Not just a tag along!

Recently I attended a Palm Sunday Service at our local church. After 40+ years as a believer of attending Palm Sunday services it’s rare to hear something new. But that is what happened to me last Sunday. Whether this revelation is new to anyone else I don’t know. But all I know is when I get one of those “huh?” moments I get excited because I get to learn something new about my Lord and Savior. So what was it, you may ask? (First please note I am not by any means a theologian just a devoted follower of Jesus and student of the Word of God.)

Our Pastor was reading the following scripture:

21 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” He said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.” Matt 21:1-3 NLT (New Living Translation)

Now how many times have you read or heard that passage? A lot I’m sure. Our Pastor had a fantastic message to go with the passage which I won’t try to replicate but can be found at https://experiencecfc.com/

The part that I never really noticed or paid much attention to before was this….

“As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.

Now why is this so interesting to me? Well I never really noticed that Jesus specifically requested that the Donkey and the Colt or Foal be brought to Him. I don’t actually recall ever seeing in movies or pictures the fact that there were TWO animals! It’s to be noted that not all of the gospels refer to the two animals but the fact that it is told in Matthew, and that it caught my attention, is the purpose of this writing. This intrigued me so I did a little bit of research and there are obviously different interpretations to that specific scripture. But the one that really jumped out at me was the following..

The ancient allegorical sense of the ass and colt is not to be despised: that the ass may signify the Jews, who had been used to bear the burdensome rites and ceremonies of the law; and the colt, the wild and untamed Gentiles, and the coming of Christ, first to the one, and then to the other: loose them, and bring them unto me, both ass and colt. So the Arabic version reads it, “loose both, and bring them, both to me”.  Gill, John. “Commentary on Matthew 21:2”

They both had a part to play in Jesus Triumphal Entry!

Not being Jewish born and yet one of God’s chosen daughters this makes me Rejoice! The Bible is full of symbols and rich with juicy nuggets just waiting for us to discover. That is the beauty of the Scriptures, you can read them over and over again, year after year and still find something new to you. Something that may just underline the fact that Jesus did this for you- because He loves you!!!

I’m so thankful that it was not just happenstance that the believing Gentiles or Greeks were included and called His people. But it has been a part of His plan all along and He chose to show it to us through this symbol of the Colt following the Donkey. Jews first and then the Gentiles. That there is a place for us at the Banquet Table is truly something to celebrate. And none of this would be possible without Jesus going to the Cross, dying and on the third day being raised from the dead!

Going even deeper in research; noting this was a part of God’s plan, per Mathews account found in the New Testament as stated above, this was also a fulfillment from the prophecy written in the Book of Zechariah Chapter 9vs9 (KJV) King James Version- found in the Old Testament.

“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” Zec 9:9

There are various views from notable sources on whether the act of Jesus as the Messiah and the Triumphal entry with one or two animals is what was prophesied by Zechariah over 500 years before Jesus birth. However through the teachings I have received and the study I have personally done these many years, I believe that the prophesies in the Old Testament of the Messiah’s coming and the reality of His existence in the Person of Jesus told in the New Testament are connected. Therefore in the many prophesies that are shared in the Old Testament they are a picture of the future so we would recognize it when it happened.

The following is a writing that I find very compelling found in the TYNDALE BULLETIN 54.1 (2003) by David Instone-Brewer. This does not only refer to the two animals but also the importance of Jesus riding and not walking into Jerusalem. (Note*- In ancient times, a conquering king riding a donkey was a sign of gentle and humble rule.)

Having decided that Zechariah’s prophecy involves two animals, and having concluded that they were a mother and her young colt, it was logical that the mother would accompany her colt in the journey. Matthew regarded both animals as integral to the fulfillment of the prophecy, and wanted to include them both in every aspect of the event. This applied especially to the matter of being ridden, because this was specifically mentioned in Zechariah. I do not think that he meant us to picture Jesus astride both animals. He simply wanted to show that both animals were fully involved in the process of conveying Jesus to the city. Matthew’s phrase ‘he sat on them’ is ambiguous, referring either to the asses or the garments, and perhaps this is deliberate. He did not wish to conclude exactly how the prophecy was fulfilled. He was happy merely to indicate that everything was done, as Scripture indicated in Zechariah 9:9.

The complete verse listed below is from the scripture referenced at the beginning of this writing.

Matt Chapter 21 vs 1-11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

May this writing ignite a spark of interest for you to do some research on your own. Whether from this scripture and anywhere else in the Bible. Like I said earlier it is full of little nuggets for us all to read. That is why a person can read this Holy Book a lifetime and still find something new =)

May we fully rejoice in the gift that The Father has given to us all, through the death and resurrection of His one and only Son, Jesus the Christ!!!