Why Choose The Donkey

Why Choose the Donkey

Luke 19:28-44

Good Morning

Today is the day most Christians celebrate as Palm Sunday.

One of the most baffling things about Palm Sunday and the Easter story is the fact that Jesus’ Disciples didn’t understand what was happening in Jerusalem that day.

Until Jesus’ resurrection, His disciples, who had traveled, studied, and ministered under Jesus for most of His public ministry, seemed confused about what was happening.

During the week leading to His crucifixion, there are many examples of the Disciples failing to comprehend what Jesus told them about who He was, and what His ultimate mission was.

Even after the resurrection, the Disciples still did not understand what happened to Jesus despite the miracles they witnessed and the three years of teaching they received from their teacher.

Please open your Bibles to Luke 19 as we take a break from our Book of Acts study.

My question: Why did Jesus choose a donkey over a stallion?

Jesus chose a donkey to fulfill prophecy and to demonstrate to the Disciples, an example of humility, identity, and obedience.

Jesus came from heaven to Earth for the first time as a suffering servant, but He is coming again as King of Kings.

I. The stage is set.

Read Luke 19:28-36

The LORD had just finished teaching the parable of the minas to teach His Disciples about the kingdom of God on earth, during His final trip to Jerusalem.

Most of the people there believed that Jesus was going to Jerusalem to establish His earthly kingdom.

Part of the purpose of the parable of the minas was to dismiss the rumors that the time to set up His kingdom, was at hand.

In the parable of the minas, a nobleman left home to travel and to be crowned king.

The nobleman gave ten minas to his servants (about three months’ wages), and the future king instructed his servants to put this money to work until he returned.

We are told that the nobleman’s people “hated him” and refused to acknowledge his kingship. So, when the nobleman was crowned king, he returned home to set things right.

Each servant had to account for how they had used the money.

The first servant’s mina was invested and had earned ten more so, the king called him a good and faithful servant.

The second servant’s mina was invested and yielded five additional minas, so that servant was given charge over five cities.

The final servant hid his mina, because he was afraid of the nobleman, as he claimed the nobleman was a hard man.

Jesus said in Luke 19:26, 'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him’. NKJV

At the end of the parable, the king commanded his enemies, who rebelled against him, to be brought before him and executed.

The nobleman in the parable of the minas is Jesus, who left this world after taking the Cross, but will return as King someday.

As followers of Christ, Jesus has given us a mission to fulfill, and we must be faithful to serve Him until He returns.

Now, in our passage, Jesus sent two of His Disciples into the village to bring an unbroken colt of a donkey, which no one had ever sat on back to Him.

Jesus is all-knowing, so one reason for choosing a donkey was to set the stage for the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah.

Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. NKJV

Even though His Disciples failed to realize Jesus is God in the flesh, they did realize He is a miracle worker.

The people there wanted a physical King, but they did not want to accept the Lord, on His terms.

What are some of the responses from people today when they hear about Jesus Christ?

• Some people hear about Jesus and refuse to believe the miracles He did were even possible.

• Some people hear about Jesus and are convinced that the fulfillment of prophecies were somehow manipulated.

• Some people hear about Jesus and turn a deaf ear to Him.

• Some people hear about Jesus and by faith, place their trust in the LORD for Salvation.

Here in our Palm Sunday passage from the Gospel of Luke, we learn of some fulfilled prophecies.

Before this, Jesus deliberately discouraged any kind of public acknowledgment that He was the promised Messiah.

Maybe you remember the story of Jesus feeding the multitude with the five loaves and the two fish.