The Passage
Today is Palm Sunday, so we are going to study Jesus’ triumphant entry. So let’s read Luke 19:28-40, “And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.””
The Prophecy
Palm Sunday is the beginning of Passion Week, the week that we remember and celebrate Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and rising from the dead. Today we are going to discuss a couple of the prophecies about Palm Sunday, the meaning of Jesus’ entry on a colt, and the importance of the date when Jesus came into Jerusalem. The Jews and Pharisees had been seeking to kill Jesus for a while, but He had been avoiding them, because His time had not yet come. He had also not given them authority to harm Him yet, in a few days He would, but not until after the feast. We see that when Jesus and the multitude drew near to Bethphage and Bethany they were at the Mount of Olivet. Jesus sent two of His disciples ahead and in His omniscience, He gave them instructions as to where they would find the colt for Him to ride into Jerusalem. He told them they would find a colt that was tied up and had never been ridden. He said that if anyone asks, why they were untying it, to answer that the Lord has need of it. Why was it important for Jesus to have a colt that had never been ridden and why did He have to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover? The first was because it was prophesied that He would ride on a colt and that the people would rejoice greatly (Zechariah 9:9). It was also written in the law that all Jewish men had to go up to Jerusalem at Passover (Feast of Unleavened Bread)(Deuteronomy 16:16). Jesus being the Messiah, fulfilled the law and all the prophecies about Him that applied to His first coming. Jesus fulfilled almost four hundred prophecies, while on earth. When you look at the evidence in the gospels, Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies about His first coming and all the laws, that proves that He was, in fact, the Messiah, because no mere man could fulfill these prophecies, much less the law.
What Jesus’ entry on the Colt Meant
So far we have only discussed why it was important for Jesus to ride in on a colt, but let us now discuss the symbolism of using a colt. Jesus did not come in as a conquering king, riding on a white horse as He will at His second coming, instead, He came in riding a colt. Which means several things, the first of these is that anyone who wants to come to Jesus can, because a colt, especially one that had never been ridden, would have been very slow allowing anyone who wanted to follow Him to be able to. Secondly, it showed that He came in peace, this time He did not come as a conquering king, but a peaceful one, that was not there to overthrow the government, but something else, and that was sin and death. Also, riding on the colt showed Jesus’ humility, in that He was not coming to be served, but to serve. This is an example that we should follow, because we should not be seeking to be served, but to serve.
The Importance of the Date
What was of equal importance to Him riding into Jerusalem on a colt, was when He came. He did not wait until later in the Passover week for several reasons. The first is that Palm Sunday is the tenth day of the first month in the Jewish calendar {Nisan 10}, this is the same day that the lambs would be brought in to be prepared for Passover. Jesus came into Jerusalem on the same day to be prepared for Passover and the Crucifixion. He was killed the day after all the lambs were sacrificed, but unlike the lambs whose sacrifice was temporary, Jesus’ sacrifice is eternal and for everyone. Both Jesus and the lambs were killed for someone else’s sins, because the punishment for sin is death and all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, 6:23). So, we all need the Savior to redeem and save us from our sins. The only One that can do this is Jesus Christ, He is the only One that can save us from the punishment for our sins (John 14:6). If you are ready to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, all you have to do is to admit that you are a sinner, repent of your sins (repent means turn away), believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and God raised Him from the dead, then confess Him as Lord and Savior of your life (Romans 10:9).
Praise Him
The disciples found the colt just as Jesus had said, and they brought it back to Him. They threw their cloaks over it and set Jesus on it. As they went along they started throwing their cloaks and palm branches on the road and praising Jesus (John 12:12-16). It says that the multitude walked with Jesus praising Him saying “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”. The cloaks on the road are not a weird thing that happens in the Bible, it has a meaning and symbolism that is very important, it was an outward sign of surrender and them saying that they gave their all to Jesus. In Bible times, when a new king came into a city, the people would throw their cloaks on the road as a sign of surrender. This is what you need to do today: you need to give your all to Jesus, completely surrendering your life to Him. There is no better time to do this, than today, Palm Sunday, the day that Jesus willingly went to Jerusalem, knowing exactly what would happen to Him. I think as we go into this time of remembrance and celebration of what Jesus did for us, we should be praising Him, because He is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise. He did not want to go to the cross and suffer, but He did it, because that is how much He loves us. So this week, meditate on what Jesus did for us that first passion week. Know that He wants to have a relationship with you and that the best thing you can do is to give Him your all, as He did for you. Also this week, take time to praise Him and thank Him for all He has done and is doing for you.