Your King is Coming to You - by Elizabeth Reynolds
One of my favourite pictures of Jesus, is that of Him riding on a donkey. Why did He ride on a donkey? He made a particular point of asking His disciples to go and find the particular colt (a donkey’s foal) for the job. And not only that, but this colt and its mother were known by Jesus to already be in a nearby village waiting. They were there by heavenly design for the moment when the King of kings would require them.
Talk about God paying attention to the little things. Can you imagine... God planning and shaping the circumstances in this village for a donkey and her colt to be there at the right time. He saw the birth of this colt, and indeed the birth of its mother in the years previous. And He fashioned history around this donkey and its colt and planted the picture of it in the mind of Zechariah the prophet who wrote about the event roughly 500 years before it happened!
….and why? Why did God write history in this way? Why did He want Jesus to ride on a donkey’s colt into Jerusalem?
Well I can’t say that I have THE answer. But I can think of a few possibilities.
In religious culture through history, donkeys were portrayed as symbols of service, suffering, peace, and humility, as well as also being associated with the theme of wisdom (at least according to Wikipedia). In Exodus 13, the Lord gives a rule to His people, that every first born male (including the livestock) ‘belongs to the Lord’ (v12) in order to remember how God brought them out of Egypt (v16). (in other words, they had to be killed.) However, a lamb could be sacrificed to redeem that first born and donkeys are specifically mentioned here. “Redeem with a lamb every first-born donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.”
That first born donkey is doomed according to the law. It needs a lamb to be redeemed.
Skipping forward a couple of books in the Bible, to Numbers 22, we see how God uses animals in His wonderful, mysterious plans. When Balaam the prophet was going a reckless way on his trusty donkey, the angel of the Lord appeared in his path blocking the way. Balaam could not see it. Only the donkey. And so the donkey dug his heals in, deviated from the road, even laid down and refused to walk while receiving impatient beatings from Balaam, as he could still not see the angel. So God allowed the donkey to speak so Balaam could understand him (v28). He basically said “Why are you beating me? I’m your donkey – you know I’ve never behaved like this before. Think about it buddy!” And then Balaam saw the angel, and obeyed the Lord.
Of course we know well, that God used a donkey to carry the Lord Jesus while in His mother’s womb on the long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. And thirty-odd years later, we read of another donkey, a colt, who had not yet been given any task to do. (Luke 19) He was too young to work and so he was inexperienced, and kept in the pen all day long, never yet been ridden by anyone. Jesus, coming back into Jerusalem, knew that this donkey was there, ready for Him. He sent two of his disciples to the village to find this donkey, tied up there. They were instructed to untie the donkey, and simply say to anyone who asked them why they were untying it that “the Lord needs it.” (v29-31)
The disciples did this and found the little donkey just as Jesus said they would. The donkey was brought to Jesus, cloaks were laid on his back, and Jesus – King of kings – sat down on him.
In doing this, Jesus was, as they say, making a statement. Zechariah the prophet who saw this moment by the power of the Holy Spirit wrote: “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey — riding on a donkey’s colt.” And Matthew quotes this again in his recount – the fulfillment of prophesy.
Not only is His entrance into Jerusalem a declaration of His humility, lowliness, and servanthood, it also tells of His role as Redeemer. In riding this young, lowly little colt, Jesus takes on the characteristics of everything this animal represents – just like the stable and the manger help us to remember that He is meek, gentle, and stoops low, behaving as a servant. He bends to reach those who can’t stand, He comforts the broken, He washes feet, keeps company with sinners, He gives His life to redeem undeserving ‘asses’ like us.
Behold – our King!
While horses are a symbol of war, donkeys are a symbol of peace. Jesus reminded us, all the time with the way He lived His earthly life, that Christianity is not about power. Any group or religion that gives power to its leaders cannot be trusted. For where there is power, there is corruption. Interestingly, the philosopher Agrippa placed Christian apostles on a level with donkeys/asses. He said, “It is clear as day that no other animal is in a better position than the ass to receive the divine. If you do not look to the ass, you will be no position to receive the divine mysteries.” He was really onto something there, but of course it was Jesus first who said things like “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth” (Matt 5:5) and “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matt 20:16). Our friend the little colt, because he was so lowly, so humble before God, so undeserving of carrying a King, he was the perfect choice for doing just that!
At some point Jesus becomes the Lamb. And we must be like the donkey. Humble, lowly servants. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. We get to live, because He died. But while Jesus lowered Himself, we must remember, He was also raised! The Lamb who redeemed us is now sitting on the throne victorious!
We, are forever His, in freedom and in victory with Him. So can you see it? Can you see who He is and how He comes to us? Can you see who you are? And can you do it?
Can you be a donkey for Jesus?