Written by Brandon Picone
Matthew 21:1-11
1 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.’” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
It certainly sounds crazy when Jesus tells his disciples that if anyone asks why they need the donkey, say, “The Lord has need of it.” Hard to imagine taking a bike from a random porch and using that same line. Yet in our own lives, God has a way of asking us to have faith and walk out on the water to meet Him. He has the power to open any door or change any heart. He does not need us to accomplish His plans, but He takes joy in inviting us to build and accomplish His plans with Him.
Matthew 21 is a fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. The reference to Israel as the Daughter of Zion implies a special covenantal relationship with God. We are children of God, vulnerable yet protected, who receive tender care even in times of judgment. For those with children, think about the great lengths we go to love and protect them. Now imagine how much further our all-powerful God will go to love and protect His children.
The laying of cloaks and branches on the ground was a symbolic gesture to honor kings and conquerors. The crowd recognized the prophecies in Scripture and believed Jesus was the Son of David and that He came in the name of the Lord. However, they still referred to him as the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee (a small, poor town). They expected the Messiah to be a powerful King and conqueror, not a servant.
It’s amazing that Jesus—being seemingly the opposite—could cause such massive ripples and leave the biggest impact in human history. The Bible is full of stories about the most unlikely of heroes. God loves to use those who society may view as a failure or outcast and change the world. He loves to take our biggest hurts and failures and use them for His glory.
Jesus chose to gradually reveal his identity throughout his ministry via miracles, teachings, fulfilled prophecies, and conversations. We see this gradual revelation evidenced daily in our own lives. We see God’s love, grace, and sovereignty revealed through our own trials, tribulations, and recognition of immense love and grace that we receive undeservedly.
In Luke 7:47 Jesus said that “whoever is forgiven little, loves little.” Every day when I look at my wife and my kids, seeing their smiles, hugging them, I am overwhelmed by God’s love and grace. Although we may not always see huge miracles like the ones Jesus performed, we can recognize the little miracles that God does for us every day.
Prayer Prompts:
Ask God to help you see the pride that is in your life, and ask for a heart of humility, service, and love for others.
Pray that the Lord would continue to reveal himself to you, and that he would change your heart and desires to be more like his.
