AN UNUSUAL PICK & RIDE
Introduction: Pick & Ride
bicycles are gaining popularity in Qatar as easy and affordable transportation.
The equivalence of it here in Boston is our Blue Bicycles. The Netherlands,
where my wife comes from, has 17.1 million people, and about a quarter of those
(4.25 million) cycle every day. More bikes than people – 22.8 million bikes or
about 1.33 bikes per person.
On top of this, there are nearly 2
million electric e-bikes on the road, quickly gaining popularity, particularly
amongst the elderly. On any working day between 8-9 am, almost 2 million bikes
will be on Dutch roads![1] You can easily pick and
ride a Bicycle in Holland. Wilma and I enjoy our Bicycle rides through the
green fields or polders whenever we visit Holland.
On this Palm Sunday, I will talk
about another Pick & Ride, an unusual kind. We will see how this Unusual
Pick & Ride became one of God's most critical signs ever given to
humankind. We will learn how its message impacts our lives even today. Matthew
21:1-11
On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus
shared some powerful truths with his disciples, such as, He is the only Hope of
all the World. When we encounter suffering, he suffers with us. The pathway to
greatness always begins with small steps of service. As He came closer to
Jerusalem, things picked up speed, and several ancient prophecies were
beginning to be fulfilled.
I.
An Unusual Pick & Ride Vs. 1-3
Vs. 1, "As Jesus and the
disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethpage on the Mount
of Olives." What do we know about the town of Bethpage? The word
"Bethpage" means the "House of Unripe Figs. The village of
Bethpage on the Mount of Olives was an important place for the Jewish authorities
during the period of Jesus. It was a walled village outside Jerusalem yet
considered by the Sanhedrin as the official part of Jerusalem.
It was the site where the Sanhedrin
(the nation's Supreme Court) determined legal matters for the country. It was
where they set the limits on sacred and secular things (the size of the city,
the Temple, starting days of sacred holidays and the observance of the festivals,
etc.)[2]
No wonder why Jesus chose Bethpage
as His last stop before Jerusalem. As if he was going to take on the
administration and announce his new Kingdom rule on earth. It will be entirely
different from the Sanhedrin or the Roman empire. It will be the Kingdom of
love and righteousness, and He will lay its foundation in the hearts of His
disciples first.
What did earthly kings usually pick
if they wanted to ride into a city? Horses or Chariots. Similarly, our Presidents
or Prime ministers would pick a bulletproof car and the Pope a papal limousine
(except the present Pope). None of them would pick a donkey for a ride, would
they?
What did the future King of the
universe pick for his ride as he entered Jerusalem for the final time? Vs. 2-3,
"Go into the village over there," he said. "As soon as you enter
it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and
bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, 'The Lord
needs them,' and he will immediately let you take them."
Jesus instructed two of his
disciples to bring him a donkey and its colt as his ride. What an unusual pick
for a ride? Why a donkey, not a horse? Here are a few significant points
regarding why a donkey was picked: A) The donkey was a traditional mount for
kings, rulers, and prophets in the ancient Near East; Jesus made an implicit
claim to be the King of His people.
B) In the Old Testament, horses were
associated with war and human pride. In ancient times, dignitaries would ride
donkeys in civil processions and horses in military ones.
A king arriving on a donkey would
indicate that he was on a peaceful mission, not bent on military conquest. By
riding on a donkey, Jesus made a statement regarding the nature of his Kingdom.
Let us look at the instructions Jesus gave His disciples. Look for a tied
donkey with its colt beside it, untie them, and bring them to Jesus. If
questioned, they were to say, 'The Lord needs them." The owner of the
donkey and colt would let them go. What do they mean?
I see some spiritual principles. A
tied donkey and its colt would have no use unless they were untied or freed
from bondage. Similarly, we would not be used by God unless He sets us free
from our bondage of sin, which speaks of our redemption. The reason why we are
redeemed is not that we have a good time in this life. The Lord needs us to
become his message carriers.
Just like the donkey and colt's
owner let them go when he realized the Lord needed them, we too need to allow
ourselves and others to let go and serve the Lord. I am one of many of God's
unusual picks and rides. After I got saved, I sensed the Lord needed me to
serve Him full time. I decided not to study further after my graduation. I joined
YWAM at the age of twenty.
