Little Donkey
A few moments earlier, the little donkey had been munching at the grass with his mom next to a busy intersection. He was untamed, unbroken, and untrained. What did these two disciples of Jesus think they were doing untying them? His owner wondered the same, “What do ye, loosing the colt?” (Mk. 11). Jesus had already given instruction to the disciples to respond to anyone who might ask that the Lord needed him. The owner consented and down the road went he and his mom.
“What’s this? …They are throwing garments across my back. Oh, but ‘Who is this?’” asks the little donkey. Jesus walks toward the little donkey, places His hand upon his head, and the little donkey thought, “In all my confusion, I now feel at peace. This Man’s Presence and His compassion so flooded with an amazing love surrounds me. I feel His weight pressing upon my back and guiding me toward Jerusalem. People are shouting, ‘Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord…’ They are waving their palm branches. Jesus and I near Jerusalem, but He has me to momentarily pause. What is this? I feel the wet tears of Jesus falling upon my back. He is weeping over the city as He utters their painful fate.”
Around 700 years before this Triumphal Entry, this little donkey was prophesied about in Zechariah 9:9. “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.” This wasn’t just any little donkey and neither are you just any person. You have purpose. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you [as my chosen instrument] and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you…” (Jer. 1:5 Amp.)
Why would the Lord desire a donkey? Kings and princes rode on donkeys—an emblem of peace. Horses were used for war. What was the purpose of this Triumphal Entry? Jesus walked everywhere that He went; but on this occasion, He is taken up riding on a little donkey. The people are shouting because they believe that Jesus is going to set up an earthly kingdom. Remember most of this crowd, five days later, will shout, “Crucify Him.” In Ex. 12, we see the first preparation for Passover. Passover was on the 14th day of the month, and this was the 10th; on which day the law appointed that the paschal lamb should be taken up and set apart for that service; on that day, Jesus our Passover, who was to be sacrificed for us, was publicly showed. This Lamb of God was taken up. This was the prelude to His passion. Jesus was taken up on a donkey, marched into Jerusalem, and crucified five days later.
Jesus will make a Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem once again. Oh, but this time, He will be riding on a white horse. Why? …because He will have defeated the evil nations at the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:16 and 19:6-16). These scriptures declare that we will be with Jesus on our white horses. We will see this great victory as He only speaks the Word. Following this victory, we will see Jesus’ feet touch the Mount of Olives (the same place that He ascended. Acts 1:3-12). Zech.14:1-5 says that an earthquake will take place moving to east and to west. I believe that this is what bursts open the Eastern gate of Jerusalem that has been sealed up waiting for the Messiah. Then, our Jesus will make this second Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem riding on His white horse. This time, He will set up His earthly kingdom, and we will rule with Him (Rev. 5:10).