The King And A Donkey

These are the events of our Lord’s last week of ministry;

Sunday—Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

Monday—Jesus cleanses the temple of the money changers

Tuesday—Controversies with the Jewish leaders

Wednesday—maybe a day of rest

Thursday—Preparation for the Passover and The Lord’s supper is instituted.

Friday—Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus

Saturday—Jesus body rests in the tomb while Jesus descends to the lowest parts of the earth and takes keys of death away from Satan

Sunday—Jesus rises from the dead

The Jewish day went from sundown to sundown, so that our Thursday evening would be their Friday, the Day of Passover.

Palm Sunday was the first day of the last week of Jesus life on earth

They were all saying Blessed be the King, Mark (Mk 11:9, 10) “Hosanna,” means, “Save now,”

Hosanna in the highest.” This was highest exaltation in which Jesus could be saluted as the promised Deliverer.

• The joyful response of the people to Jesus that first Palm Sunday is a beautiful illustration of praise.

The people in the crowd that day? (The same people who wanted to see him crowned this day wanted to see him crucified less than a week later.)

1. Judas was in the crowd

• He would betray Jesus later

2. The Pharisees were in the crowd.

Modern day Pharisees also love a crowd. They weren’t really there for Jesus.

Probably not interested in being identified with Christ

3. There may have been some secret agent Christians there.

• Some were secret Christians like Nicodemus the Pharisee.

Today we have people who tell us that Jesus was a great religious teacher or a good man or a prophet, but they never confess Him as who He really is.

They may have believed but did not want to associate with Jesus because of His message.

4. without a doubt, the Committed Were There. (The people that were touched by Jesus and his teachings throughout the years)

•The other eleven disciples were there

•probably Mary, Martha and Lazarus were there,

•Mary Magdalene,

•Maybe Zacheaus, Simon the leper, the blind men that were healed by the side of the road, perhaps the woman with the issue of blood, and others whose lives and bodies Jesus had touched.

•These were people that Jesus had touched and changed their lives

-Jesus was real to them and they were Praising the LORD!. Praise the name of the LORD! Praise him, you who serve the LORD,

5. There was also a donkey there (It was not the first time thatGods used a donkey)

•God had not chosen a stallion or even a camel but a donkey

•Most would think, A DONKEY?

"How does a donkey become fit for the service of the King of Kings and How can we be made useful for him too?"

There are few things that make this donkey fit for royal service, and they are equally important for us.

1. This donkey was selected by the King; the donkey had a purpose in God’s plan.

He had a meeting with destiny.

*Jesus had 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, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."

-God set aside this donkey for a noble purpose.

550 years earlier Zechariah had prophesied about this little donkey.

-God had a plan and this donkey was selected by God to play a part in it.

-God has selected us also.

-If He can use a donkey, He can anyone that is willing

*John 15:16 says; “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. “*Ephesians 2:10 says; “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

2. the donkey had to be loosened form his ties and from his past, to be used by Jesus

3. The donkey was Sanctified for God’s use

- he was preserved or set aside

*(Mark 11:2) “you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.

-This donkey was not broken in yet. It was separated for Gods use.

-We must be separated from the world also to be useful to the King

*2 Timothy 2:21 says: “If a man cleanses himself from [wickedness], he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”

-Being Sanctified also means being Prepared for the Lords use by Preparation

v. 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.