Lessons Jesus donkey taught us
John 12:12-19
Introduction- Turn with me to John chapter 12
Prayer-
Father, Help us to reflect on Palm Sunday and Jesus coming into Jerusalem to finish his mission and then move toward the celebration of Easter as believers to thank the Lord for all He does for us. Today work in us and through us, allow your spirit to fill us to overflowing with your love for you and for each other.
We are in the days of the Passion Week - From Palm Sunday through Holy week, we see the last days of Jesus life before the death and celebration of the Resurrection. I would invite you this week if you can to be a part of the services and allowing the Lord to speak to your heart.
This week brings with it
Days of compassion
Time of popularity and praise
Day of prayer
Conflict/ relational issues
A Time of reflection
A day of betrayal/violence
Agony/suffering/death
A Time of darkness
Day of resurrection
It has all the elements of a great movie.
We pick up the text this morning as Jesus has gained popularity with the people and hatred among the Pharisee’s.
The people thought He was the answer to their oppression with Rome and the Pharisee’s hatred Him as a blasphemer of God who said that He was the Son of God and He was the Savior that has been prophesied about.
As John Chapter 11 records people were following Jesus because he had just raised Lazarus from the dead and watching his miracles with signs and wonders.
They followed Jesus, praising what they believed he was about to do to save the people from Rome.
The high priest hated it so much that they actually had plans to kill Lazarus so people would stop believing in Him.
Caiaphas, the high priest says “What are we accomplishing?” “Here is a man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
John 12:12-19
This was an old time ticker tape parade!
They were acknowledging Jesus coming into Jerusalem.
They had Palms waving and shouting going on- excited that they might get a good look at Jesus coming down the road.
People throwing garments down
“Hosanna!
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed be the king of Israel.”
Then Jesus rides in on a donkey! Can you imagine? They must have been devastated.
Illustration
When I was a kid, Sal Bando, the third basemen for the Oakland A’s came to play when the White Socks actually played some of their games in Milwaukee before the Brewers came. I was excited and waited after the game for an autograph and to see him. You had to wait outside and after they showered and leaving the park they would sign some autographs. Sal Bando came out of the locker room with a cigarette hanging from his mouth and signing autographs. That was such a letdown for me because I so much wanted to be a baseball player and that was not the picture of the role model I had created in my mind.
This must have been how they felt when they saw the would be king of Israel, the one that was suppose to defeat the Roman Army and stop the oppression. Showing up riding on a donkey.
A Stallion- white or black. Big majestic, well groomed, bigger than life. Maybe.
Even a chariot that he took away from Roman soldier.
The first public acknowledgement of Jesus the Messiah cannot be on a donkey- but it is.
They didn’t like it but it was the fulfillment of prophecy.
First of all, Jesus is not going to do what we want, He will do what the Heavenly Father wants.
Second, Makes me think that if Jesus the Messiah was humbled by coming on a donkey, maybe we ought to get off our high horse! Amen.
Third, If Jesus can use a donkey, there is hope for us too Amen! I am just crazy enough to believe that Jesus took such time for preparation of everything He did, that maybe we ought to have some preparation time for what He would want to do with us.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey because it was a fulfillment of prophecy.
“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion,
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”
Preparation right down to the donkey-
Last year in July when we had our Community Day, we had all kinds of animals around to pet and one was a donkey. It was a foal that was being trained to be around people and his purpose was to take Jesus into Jerusalem for the Passion play this Easter. Last week I got to see the play and that donkey brought Jesus into Jerusalem- I knew the donkey that brought Jesus into Jerusalem. I had petted him and we were buddies! I helped walk him around the church.
God is a God of order
God is one who will do what He says He will do.
The things that made Jesus ready for service are the same things that makes us ready for service.
We can learn something from this famous donkey.
Refer back to the original thought- How can God use a donkey?
Because it was His plan.
It was what and how He chose to bring Jesus in.
Selected by God
Pre-arrangement had been made-
“As they approached Jerusalem, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into 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, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
Clearly the Lord took care of this earlier. It would not have been good for Jesus or his disciples being arrested for stealing the donkey that was to bring the Messiah into Jerusalem.
Even the donkey had noble cause- how much more does the Lord want for us?
Let me give you my three points up front and let’s see what we can learn from the donkey.
Let’s see why Jesus spent so much time making sure we understand what was to happen before it happened.
Donkey
Selected by God
Sanctified by God
Satisfied by God
Jesus knew what He had to do and He knew how He was to do it.
