Lessons From a Donkey!

In life, my brothers and sisters we are always learning lessons. Lessons may be defined as, “an amount of teaching given at a specific time; a period of learning or teaching.” From this definition we see that we can learn lessons from many sources.

1. We can learn lessons from nature—watching the Handiwork of God...

2. We can learn lessons from each other—sometimes these lessons are good, and sometimes they are bad...

3. We can learn lessons from our children—babies, toddlers, youth and young adults teach us things all the time...

4. We can learn things from the animal kingdom—what animals are friendly and can be domesticate and what animals we should stay clear of...

But the one animal that we definitely would not believe we could learn anything from, at least anything positive from is a donkey (say twice)...

Donkeys (Equus Africanus Asinus=scientific name) are domesticated members of the horse family.

Donkeys are stubborn animals. When they don’t want to do something, they won’t do it!! They won’t move if they don’t want to move, they won’t sit if they don’t want to sit, they won’t stand if they don’t want to stand, and they won’t let you ride them, if they don’t want you to ride them. This is their nature!!!

But when this donkey came in contact with Jesus, he went against his nature to do what the Lord had created him to do…! We can learn a lesson from this donkey!

B. Biblical

In our text our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is preparing to enter Jerusalem to kick off passion week, the week leading up to His crucifixion. (All four gospels record this event in some way, shape or form). The bible says that Jesus selected two of His disciples and sent them into a neighboring village. Tradition (Josephus, the Jewish Historian) holds that these two disciples were Peter and John. These two disciples went into the village to find a donkey that Jesus needed to ride upon into Jerusalem, fulfilling the prophecy recorded in , “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; Lowly, and riding upon an ass, And upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion;

Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem:

Behold, thy King cometh unto thee:

They untied the donkey and brought him to Jesus who rode upon this animal into Jerusalem, just as prophecy had stated.

He is just, and having salvation;

Lowly, and riding upon an ass,

Jesus, is the main character in this passage of scripture, the disciples and the crowds play an important part, oh but how the role the Donkey played is often over looked...

And upon a colt the foal of an ass.

C. Contemporary

So, my brothers and sisters, we want to look at Lessons from a Donkey this morning...

We want to look at the things we can learn from this animal that Jesus rode upon...

We want to discover how this animal made it’s way into the pages of the Holy Writ...

We want to see what we can learn from this donkey...

SERMON POINTS

I. Accessible! (vs. 1-2)

A. Firstly, My brothers and sisters, the Donkey teaches us to be, “Accessible”!

1. By Accessible I mean, “In a place where one can be reached, obtained, or approached...”

2. Being accessible is to be in the right place, at the right time...

3. It’s being rightly positioned so that one can be used...

B. The Donkey was Accessible, for the word says, “And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2. Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.”

1. The Donkey was where the Lord needed him to be...

2. He was right where Zechariah had prophesied he would be...

3. He was tied up, but Jesus needed to “loose him” so that He could use him!

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

C. We need to be Accessible to the Lord so that He can use us...

1. We need to be at the right place and there at the right time...

2. We need to be where the Lord is moving use so that He can use us...

3. And if you’re tied up, let the Lord “loose you” so that He can use you...

a. For some of you are tied up in sin...

b. Some of you are tied up in self righteousness...

c. Some of you are tied up in arrogance...

d. Some of you are tied up in unrighteousness...

e. Some of you are tied up in lies and deceit...

f. Some of you are tied up in character assassination...

4. Whatever you’re tied up in let the Lord “loose you” and be accessible to Him...

II. Available! (vs. 3-5)

A. Secondly, My brothers and sisters, the Donkey teaches us to be, “Available”!

1. By Available I mean, “Able to be used or obtained; at someones disposal; free and/or willing to do something...”

2. Accessibility and Availability are similar words, but they do have different meanings.

a. Accessibility is being at the right place, at the right time...

b. Availability is being willing to be used once your are accessed...

B. The Donkey was available, for the word says, “3. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”

1. The Donkey was willing to be used of the Lord...

4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. ”

2. The Donkey could have resisted...

3. It could have behaved in a way that the owners of it would deny to send it...

4. But the donkey was available, willing to be used of the Lord...

C. We need to be available for the Lord to use us!

3. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

1. Once we are in a place WHERE the Lord can use us, we ought to be willing FOR the Lord to use us...

2. Some of us resist the Lord, we don’t want to be used—we are satisfied right where we are...

a. We won’t come to Sunday School or Bible Study, because we don’t want to learn more about the Lord FOR Him to use us...

b. We won’t come to church regularly because we don’t want the Lord to GROW US so that He can use us...

c. We won’t let go and let God because we are afraid of what someone is going to say about us, so the Lord can’t use us...

3. But we need to be like the Donkey and be available, willing to be used of the Lord...

III. Accommodating (vs.6-7)

A. Thirdly and Finally, my brothers and sisters, the Donkey teaches us to be, “Accommodating”!

1. By Accommodating I mean, “fitting in with someones wishes or demands in a helpful way; be cooperative...”

2. Accessible is being at the right place, at the right time—Available is to be willing to be used, and Accommodating is to cooperate or “act right” when you are used...

B. The Donkey was accommodating, for the word says, “6. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7. And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.”

1. The Donkey, acted against it’s nature—it’s stubborn, and refuses to cooperate...

2. But for Jesus, it changed its nature and was accommodating!

a. Instead of bucking Jesus, it cooperated with Jesus...

b. Instead of sitting down on Jesus, it stood tall for Jesus...

c. Instead of trotting clumsily, it pranced like a Clydesdale...

C. We need to be accommodating so that the Lord can use us!

6. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7. And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.”

1. We need to cooperate with the Lord in whatever He may ask us to do...

2. And we ought to act correct when the Lord uses us...

a. Stop thinking you’re the only one the Lord can use...

b. Stop acting if you’re not in charge things won’t go correctly...

c. Stop acting like you’re all that and a bag of chips...

3. But be thankful when He uses you...

a. Be thankful when He calls your name...

b. Be thankful when He sends you out to do His will..

4. Learn from the donkey and be accommodating!

CONCLUSION

A.

The rest of the story is that the Disciples put their clothes on the donkey, and then put Jesus on the donkey...

The rest of the story is that

The rest of the story is that Jes

The Multitudes spread their garments along the path, and others cut down Palm Branches and cried, “Hosanna (save now) to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest...

The word declares that the whole city of Jerusalem was moved, and asked the question, “Who is this?” The multitudes said, “this is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.” (but He is more than a prophet…)

The Religious leaders cried out saying, Rabbi, rebuke your disciples…but Jesus said, “If these should hold their peace, the rocks would cry out!

The same “Palm Sunday” crowd who sang His praises on Sunday, were crying crucify Him on Friday…He hung on the cross for 9 hours; from 9AM to 3PM...

He died…was buried in a borrowed tomb…stayed there all Friday...stayed there all day Saturday…stayed there all Saturday night, but early Sunday morning…!