Many, including my parents, thought
I was crazy to join missions and jeopardize my future. It was hard for them to
let me go, especially for my mother. After putting much pressure on me, she
finally released me to serve my King full-time before she passed away.
That was the best decision I have
ever made in my life. I may not have made a great career, but I am satisfied by
letting Jesus use me as his unusual pick and ride to bring forth His message of
Love and Peace. If you sense God is calling you to serve Him full-time, don't
hesitate to follow Him. Parents, please do not hinder your children from
pursuing God's call in their lives. Some
of us are afraid to ask God for His will and direction, thinking God might send
them to Africa or elsewhere as missionaries. That kind of missionary call of
going overseas might not be for everyone. He might call you to be his witness
at your workplace, in your neighborhood, or relocate you to some other place.
Let me tell you, there is no greater satisfaction or fulfillment you get than
when you are serving the Lord and doing His will.
II.
The Unusual Pick & Ride was indeed an Essential Sign of the Messiah. (4-5)
Jesus could have chosen any other
form of transportation as he made his final entry into Jerusalem, but he chose
a donkey and its colt, an unusual pick & ride. He did that to defy all
human expectations and fulfill two age-old familiar prophecies of Isaiah and
Zechariah.
Vs. 4-5, "This took
place to fulfill the prophecy that said, "Tell the people of Jerusalem, (daughter
of Zion Isaiah 62:11), 'Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble,
riding on a donkey riding on a donkey's colt" (Zechariah 9:9). Two
prophecies were fulfilled concurrently.
Both Isaiah and Zechariah, the
Southern prophets, prophesied surrounding the return of Judah from their
Babylonian exile around the sixth century BC. What they saw was about the
future beyond the return of the remnant of Israel to Jerusalem. It was about
the Messiah's first coming and the finality of God's Kingdom at the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
As Jesus the Messiah made His royal
entry into Jerusalem for the first time, riding on a donkey's colt, this
prophecy was partially fulfilled. Still, a significant portion of it is yet to
be fulfilled. What does the future hold for all those looking for Christ's
second coming? We are waiting for a King who will bring peace to the nations
and redeem His people. Zech 9:11.
III.
The Unusual Pick & Ride evoked mixed responses in the crowd.
Vs. 6-11, "The two
disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him
and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. Most of the crowd
spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from
the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the
procession, and the people all around him were shouting, "Praise (Hosanna,
save now) God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name
of the Lord! Praise (Hosanna, save now) God in highest heaven!"
The entire city of Jerusalem was in
an uproar as he entered. "Who is this?" they asked. And the crowds
replied, "It's Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." Here are
the mixed responses to Jesus' arrival. Two of the disciples obeyed Jesus'
commands. The owner of the donkey and the colt let them go without raising any
objections.
Jesus' riding on the donkey had been
a redeeming sign that people looked for, for hundreds of years. When Jesus'
disciples and the crowd saw it being unfolded in front of their eyes, they were
elated with joy sensing their moment of redemption. They spread their clothes
on the road and waved their freshly cut Palm branches, saying Hosanna, "Save
Now."
The religious leaders were indignant
and could not see the glaring sign of the Messiah riding on the donkey as was
prophesied by prophet Zechariah. Perhaps they were concerned about their power
and a possible loss of revenue to the Temple as the crowds were following Jesus,
shouting Hosanna to the Son of David. The city was in an uproar and asked who
is this?
How did the donkey respond? If only
it could speak, it may have said something like in this Poem, "King Jesus,
why did you choose me, a lowly donkey, to carry you to ride in your parade? Had
you no friend who owned a horse—a royal mount with spirit for a king to ride?
Why choose a donkey, a small, unassuming beast of burden trained to plow, not carry
kings?
King Jesus, why did you choose me, a
lowly unimportant person, to bear you in my world today? I'm poor and
unimportant, trained to work, not carry kings—let alone the King of kings, and
yet you've chosen me to carry you in triumph in this world's parade. King
Jesus, keep me small so all may see how great you are; keep me humble, so all
may say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," not what
a great donkey he rides.[3] The Lord needs you! How
many donkeys are here that would say, Lord Jesus, let me be your Unusual
Pick & Ride?
