The Triumphal Entry

He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. “And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.” So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?” And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. (Mark 11:2-6 NKJV)

The Symbolism

Let’s assume that the colt represents us by nature, that the door represents salvation, that the two ways represent the way of life and the way of death.  Let’s notice that the colt was right at the door but it was tied WITHOUT.  Now I have been told that it is a stretch to preach the Gospel from this passage, but I think the Lord not only used the colt to fulfill prophecy so that we would know that He knew what was happening in that fateful week preceding His crucifixion, but I believe He was again using figurative language to teach important principles.

First of all, the Lord knew all about this colt.  He knew what to tell the owners of the colt when they questioned the disciples loosening the colt (wouldn’t this be called carjacking in our day?) 

Second, the Lord knew that the colt was needed to fulfill prophecy.  In Zechariah 9:9, we read, “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. 

This was written about at least 500 years before the event took place.

Third, the colt pictures a sinner by nature.  He is tied at a door without in a place where two ways meet.  When he is loosed from the bondage of being tied (loosed from the bondage of sin), the donkey was immediately rideable though it had never been ridden before.  

Fourth, the Lord used the donkey to make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  I would have thought that the Lord would have ridden a majestic horse, but instead he rode a young donkey,  Apparently He was presenting Himself as a humble peaceful KIng rather than as a victorious conquering king. 

God used an Unclean Animal

If a donkey that was an unclean animal in the old testament could be used by the Lord to make His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, surely He can use us to promote the Gospel. This is not the first donkey that Jehovah used.  Balaam had a donkey that was smarter than he was in Numbers 22.  

Yes, if we who are unclean and tied at a door without in a place where two ways meet, are loosed from the bondage of sin, we too can be used by the Lord.  This donkey did not need to be trained by a trainer so that the Lord could ride him.  He was wild by nature, but he was apparently tamed immediately and submissive to the Lord.

The Lord has Need of Us

I wonder if we who claim to be saved and who are claiming to be worshipping a resurrected Lord have really been loosed from the bondage of sin so we can be used by the Lord.  The Lord had need of this colt and He has need of us today.   There are a lot of things that we can be involved in when we worship the Lord on resurrection Sunday, but the most important thing is to be used in changing people’s path from the broad and crowded way that leads to destruction to the straight and narrow way that leads to life.  See Matthew 7: 13-14.

Oh that we might be as useful to the Lord as that young donkey was.  

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the week of Week of April 13, 2025

If you would like further conversation about the issues in these meditations, contact me at collinsbd@yahoo.com and I will try to accommodate you with a virtual Bible Study.