Have you ever been in a situation where you really needed some help? The situation had just gotten out of hand. It was too difficult, too painful, you were trapped and there was nothing you could do about it. You really needed someone who could come into your situation and make things right. That had often been the situation with the Jews of the Old Testament. Whether in bondage to the Egyptians, the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, or even their own corrupt leaders they found themselves many times in a situation of oppression that they could do nothing about. They needed a Deliverer.
God had promised a Deliverer but He seemed to never come. In the Old Testament, there are various prophecies concerning a Savior, a Messiah, a Promised One who would come to deliver the Jews. These prophecies were embedded in the hearts of the Jewish people. Throughout the centuries the hope of a Messiah was their strength in times of suffering, defeat, and exile.
In the days before Jesus, the people were under the brutal rule of the Roman Empire. This caused them to desire even more for their Messiah, their Deliverer. We read of different men during this time in history who would rise up and gain a group of followers. People would begin to hope that these men could be the Promised One. But then he would either be killed or discredited and the people would return to what seemed to be endless waiting. Life was unbearable under the Romans, but what other option did they have? In the days following Jesus' birth, they had no idea that in the city of Nazareth the promised Messiah had already arrived.
As we read the story of Jesus Christ we see how He began His public ministry at the age of 30. It was characterized by teaching like no one had ever heard. He blessed the children, gave forgiveness to those caught in sin, and even related to those who society turned their backs upon. His ministry was confirmed by the working of signs and miracles. The blind received sight, the lame walked, those who had leprosy were cured, the deaf heard, the dead were raised, and the good news was preached to the poor. Many people believed and followed Him.
All of this was preparing the way for Christ’s stated reason for coming. Jesus had come to seek and save the lost and that would only be accomplished once He died on the cross for our sins and was raised back to life. One week before His crucifixion and resurrection there was a special event that we are told about in Luke 19:28-38.
The story describes Jesus walking down from the Mount of Olives, through the Kidron Valley, and entering the city of Jerusalem. Jews, by the thousands, had assembled in Jerusalem for the celebration of the upcoming Passover. As Jesus approached the city cheers went up and people began to come out and meet Him, praising Him as the promised Messiah. He rode on a donkey and the people laid down their cloaks on the road before Him and waved Palm branches in His honor.
If we will observe the culture of that day and the scriptures of the Old Testament we can begin to understand much more about this story. An animal that had never been ridden or worked was often used for sacred purposes. (1 Sam. 6:7; Num. 19:2; Deut. 21.3) So it was for the donkey colt that Christ rode. A conquering king would enter a city riding a horse. A king coming in peace would ride a donkey. (Matt. 21:2; 1 Kings 1:33-34) Jesus had not come to be an earthly, military king who would free the Jews from Rome. He came as an eternal king, the Prince of Peace who would free many from the condemnation and slavery of sin.
Zechariah 9:9 reads, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. “
It had been prophesied but the people did not recognize the signs. Jesus Christ was truly King, but not the type they had expected. The laying of cloaks, robes, and palm branches was clearly a sign of Kingship. (2 Kings 9:12-13; Psalm 7:9) It was a dangerous statement to be making at that time in history, but it was the time that God had set and the end was drawing near.
We could focus on different lessons in this story, but let’s turn our attention to verses 31-34 for a moment. It concerns the colt that Jesus had requested to make this whole story possible. As Jesus had approached Jerusalem he had asked two of His disciples to go to a nearby village where they would find a colt donkey. They were instructed to untie it and bring it to Jesus. If anyone asked why they were taking it they were to tell him, “The Lord needs it.” That is exactly how it happened. They went and when the owner asked why the disciples were untying it they merely said, “The Lord needs it,” and the owner let them take it. We don’t know what the owner’s name was or anything else about him. We only know that the one phrase was sufficient. “The Lord needs it.” At this moment an obscure unknown man who owned a donkey was invited to fulfill century-old prophecies and to be a part of the story of God on earth.
When these verses use the word need it is not as if God truly has something that only we can provide for Him. He is fully self-sufficient and sovereign. (Psalm 50:7b-12; Psalm 24:1) He needs nothing, and yet it was a way for God to express an invitation to the man to join Him in what He was doing.
We see other examples of individuals offering up what they have because “The Lord needs it.” In the Old Testament, Elkanah and Hannah offered their son Samuel to God even before he was born and he became one of the greatest judges the nation of Israel ever had. In Kings 17 the Widow of Zarephath gives of her last grain and oil so the prophet Elijah can eat. Because of this God never allows their grain and oil to run out until the drought ends. In Luke 3 we see Jesus ask for a boat that belonged to Simon so that the masses could better hear his message of salvation. In John 6:6 we see a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish. Jesus takes the small lunch and feeds five thousand men plus women and children. In the Bible, we see many people who make available what they have because the Lord needs it. Then, in the hands of Jesus, their little becomes much.
This story of salvation and Christ’s invitation to join Him in His work continues today. Our sovereign God moves us closer to the final Day of the Lord, and we have been asked to be a part of it in our workplaces, in our families, in our churches, and in our world. Are we willing to give whatever, whenever, because ”The Lord Needs it?”
This question involves more than just our money and our time. Are we willing to give the Lord full access to all that we have and all that we are? This includes our passions, our abilities, our plans, our dreams, our future, our retirement, our families, and even our children. For the sake of Christ are we even willing to offer our past pain, failures, and challenges so we can minister to others who have similar needs?
It is when we make available the things of our lives that God takes them and does something supernatural through our offering to benefit His kingdom and bless those around us.
An experienced mother serving a new mother. A child giving friendship to the new student at school. A jobless man giving away his time to serve others. A college student giving away his future to serve God. A parent giving away a child to God’s service. A single person surrendering the desire for a mate because God has a calling that only a single person can accomplish.
Are we willing to sacrifice all, knowing that our eternal reward will far outweigh what we have given up?
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? (Luke 9)
The Gospel loosens our grip from what we hold tightly. It convicts of sin, reveals the grace of God, shows us the value of the cross, and gives us an appetite for the truly good things of God. In the cross, our deepest needs are met so that we can give of ourselves freely as we rest securely in the hands of God.
Is there any area of your life that you refuse to let Him use? Is there any area of your life that you will not surrender to Him? This is the point where your spiritual life will either grow stagnant and cold or the place where God will set your spirit ablaze with His working through your life. It is in this dying to self and surrendering all that we finally begin to experience the life that we have been created for.
Let Psalm 139:23-24 be your prayer that will free you to be fully used by Him. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
