Articles
What the Saddled Donkey Saw
Reading: Luke 19:28-48
Before Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, he commissioned two disciples to secure a mount for his entry (vv. 30-36). This young donkey actually fulfilled ancient prophecy (Zechariah 9:9)—just one of many foretold facts that would manifest in that final week. Can you imagine what this donkey would have heard?
It would have heard the crowds’ loud voice proclaiming Jesus’s greatness. It would have heard the Pharisees asking the Lord to rebuke them, and Jesus’s reply that if they kept silent, the stones would be the ones praising Him! It would have heard Jesus’s heart break as he looked over the city and prophesied its destruction in that generation (41-44). And it would have heard the anger in Christ’s voice after he dismounted at the temple and drove out the moneychangers (45-46).
As these scenes are often described, the “triumphal entry” offers a candid glimpse into the heart of God Himself. The Son of God’s emotions in these moments show us how the Father feels about His people: their worship and zeal, as well as their rebellion and resistance. As we hear with our hearts those same things that the colt heard, let us resolve to offer Him all of our praise, receive His correction, and cast off those things that would cut us off from Him.