The Donkey became the vessel He used to bring Him into Jerusalem.
He could have used anything He wanted, but to fulfill Scripture which had been written earlier, He came by donkey.
That donkey had been set aside for noble purpose- anybody feeling like maybe there is a message here for them-
If He can pre-arrange the use of a donkey, what does He have for you?
His plan to the cross was not going to be stopped. He won’t quit on what He starts and He will bring his purpose in our lives too.
That donkey was prepared to carry the load of Jesus Christ- He did not fall short.
Show pictures of donkey on overload.
550 years after Zechariah prophesied that Jesus would come on a donkey. Over 2000 years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ… God has a plan and you and I are in it!
Sanctified by God
Gospel of Mark records “You will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.”
I don’t know about you but that tells me something!
A donkey that has never been ridden is not a donkey that I won’t want to ride.
Donkeys are stubborn. They do not like to be told what to do.
My dog PD (Pastors dog) is the greatest dog I have had- He listens and understands most things I am saying. If he wants to come to me, he will run at me like we are the best friends that have not seen each other in years even though it was only a few minutes, but! If he does not want to listen, he will look right at you and turn and go the other way.
I knew he heard me and he understood me. The donkey is worse… they have to be trained and want to do the things you want them to do.
So a donkey that has never been trained to have a rider is a disaster waiting to happen.
That donkey was Sanctified- “Set apart” for a purpose-
God needed Him to carry Jesus into Jerusalem. He was set apart for the task.
Are you getting this one? We are set apart. We are to be sanctified for the purpose of God. We are to carry the things of God where God wants them to go.
We don’t hear much about sanctification, because we tune it out because to be sanctified and set apart, would mean that we would have to give up our stubborn ways and do what the Lord wanted us to do.
It would mean that the Lord would have to break us of our old self so the new self would do God’s tasks happily.
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
We must be separated from the world’s thinking to be useful for the Lord’s work.
Our time with the Lord in prayer, our time seeking His face for our purpose, the reading of His Word will prepare us for the Spirit of God to sanctify us for the work that He calls each one of us too.
The last thing I want you to see about the donkey is that he was satisfied being the donkey.
Satisfied to God
God could of use a chariot or a stallion, but instead used a donkey. It was his intended plan. He didn’t change his mind and at last minute because he had no stallions, chose a donkey. It was his first choice.
Timothy tells us to “present ourselves to God”
Humble people get used by God.
Jesus, the Son of God humbled himself to come to this old dirty world of sin and rode in on a donkey to begin his journey to the cross.
How humble should you be? How humble should I be?
Our job is to not exalt ourselves but to exalt Christ. You and I have been given a task. It is to lift up Jesus Christ.
May we not pick and chose the jobs we will and won’t do for the Lord.
That smelly donkey had a pretty important Job though it didn’t seem like much.
He was the one that brought Jesus Christ into Triumphant entry into Jerusalem to start what great works Jesus Christ was going to do for mankind.
Illustration-
When Jesus came into Jerusalem, the people spread their garments. They shouted hosanna to Jesus! According to the word of God, Jesus feet never touched the road that was decorated in his honor. The donkey was the one walking on the garments, but it would have been foolish for the donkey to think that parade was for him. The same would be for you and I as servants of Christ, to not be foolish to believe that what we have and the blessings that come our way were because of us- it is all for the glory of God!
He is the one that must be honored in our lives because of what he has done for us.
Closing,
The meaning of life for a believer is found in Christ- everyone who lined that street was there for different reasons.
Some were swinging palms and cheering because they thought Jesus would defeat the Romans. They were wrong!
Some were there following Jesus and His miracles- They were wrong.
Only the ones that were on that road celebrating the Son of God would have it right.
On lookers fall short.
Genuine followers is who Jesus is looking for today-
Only Jesus knew why He was going to Jerusalem- He was going to die!
People had an agenda and Jesus was on a Mission!
If Easter isn’t more than food and family, be careful that you do not miss the resurrection. This was Jesus preparation for the final journey to the cross and then the resurrection.
They were poor people throwing their coats and garments.
That wouldn’t be worth much after a donkey stomped all over it.
But the sacrifice would mean everything if you were worshipping your savior.
It would mean everything if that was your praise being expressed.
Help me worship Jesus this morning and what He has done for us-
Let’s not forget we each have apart in God’s plan for our lives and a plan we fit into for the kingdom right here-
The old gray mare may not be what she used to be but He still has a plan for you and I.
Prayer of availability
