“Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” (Matthew 21:1–5 (ESV)
Imagine waiting for some promised event or reunion. A long period of time has elapsed since the promise was initially given. You may begin to wonder if the pledge will ever happen. However, suddenly circumstances begin to occur creating an excitement and anticipation that what was promised may actually be fulfilled.
Perhaps this applies to a holiday gathering, a championship game, or the final installment of a movie trilogy. Regarding a cinematic trilogy, imagine the first two films of the series building to a suspenseful penultimate climax only to have the final film be a disappointment in not living up to its hype and your personal expectations. It’s not the film is bad, but it not as good as you hoped it would be.
This was the cultural, historical, and religious context of Jesus’ earthly ministry in general and His entrance into Jerusalem in particular in what is referred to as His Triumphant Entry. God promised the Jews a Messiah who would come to redeem Israel (Gen. 3:15; Gen. 12:1-3; 49:10; 2 Samuel 7:12-17; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 11:1-5). Many believed Jesus to be this long expected Savior and Lord. However, instead of a Messiah destined to save His people from the tyranny of their sin, Israel came to believe and await an Anointed One who would deliver them from the tyranny of the Roman government and establish an earthly kingdom in its place.
“Since it was Passover, there were probably about 2 million people in and around Jerusalem. This was the only time in His ministry that Jesus actually planned and promoted a public demonstration. Up to this time, He had cautioned people not to tell who He was, and He had deliberately avoided public scenes,” explains commentator Warren Wiersbe.
“Why did Jesus plan this demonstration? For one thing, He was obeying the Word and fulfilling the prophecy recorded in Zechariah 9:9. This prophecy could apply only to Jesus Christ, for He is the only One with credentials that prove He is Israel’s King.”
“Until the last week of His life, Jesus warned people not to disclose His identity (Matt. 8:1–4; 9:27–31; 16:20). Any talk of His being a king would have aroused Rome’s ire and put His life at risk before the appropriate time. The emperor did not look kindly on potential rivals and would move quickly to crush any threat to his power. Jesus’ approach to establishing His kingdom, however, was radically different than the many others who tried to overthrow Rome,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.
“Although Jesus designs this event to show Himself the promised King of kings, He does not come to Jerusalem as a conquering king. In fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, the Messiah enters the city as a humble king on a donkey, not a triumphant warrior on a horse. Indeed, this victorious arrival will come (Rev. 19:11–16), but not until His return to renew the heavens and earth.”
While Jesus may not meet people’s expectations, He always meets their needs. The greatest need being the salvation of their souls. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
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