And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
Mark 11:1-7
The living word of God is amazing. If you look hard enough and pray for insight it is possible to find the gospel of Jesus Christ on every page from Genesis to Revelation. The story of the donkey Jesus procured to ride on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem is no exception. Let's consider the donkey's gospel story:
All donkey's live in the shadow of the cross. On their back is a cross shape that is reminiscent of the LORD's cross and His being carried by the donkey as an old legend goes. However, there is more than legend in the scripture. According to Exodus 13:13, they are animals specifically named as being redeemable by the sacrifice of a lamb. Therefore, every donkey was of value. So is every human being that has ever lived. Like the donkey, every man, woman, and child must be redeemed by the blood of Christ the Lamb. Please understand that Jesus died for all humanity! Most think it was just a special thing He did for Christians, but scripture assures us that He was crucified to redeem whosoever will call on Jesus to be saved! "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2 The cross reminds us all that we need salvation and there is no other source than the Crucified Savior of Mt. Calvary. We live in the shadow of the cross.
Donkey's are wild and untamed by nature. Each gospel writer also assured us that the one ridden by Jesus was un-ridden, so there should have been some problems with riding this mount. Jesus himself said, " ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat." Not only was Christ successful in riding this unbroken animal, He rode it through a cacophony of noises that should have caused even more problems for the LORD on this ride. Jesus' very presence is able to tame the most wild and wretched of sinners. Let me be one that is a witness to this power of the great Peacemaker. He tamed a wretch like me, and He can do it for you. Even in the storms of life, Christ brings peace and rest and a spirit-filled, fruitful, tamed nature. He takes that which is wildly sinful by nature, and through the power of His regenerating blood, He creates a new nature of righteousness and true holiness. Only Jesus can do this.
Where was this untamed donkey when the LORD's apostles found him? God's creature was in the possession of another. Furthermore, the animal was bound and outside. Unregenerate man is in the very same condition. Men and women may think they have a wild and untamed nature; however, the truth is that his/her sin has him/her bound by another--Satan. Those who have not accepted Christ are also outside of the blessings and benefits of God that are only found in Christ. It takes Jesus to give the powerful command, "Let him/her go! I have need of that one." The one who was bound must then be set free!
Did you notice where they found the donkey? "And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him (Mark 11:4)." This is where Jesus finds all of us. We are near a door of opportunity at a crossroads between heaven and hell--a place where two ways meet. One way is the way of the LORD, and the other is the road to destruction. Do you know what happened to a donkey if it was not redeemed properly? Here is what Exodus says, "And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem (Exodus 13:13)." Without the redeeming grace of Jesus we are marked for destruction.
You, dear reader, are at a place where you have a decision to make. Will you allow Christ to be Lord of your life or will you head the wrong way and be broken in judgement? The choice ultimately is yours individually. So what is your choice? Do you wish to remain "untamed" yet bound by sin and Satan. Or do you wish for Christ to speak on your behalf and say to Satan, "loose that one, I have need of him/her"? The choice is yours. Choose quickly as the Lord is Soon2Come.
