Ride On King Jesus - Luke 19:28-35

Introduction

As a child growing up my parents owned I believe it was a 1994 Toyota Previa. That car ran until November of 2005. My twin sister and I almost hated to be dropped off at church or anywhere in that car. We had tore it up. And after a couple of accidents my dad had put some putty on the right side bumper and we were just embarrassed to get out of that car. My dad had this love for letting us out at the door but as we grew older we would tell him Dad, you can park and we’ll walk from the parking spot. So young. Life over the years looking back on that 94 Toyota Previa that was paid for… you know after you’ve lived a while with a car note and car insurance you go back thinking about the old hooptie you had that got you from point A to point B and you realize it wasn’t that bad. We were too young to realize that the car as long as it did what is was supposed to do was not the important thing it was the people in it. That as long as somebody with a license, car insurance, and a brain got behind the wheel of the car it would take us wherever we needed to go.

Today I want to take a look at this classic Palm Sunday text from the perspective of God and the donkey.

Jesus is the main character in this text but I am drawn to that of His foil character the colt or the younger donkey. In literature and even movies there is typically found at least a protagonists and an antagonists. In some movies and stories you will find what is called a foil character. The foil characters role is to bring the qualities of the protagonists into greater view.

In this particular text the protagonists is God. God in Old Testament has spoken through the prophet Zechariah “behold your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounded on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Luke 19 begins with Jesus and his encounter with the chief tax collector Zaccheus in Jericho. It should be noted that Jesus set for Jerusalem in Luke 9:51. He then in Luke 19 teaches the parable on the King and His Kingdom and we move to the place in which He now enters Jerusalem.

The text moves in verse 29 telling us that Jesus came nigh to a place called Bethphage. Theologians and Bible scholars alike have grappled with the locale of Bethphage. It has been said to be a suburb of Bethany. What is significant about this passage is number 1 that Jesus

So while you may have heard in your life that Jesus in His humility chose a donkey instead of a horse that is not consistent with Scripture because God had already chosen the colt for Jesus - so He did what God said. Because remember Jesus was not here to do what He wanted to do but He came that He might accomplish the will of the Father.

It is in our text beginning at verse 28 that Jesus moves toward Jerusalem. He sent His disciples ahead to go and get a colt: one that had never been ridden. And that’s a word for somebody today that when God sends you to do something you better go ahead on and do it.

He told them go to the village ahead of you, untie it and bring it back. If anyone asks you ‘why are you untying it?’ say the Lord needs it.

The signature and custom of kings entering in the city was a celebration in the street in which the triumphant king would come riding on a horse. And the king would come riding in all of his glory.

But that right there would be the problem that the king go the glory. God is always looking to bring the glory to Himself. For kings and there kingdoms shall pass away but He is the Alpha and the Omega - beginning and the end. God desired that Jesus would maneuver through humility for the way of the king was prideful but the way of God is humility for He resisteth the proud but gives grace to the humble. And God just couldn’t have His son come and follow the ways of the prideful kings. So He gave Him a donkey.

I’ve seen something like this before in Scripture in Scripture. In Exodus 4 God gave Moses a rod. Moses put the rod on the ground and it became a snake. He picked the rod back up put it close to himself and his hand became leprous. He put the rod back on and his hand was restored. There was nothing special about the rod of Moses as there was nothing special about this donkey. In fact, the donkey was young, never been ridden, and thus uncontrolled. But I told you that the foil’s job is to bring the qualities of the protagonists into greater view. When God gets a hold of an untrained, untamed, uncontrolled colt He’s got the power to control it because Jesus is the prince of peace.

I’d hate to tell you this but at times in your life God will cause you to have to deal with some donkeys. Some untrained, uncontrolled, inexperienced, donkeys. Those donkeys are sent to you to keep you humble and to keep you focused on what is ahead of you. Jesus had keen focus that with all the noise that was around Him he maintained His focus. He could have easily been distracted by the applause, the accolades. But Jesus didn’t stop to take a picture. He didn’t stop to talk to the local news reporter. And it was not only because His being fully man and fully God but it was because God sent Him a donkey.

What I love about the text is Jesus says to the disciples tell them “The Lord needs it.” Oh God. Because your name won’t get you no where. The disciples couldn’t say we need it because they probably would have been denied. But something happens when you learn to call on the name of Jesus! He said “The Lord needs it.” And sometimes you need some donkeys in your life. Just like God gave Jesus a donkey He’ll give you one too. Some folk that are so uncontrolled and untamed and you wondering why you didn’t go off on them a long time ago.

But it is when you realize that you were a donkey one day too. Lost in sin. Uncontrollable, untamable, inexperienced, untrained… Jesus told them to untie it. You like the donkey in the text were wrapped up, tied up, and tangled up in some stuff but one day you came to Jesus just as you were - weary wounded and sad… You found in Him a resting place and you can testify He has made you glad! The text says they put a cloak on the donkey and put Jesus on it. Because there is something about when Jesus sits on you. The old folk would say you went to a meeting one night and your heart wasn’t right; you gave the preacher your hand but God your heart because God sat on you.

When Jesus sits on you, gets a hold of you where there was no peace there will be peace. Where there was no self control there will be self control. Can anybody testify I’m so glad one day He sat on me. He cleaned me up. Put me back together. Changed my name and I’m no longer the same because He sat on me!