Davidic rule. Jesus presented himself as a king and was acknowledged as such. He did nothing to prevent this perception of him.

The crowd, of course, did not fully understand what they were acclaiming. , The entry was important; it shows Jesus accepting such praise, since he was the one who arranged for the animal he rode into the city. He seems to have intentionally evoked the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. This was Jerusalem’s chance to receive Jesus as one sent from God. It seemed that they were going to do so, but the drama quickly took a dark turn.

B. What were the Romans thinking as they watched this festive demonstration?

We call this event “the Triumphal Entry,” but no Roman would have used that term. An official “Roman Triumph” was indeed something to behold! When a Roman general came back to Rome after a complete conquest of an enemy, he was welcomed home with an elaborate official parade.

In the parade he would exhibit his trophies of war and the illustrious prisoners he had captured. The victorious general rode in a golden chariot, priests burned incense in his honor, and the people shouted his name and praised him. The procession ended at the arena where the people were entertained by watching the captives fight with the wild beasts. That was a “Roman Triumph.”

Our Lord’s “triumphal entry” was nothing like that, but it was a triumph just the same. He was God’s anointed King and Saviour, but His conquest would be spiritual and not military. A Roman general had to kill at least 5,000 enemy soldiers to merit a Triumph; but in a few weeks, the Gospel would “conquer” some 5,000 Jews and transform their lives. Christ’s “triumph” would be the victory of love over hatred, truth over error, and life over death.After looking into the temple area, where He would return the next day, Jesus left the city and spent the night in Bethany, where it was safer and quieter. No doubt He spent time in prayer with His disciples, seeking to prepare them for the difficult week that lay ahead.