by David Scott Robertson
(Luke 19:33 NIV) “But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, ‘Why are you loosing the colt?’ And they said, ‘The Lord has need of him.’ Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own garments on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.”
Can you imagine being in the enviable position where the Lord needs you;
Where He actually needs you to perform a task for Him and seemingly no one else will do?
You are His chosen vessel,
Pre-ordained from the foundation of the world to perform a service for Him!
Think of it!
That was the situation with the donkey that Jesus rode on His “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem.
How would you like to have been a fulfillment of Bible prophecy concerning the Messiah?
(Zec 9:9 NIV) “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.”
That’s exactly what happened to a little donkey
Who was to be God’s chosen instrument upon which His Son would sit and fulfill prophecy.
I want to point out ten observations about this familiar passage of scripture.
First, from the donkey’s point of view and then how it may relate to us.
1. The donkey had never been used before
“…where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat…” (Luke 19:30).
The colt had never been used before but now his first act of service to mankind
Was to carry the Inventor of donkeys and Creator of mankind.
Out of obscurity would rise an ignoble beast of burden
Who would bear the weight on his back
Of the One who bear the weight on His back of the sins of the world.
What about you?
Has the Lord raised you up from obscurity to be used for His glory?
Have you who was nothing been transformed into something by Him who is everything?
2. The Lord had him loosed.
“…Loose him and bring him here” (Luke 19:30).
The donkey was tethered, tied up, bound, a slave to his owner unable to move about freely.
Sounds like a lot of people I know.
What about you?
Were you bound by sin when Jesus sent His servant(s) to share the gospel with you?
Did the Good News set you free?
Were you loosed from the chains that had made you a slave to sin?
I will tell you that “…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36 NIV).
3. People questioned the Lord’s choice.
“…But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” (Luke 19:33).
Under normal circumstances,
A typical response to someone helping themselves to your personal property
Might have gone something like this:
“Hey, that’s our donkey there! You just hold on a minute! What do you think you’re doing?”
“We have fed him, watered him, cleaned up after him, providing a stable for him,
And you think you’re going to take him off just like that because you say
The Lord has need of him?”
Yep, that’s right.
What about you?
When the Lord called you out of sin and you got saved
Was there any resistance?
Did the enemies that had you in bondage put up a fight?
Was there a confrontation from the powers of darkness over letting you go?
Did you have some old “friends” say “his new faith will never last”?
Did any long-time church people ever say
“Who does he think he is anyway that the Lord should use a new convert like him?”
4. Coming in contact with Jesus transformed the donkey into a vessel of honor.
“.Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own garments on the colt, and they set Jesus on him” (Luke 19:35).
The colt that had never been ridden
Suddenly had as his first task to carry the “burden of the Lord.”
Literally.
The donkey was helpful, useful, needful in not only providing a practical need of transportation
For the King of Glory
But to fulfill Bible prophecy as well.
What about you?
Have you noticed that coming in contact with Jesus has changed everything?
Have you noticed that the old is gone and the new has come in your life (2 Corinthians 5:17)?
Because of Christ, many of us who were wild and untamed “beasts” from an unnamed village
Have [won] favor and a good name in the sight of God and man” (Proverbs 3:4 NIV).
5. The colt’s way was paved with glory.
“And as He went, they spread their clothes on the road” (Luke 19:36).
Donkeys are used to walking in dirt and dust,
Trudging through puddles and grime and slime.
Here we see the donkey walking on fine, colorful, perhaps even embroidered clothing!
What a change of circumstances!
How did such an ordinary colt get to enjoy such an extraordinary pathway?
What about you?
As a follower of Christ
Have you walked in some wonderful places?
Have you sat under tremendous preaching and teaching and gospel singing?
Have you been exposed to the wonderful moving of the Holy Spirit in a prayer meeting?
Have you tasted and seen that the Lord is good
As He has had you walk in places of glorious blessing?
6. The donkey was in the presence of great praise.
“Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen…” (Luke 19:37).
This is quite a first assignment for a young colt!
Being loosed to carry the Messiah, walking on beautiful clothing, and now
Entering town to hear something he had never heard before in his entire life:
Cheering, applause, loud voices lifted in jubilant joy!
Could it be that all this commotion was for him, a lowly donkey?
What about you?
Have you ever been used of the Lord?
I hope so.
Have you ever been tempted to take some of the glory for yourself?
Probably.
When the people you have served in the Name of the Lord
Begin to thank you, to commend you, to honor you for ministering to them,
There can be a part of you that goes beyond receiving
Appropriate affirmation, encouragement and appreciation.
Sometimes, deep inside, we can subtly try to steal God’s glory.
Taking credit for something that only God can do
Is about as ridiculous
As the donkey on whom Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day thinking the applause was for him!
7. The colt brought the Word of God to a lost people group.
“.And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples’” (Luke 19:40).
What apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers do figuratively
In carrying the Word of God to lost (or misguided religious) people
The donkey did literally that day.
The colt physically carried Jesus Christ, the Word of God.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14 NIV).
What about you?
How lovely are the feet of those who carry the gospel message to a lost person.
Whether the lost people group
Is in a factory, an office, a locker-room, a classroom, or a neighborhood,
People can and must hear the Word of God in order to be saved.
8. The donkey was there when Jesus wept.
“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it…” (Luke 19:41).
Did a tear coming from the body of the Lord fall on the donkey’s head?
Was he “anointed” with the tears of Christ?
Did the colt’s ears hear the sound of crying from its holy rider?
What about you?
Have you, as it were, in prayer leaned your head on Jesus’ breast and heard His heartbeat?
Have you walked closely with the Lord and discovered the things that make His emotions flare?
Can you identify with what makes Him angry, sad, and joyful?
9. The colt was exposed to revelation knowledge.
“[Jesus] saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side” (Luke 19:42-43).
As Jesus entering into Jerusalem, weeping, He began to prophesy.
And this is not the point at all but the little colt had the faculties to hear Christ’s prophetic words.
And this is the point.
When you spend time serving Christ,
Faithfully doing His work,
He will often times allow you hear things in your spirit
That are a revelation to you simply because you are close to Him.
It reminds me of when the Lord appeared to Abraham
On His way to investigate Sodom and Gommorah:
(Gen 18:17 NIV) “Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”
10. The colt was never heard of again.
Scripture does not mention the young donkey again from this point on.
I imagine that the colt was returned to its owner.
It would have been like Jesus to send the same two disciples back with the animal to return it…
And probably along with it a personal message of thanks.
Now this is where the difference between animals and man is most evident.
Both are God’s creation but only man was made in God’s image.
As such, he is an eternal being whose spirit will spend forever somewhere.
And if God had His way, it would be with Him (2 Peter 3:9).
May I suggest today that the Lord has need of you?
He has a plan and a work that only you can do.
The self-existent God who has no needs
Has relegated and delegated the Great Commission to preach the gospel to you and I and us.
Imagine that.
The Lord does, in fact, have need of you.
DSR
10/25/01