The Donkey's Burden

 

Before Jesus’ birth in human form to Mary, she and He rode on a beast of burden to Bethlehem. That beast, a donkey, did not know where he was going until Jospeh led him there. He did not recognize the heavy prize he carried. The donkey plod under the weight of pregnant Mary going to where Joseph led him. He became one of the first in creation to witness the newborn King.

Skip forward thirty-three years to Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem. More happens than a donkey found, cloaks laid on the donkey, and cloaks and palm branches laid on the ground. Consider what each of the people in these verses consider and call Jesus. This comprehension will lead to an understanding of Jesus’ authority to cleanse the temple and die for each person.

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and, at once, you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away” (Matt. 21:1-3, NIV).

Matthew chapter twenty-one tells of Jesus and His disciples going to Jerusalem for the Passover. The disciples had seen Jesus heal people, give sight to the blind, welcome the lowly and poor, and eat with the outcasts. They saw Jesus teaching with power and authority. When Jesus instructed the disciples to fetch a donkey and told them how to respond to inquiries about it, Matthew's readers grasped that the disciples acknowledged Jesus' authority. To the disciples, Jesus was more than just a teacher. He was more than a rabbi. The disciples recognized Jesus for who He is, the sent One from Yahweh, the God who is, was, and always will be. They followed Jesus’ instructions assured of the truth of what Jesus said. Yahweh and Jesus have authority.

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey’” (Matthew 21:4-5).

Jesus, to the disciples and other followers, was more than a rabbi. He showed He had authority over life, death, sickness, and health. Jesus spoke truth with power and gave His authority and power to His disciples. In verses four and five, Matthew reminded his readers and hearers of what Zechariah prophesied at God’s command in Zechariah 9:9. He foretold this King. This King of which Zechariah spoke foreshadowed the Messiah. Zechariah prophesied, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey.” Matthew agreed with what Zechariah wrote and proclaimed it happened when Jesus entered Jerusalem just days before His betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion. He reiterated what Zechariah said and pointed out Jesus is the King. As one who has authority, Jesus is the King, Matthew declared. He was the one riding on a donkey that day. As the proclaimed King, Matthew attested to and declared Jesus is the sovereign leader in governance, military, and religious life. Jesus is ruler over all life, Matthew made sure the people understood. Jesus is the one who came to fulfill God’s foretold prophecy, of which Zechariah spoke. Matthew declared Jesus the divine King from God. Jesus has all authority, sovereignty, and power. He is more than an earthly king. In exercising His authority, the people had seen, heard, and realized, Jesus is humble, humble enough to fulfill the prophecies foretold by each prophet. He, the one Yahweh promised, will save humanity from sin and death.

Jesus, Matthew wrote, has authority and power, and is sovereign over all that is. Verse nine tells Matthew’s readers more about Jesus. He described non-disciples' reactions to Jesus, revealing their viewpoint of Him.

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven” (Matthew 21: 6-9).

Matthew recorded the disciples’ obedience, the donkey owner’s recognition and permission, and a large crowd's acknowledgement in these verses. The disciples and donkey owner recognized Jesus’ authority and honor. The crowd’s reaction to Jesus entering Jerusalem shouted of who Jesus was in their minds. Potentially, this perception took hold in the people’s hearts. The authority the crowd inferred and the words they proclaimed about Jesus as He rode the donkey into Jerusalem declared who they believed and wanted Jesus to be. They called Jesus the Son of David, the One whom the LORD sent.

So far, in Matthew 21, the disciples and the donkey owner affirmed their belief in Jesus’ authority, power, and sovereignty as the King who came to fulfill the prophecies. Now, the regular people, the Jews, exclaimed “Hosanna,” which in Hebrew meant, “Lord save us”. By the New Testament time, hosanna meant to praise and exalt. More interestingly, the crowd referred to Jesus as the Son of David. King David is an ancestor of Jesus, as a son of Mary and Joseph. This exclamation by the crowd meant more than that. A son in Jewish understanding brings with it a covenantal relationship with God. Mary and Joseph’s firstborn son was a fulfillment of God’s prophecy to them and to humanity, as the angel told them. When the crowd declared Jesus as the Son of David, they recognized Him as fulfilling the prophecy. Jesus was the direct blood descendent of their beloved King David, the covenantal son between God and Mary and Joseph, the covenant God had with Israel, and the fulfillment of God’s promises to send a Messiah. Jesus is the physical and spiritual fulfillment of God’s covenant and prophecies. As the Son of David, the people declared Jesus as the Son of God, the prophesied Messiah from God.

When the crowds of people proclaimed, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they exalted and praised Yahweh and the Son, Jesus the Messiah. They exclaimed Lord and King, save us! This equating Jesus as the Son of David and anointed Holy One from God was not an interpretive stretch.

The people continued exalting and proclaiming in verse nine by saying, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” They recognized Jesus was the blessing from God. He was God embodied. The people exalted and praised God and Jesus, and they exclaimed Jesus came from God. Coming in the name of the Lord meant Jesus came with the reputation, glory, and renown of Yahweh (the LORD) because they recognized God sent Him. Saying Jesus came in the name of Yahweh meant He came with the authority, character, reputation, and identity of God. Jesus came from God and is God; He is the essence of God.

