Mark 11:1-10-- Show, Don't Tell

As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' you say, 'The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here." They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. Some of the bystanders were saying to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission. They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!”  

Now Jesus is entering Jerusalem.  In the book of Mark, this is the beginning of the end.  The prophecies Jesus declared are now being set up, and the tension increases until Jesus’ death.  

Jesus prepares for his entrance by telling his disciples to get a colt.  While the kind of colt isn’t described in this version of the story, but since donkeys were much more available to Judeans than horses, we can assume (as other versions say outright—Matthew 21:2) that it is a donkey.  How the colt was gained, we aren’t sure.  Did Jesus know the man from whom the disciples borrow the colt, and it was agreed that Jesus would borrow it when the time was right?  Was it a miracle?  Did the man allow anyone who declared God’s name to borrow his things and Jesus knew about this?  We don’t know.  All we know is the disciple’s perspective—Jesus gave them vague instructions and they easily borrowed the colt.  

The way of borrowing it, though, is not as important as the reason for borrowing it.  Jesus was interested in making his entrance into Jerusalem an event that would be noticed.  In riding a colt, he is purposely fulfilling Zechariah 9:9, which say that Jerusalem’s king would enter the city on a donkey colt.  Jesus’ disciples picked up on the meaning, and they piled their outer garments on the colt, so Jesus could show his mastery over them by sitting on their coats.  

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, others saw him.  They were clearly people who knew him, but they may not have been people who followed him.  But these others—possibly residents of Jerusalem—spread their coats on the road before him, declaring his mastery over them. (Other gospels say that it is his disciples honoring him at this time.)  Others spread branches before him, as one would do when a victorious captain or ruler of a city is returning to his city.  Still others were quoting Psalm 118:26, which was understood to be a passage about the coming Messiah.  These who were quoting Psalm 118, also called David “our father”.  But David was not the father of all Israel, nor even all Judea.  He is the father of those who considered themselves to be in the ruling line—those who could possibly be declared king.  And they are showing their submission to Jesus.  The whole scene is showing one thing—Jesus is the Messiah, the true ruler of Jerusalem.  Clearly, those who ruled Jerusalem at this time would not take kindly to this event, as it would indicate that the people would like them deposed and Jesus put in their place.

The tight-lipped Jesus

There are many scholars who say that, in a historic analysis, Jesus never clearly called himself messiah. That may be true in his words.  But we have this one action, which is attested to by all four gospels, in which Jesus clearly declared himself the king of Jerusalem, and almost all the residents of Jerusalem understood this.

Jesus' followers, mostly from Galilee, might not have known the prophecy of Zechariah that the king of Jerusalem would come in on a young colt.  Why is this such a big deal?  Because no self-respecting victory parade would have the focus of the parade be put on a colt, especially one on which no one had ridden.  Such an animal would be short, and he might buck or refuse to move. Someone looking to be exalted and honored would ride an experienced horse.  So it would be a rare thing for the head of any parade to ride a colt. Unless that person was fulfilling a specific prophecy.

Jesus fulfilled his own prophecies, as often as he could.  He purposed to be seen as messiah and king, but rather than just saying it outright, he wanted to let the Scriptures do the talking.  Often we don't need to say things directly.  All we have to do is show through our actions what God wants us to do.  The most important people will get the message.