The first part of chapter 11 of Mark’s gospel describes the incident in the ministry of Jesus which is commemorated by Christendom on Palm Sunday. This is the ride into Jerusalem of our Lord. It is an incident which we can so easily read and pass over as just a pleasant story. But there is more to it than just a happy interlude in the troublesome journey of Jesus to the cross. Shall we take a close look at the record?
We all know that when Jesus rode into the Holy City he was fulfilling a prophecy made by Zechariah (ch. 9. 9). The prophet’s words are these, “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.”
Keeping that scripture in mind, let us consider the circumstances surrounding the event that fulfilled the prophecy. Jesus was going to Jerusalem to die. It was the last time he would approach the city publicly. This was the last possible opportunity for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
Jesus had reached “nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany”. In other words, it would soon be past the time when the prophecy could be fulfilled, and there was no animal to hand.
Of course, the ass was a domestic animal and could be found in a village, so Jesus said, “Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him and bring him. And if any man say unto you, why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither”.
Jesus evidently had the prophecy in mind, and was concerned to see that it be fulfilled. He knew that the colt would be there, for God would not foretell an event impossible to occur. I believe that God deliberately left it to Jesus to act to ensure this fulfilment, and thereby demonstrate two things. First, in sending to the village confident of that which would be found, Jesus gave a supreme demonstration of faith in God. As we have emphasised, this prophecy had to be fulfilled then, or not at all, as far as Jesus was concerned. Maybe, too, this was a hidden token to Jesus that he was indeed God’s appointed King. Jesus did not tell his disciples to bargain—just to say, “The Lord hath need”.
And what was the need? The need was to ensure that God’s word prove true. Here, I believe, as never before, God left it to Jesus to show that he honoured God’s Word and was as anxious as his Heavenly Father to see that the prophecy should come true. Again, Jesus’ action was a demonstration of faith in God: he was confident that the circumstances were over-ruled by God, and that all necessary factors existed.
Many thoughts are provoked by this seemingly simple event. The prophecy was not automatically fulfilled. We might say, because of the pre-revelation in Zechariah, that Jesus was predestined to enter Jerusalem riding on the colt. This is, in a measure, true, but the fact that action on the part of Jesus was required to ensure fulfilment gives us a clear idea of the scriptural meaning of predestination. And this is certainly not in the Calvinistic tradition.
When Paul referred to predestination, he did not imply an inevitable result, but rather that God has made inviolate provision for the faithful to achieve a destiny foreordained. The destiny is certain, some will achieve it. But, just as Jesus had to take certain action, in faith, to ensure that God’s word was fulfilled in himself, so the servants of God must take action—in faith —that God’s word may be fulfilled in themselves.
One other point impresses itself upon the writer, though its significance is hard to assess. Jesus sent for an animal “whereon never man sat”. Under normal circumstances, such an animal would be most unsuitable for a triumphal procession. It would concentrate on getting rid of its load. Another ass, trained to carry, had years before refused to carry Balaam because his journey was anathema to God. Now an untrained creature carried another man peacefully. Was it because this journey was in accordance with the will of God?
Do you, dear reader, see the event in all its simplicity? A dusty, hilly road, with ragged underfed people lining it. A poor cavalcade, led by a man on a donkey wending its way toward the gate of the city. A small, dingy city it was, too, with no geographic reason for its existence. But mankind’s destiny was established there, by the conduct of a man of faith who was zealous to honour God by honouring his word, who showed his zeal by making sure that not one jot of the message should fail. It was as if a modern monarch should humble himself to go to his coronation on a bicycle! But, then, modern monarchs do not expect a crown of thorns, as this man did.
“Ride on, ride on in majesty, In lowly pomp ride on to die; O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin, O’er captive death and conquer’d sin.”
What can we say but, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift”? Amen and Amen.
Daniel The Prophet – (Part 3)