Daily Devotionals
Monday, March 25, 2024 (Mary Ann)
Why a donkey?
“As he (Jesus) came to the towns of Bethpage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. ‘Go into that village over there,’ he told them. ‘As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
The crowds lining the way into Jerusalem were calling, “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” So wouldn’t you expect to see Jesus’ triumphal entry to the city be on a magnificent armored war horse? I wonder if the disciples wondered.
In the beginning, God created donkeys….
And through the ages, donkeys have proved to be loyal, versatile, hard-working beasts. But really, look at them. Goofy long ears. Toothy smiles. Quirky personalities. Heehaw voices. Kind of like “that kid” in elementary school who sang off-key – but energetically – and didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the crowd – but happily for the most part, never seemed to care.
(I’ve been that kid. Still am sometimes. How about you?)
There are amazing reasons why Jesus asked for a donkey to ride.
For one thing, it fulfilled an ancient prophecy of the coming Messiah: “Say to the daughter of Zion, behold your king is coming to you, gentle and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” Zechariah 9:9
But this humble ride also symbolized just who Jesus wasn’t … and is: Not the avenging military leader the people wanted. Not the warrior-king who would lead a revolt and defeat their Roman oppressors. Instead, they got Jesus … on a donkey … the sacrificial lamb of God, who was coming to take on humankind’s past and future sins through his death. They didn’t know it then, but this was the Messiah who would conquer their – and our – oppressor once and for all, and bring us life through his resurrection.
His coming sacrifice was why Jesus chose a donkey to ride into Jerusalem. And Sisters, goofy, toothy, quirky, heehawing though we may be sometimes, Jesus has chosen us as his own. Ephesians 1:4 says, “He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” And we don’t even have to be strong or smart or beautiful or talented! The Bible tells us that we are “wonderfully made” by God and that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
This is Holy Week and we know that terrible yet good, Good Friday is coming. But remember, Sunday is coming and we are an Easter people! Ponder his sacrifice; rejoice in our hope.
Mary Ann
“As he (Jesus) came to the towns of Bethpage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. ‘Go into that village over there,’ he told them. ‘As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
The crowds lining the way into Jerusalem were calling, “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” So wouldn’t you expect to see Jesus’ triumphal entry to the city be on a magnificent armored war horse? I wonder if the disciples wondered.
In the beginning, God created donkeys….
And through the ages, donkeys have proved to be loyal, versatile, hard-working beasts. But really, look at them. Goofy long ears. Toothy smiles. Quirky personalities. Heehaw voices. Kind of like “that kid” in elementary school who sang off-key – but energetically – and didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the crowd – but happily for the most part, never seemed to care.
(I’ve been that kid. Still am sometimes. How about you?)
There are amazing reasons why Jesus asked for a donkey to ride.
For one thing, it fulfilled an ancient prophecy of the coming Messiah: “Say to the daughter of Zion, behold your king is coming to you, gentle and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” Zechariah 9:9
But this humble ride also symbolized just who Jesus wasn’t … and is: Not the avenging military leader the people wanted. Not the warrior-king who would lead a revolt and defeat their Roman oppressors. Instead, they got Jesus … on a donkey … the sacrificial lamb of God, who was coming to take on humankind’s past and future sins through his death. They didn’t know it then, but this was the Messiah who would conquer their – and our – oppressor once and for all, and bring us life through his resurrection.
His coming sacrifice was why Jesus chose a donkey to ride into Jerusalem. And Sisters, goofy, toothy, quirky, heehawing though we may be sometimes, Jesus has chosen us as his own. Ephesians 1:4 says, “He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” And we don’t even have to be strong or smart or beautiful or talented! The Bible tells us that we are “wonderfully made” by God and that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
This is Holy Week and we know that terrible yet good, Good Friday is coming. But remember, Sunday is coming and we are an Easter people! Ponder his sacrifice; rejoice in our hope.
Mary Ann