Jesus is Lord, King, and Teacher with authority, power, majesty, renown, and sovereignty. God sent Him to bless and fulfill Yahweh’s covenant with His people, Israel. By people’s trust in what He said and did, Jesus demonstrated He was the Son of David, the King, the Messiah, and the Teacher.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee” (Matthew 21:10-11).

This recognition by the disciples, donkey owner, and the crowds flocking to Jerusalem for the Passover occurred before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. When Jesus entered the gate of Jerusalem, the people inside the city heard the crowd/s praises. They wondered who or what caused the stir. The Greek word for “stir” speaks of a metaphorical agitation from an earthquake. This stir shook the people inside the gates and made them ask questions and pay attention. When God enters, people and all creation notice. They ask about the ruckus.

When the people in Jerusalem asked who the man was who rode upon a donkey, the crowds replied. Their answer showed some people had become stirred up by God’s presence; but, they may not have understood who Jesus was. The people who replied to the question Matthew recorded in verse ten called Jesus a prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. They were correct, but did not know the whole truth yet. These people would get to watch the unfolding moments and days in Jerusalem. They would watch the working out of God’s salvation plan. The people would hear, then some would believe, that Jesus was more than a prophet. Jesus was the ultimate prophet, the One who heralded—prophesied—His own coming with the consummation of His life-given sacrifice and life-giving resurrection. Until that time, people referred to Him as a prophet without fully grasping His roles as teacher, prophet, Son of David, King, and Lord.

Understanding who Jesus was, is, and will forever be is the doorway to eternal forgiveness and life. Jesus offers forgiveness because He paid the judgment price for sin with His life given as the sacrifice on the cross. With authority, He spoke to heal people. Jesus speaks even now and stirs each person to action, to seek Him or ignore the conviction. He commands with authority, and people go where He told them, or do not. Jesus, incarnate, lived a sinless life to defeat and offer pardon by His death.

Each person can put their trust in Him, thereby conquering sin and receiving Jesus’ cleansing forgiveness or not. The prophesied King, Jesus came from David’s and accomplished more than people anticipated. People can see and choose to trust in Jesus or not. Jesus carried and fulfilled God’s final covenant through His life, death, and resurrection. Some people choose to see, hear, listen, and understand, and others do not.

Many people proclaim with all creation, “Hosanna, save us, Lord! We praise and exalt You.” Yet many people do not. Jesus is one of the three personages that comprise God. The Jews on the road to Jerusalem that day recognized Jesus had God’s character, is, in His essence, God, the final King, the only Lord, eternal Yahweh, and Redeemer. Each person can choose to believe in Him or not. God never forces Himself on people. He calls each one. God stirs their hearts and minds. He puts people around them who believe and proclaim Him, like the disciples, donkey owner, and people in the crowd.

God had a higher purpose for a stubborn animal of burden. Jesus freed it from its tether. He called it to use for His purposes. Jesus had it walk with Him through the cheering and singing. Each of us is like this donkey. We can receive freedom by the Lord’s command. Given for His purposes. Walk in His parade. See Him work. Feel the weight of Him and His sorrows. And then watch as people accept Him. The Lord can grant us freedom, like this donkey, and use us for His purposes. We need only go to Him.

When Jesus slid off the donkey’s back, the donkey’s burden, though heavy for a moment, was no more. Jesus changed the role of the donkey. His burden became easy. The donkey’s divine burden brought joy, peace, hope, salvation, love, and eternal life to people. Jesus removed the burdensome weight and freed the donkey. He released the donkey for a greater purpose. At day’s end, the donkey’s master probably collected him, but the grandeur and excitement of that day may have never left the donkey or its owner. Jesus changed the donkey’s burden into joy. Each person can have their burdens exchanged for joy by receiving the freeing and redeeming mercy and grace God gives to everyone who believes in Jesus as their Savior.

The donkey was just an animal, but each person can be like a donkey, at times. Jesus can free you from the weight of your burden. He wants to do it. Jesus can use you for His higher calling. That does not mean you will not have to labor. Life will not always be easy. You can have joy, peace, and the knowledge that this life on earth is not the only purpose for which we live. We exchange the heavy burdens of the world for God’s. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. You have an eternity to live with God awaiting you, for which you can look forward. What must you do for Jesus to save you? Paul summarized it in Romans 10:9-10. He wrote,

If you declare with your mouth “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified (made right with God), and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

This boils down to the ABCs of becoming a Christian:

Admit you are a sinner.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (from your sins and eternal death due to your sins).

Confess with your mouth your sins and your belief in Jesus. Then you will be saved.

Now is your time to allow the stirring in your heart and mind to lead you to Jesus and salvation, or not. You get to decide. You are at a decision point. I pray you follow God’s stirring in your heart and walk in the parade of the saints who preceded you. Join them and proclaim,

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest heaven!