Palm sunday, the donkey, and us!

Tonight at our Palm Sunday concert with the group No Other Name, Dana had asked me to share a short devotional thought. I sat at my desk this afternoon and pondered the “Triumphal Entry” and found a correlation between Christ followers and the donkey Jesus rode in on. When it came time for the devotion the Lord led me to share out of Acts 1:8 and so I told those in attendance that tonight I’d post this devotion on my blog.

We often assign some kind of human characteristic to animals. I was amazed as I thought of the list this afternoon. This is not “exhaustive” but rather just a sampling: When life gets hectic and out of control we call it a “rat race”. It’s possible to be a busy as a bee, as sly as a fox, and as wise as an owl. Everyone past their teenage years knows what is meant by “puppy love” and we all appreciate bear hugs. Many see this life as a “dog eat dog” world and when they don’t get their way they get madder than a wet hen. Some folks are happy as a lark and sing like a canary. Singing like a canary is a good thing but singing like a stool pigeon is not. We can be quiet as a mouse, as strong as an ox, and as stubborn as a mule (that’s where this devotion comes in).

It’s interesting that in all four gospels as the story of Jesus’ final entry is told each gospel writer found it important to tell of His riding into town on the donkey fulfilling Zechariah 9:9. Zechariah prophecies, “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”

Besides the fact most of us are “stubborn”, there are some other very real similarities between the donkey Jesus rode in on and us. Here’s four to ponder:

1. Jesus obviously had a plan for the donkey. God also has a plan for your life. Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

2. They covered the donkey in new clothes that day (they were new to him at least). Paul said in Galatians 3:27, “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ”. So we should “take-off” things like bitterness, resentment, and anger and instead be clothed in the fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.

3. The donkey simply went where he was led. Life would admittedly be so much easier if the Lord simply gave us a road map with explicit instructions when to turn and when to stay straight. But He doesn’t, that’s why it’s called “faith”.

4. The donkey made Jesus more visible, he “lifted” up Jesus. And because Jesus was lifted up a crowd gathered. I’m convinced people still want to “see Jesus” and when He is lifted up the crowd will gather. If our highest aim in worship were to glorify the Son, I believe heaven would come down more in our services. It’s worth noting the donkey did nothing that detracted from Jesus.

There are a few other things that connect our story with that of the donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem that first “Palm Sunday”. Here they are in no certain order:

The donkey was “tied up” and had to be loosed. Maybe tonight you are bound up by sin. Hebrews tells us to cast off that sin which so easily ensnares us. If you need to be loosed tonight, only the Lord Jesus can set you free.

This donkey was untamed; it had never been rode before. We too in our lost state were “untamed”. The scripture puts it this we, “we were by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:9); we were rebellious and had no desire to follow Christ. Unfortunately with our flesh still an active part of our existence, if we are not careful this rebelliousness toward God creeps back up again.

Luke tells us Jesus was brought the donkey near Bethany and Bethpage. In other words it was a “crossroads”, a place of decision. So many today are at that same crossroad, needing to make decisions about following Christ with their life.

The donkey was brought to Jesus by ones who knew where He was. We too know how to “find Jesus” and we should be bringing those who don’t to Him.

The donkey didn’t resist but rather submitted to Christ, and was used for God’s glory. Isn’t that the highest calling of our life? In Isaiah 43:7 the Lord God says, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory”