Saddle up!

With Easter coming, we can ponder the triumphal entry into Jerusalem of Jesus...

Luke 19: 35 They brought it (the colt donkey) to Jesus, and they threw their coats (cloaks, garments) on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road.

Matthew includes the palm branches in his rendition, and John leaves out the clothing completely. But both were used for Jesus. And they will be used again! Revelation 7: 9 says those from the tribulation will stand before the throne and before the Lamb with palm branches in their hands. Laying these branches down and having the donkey tred on them would release a fragrance smell, and the palms were a symbol of triumph and joy, peace and victory.

But the throwing down of the garments was to invited in the new reign of the king. In 2 Kings 9:13, this is how the people proclaimed Jehu the new king over Israel... And this is what they did for Jesus. They made him their king, if only for a week.

But we overlook the garments on the donkey. Obviously over the 3 years that Jesus preached, He walked everywhere He went. When he sent the desciples to get the donkey, it did not come with a saddle or saddle cloths. In that day, padded cloths were used for comfort on horseback. They covered the back and sides of the animal, probably to keep the rider clean and comfortable. There were no stirrups, so they put Jesus on the beast after making their impromptu riding gear. I suppose they could have just tossed Him up there...I doubt that they had any idea what was going on and why He wanted a ride all of a sudden...but it was to fulfill scripture. John says they were already coming to Jerusalem and the palms and such were being laid before him and they then found the donkey. He was already on His way when He sent them ahead to bring the donkey from town. It had never been riden, so it had no gear...but when the disciples saw that He intended to ride this thing anyway, they tried to make Him comfortable. I imagine they thought it would be a bumpy ride, if they could keep Him on the back of the thing at all. I'm sure they thought He was crazy asking for an unbroken young animal, and then riding it into town in a wild crowd surely didn't seem like a good idea. Wouldn't the young thing be scared and angry about mobs of people and somebody on his back? But Jesus used it to further glorify Himself in their eyes.

So the disciples saw a need and met it the best they could. There was no time to go to a padded saddle shop, so they took off their outer garments and covered the animal, making it comfortable and clean for Him to ride. The people unwrapped themselves and spread their clothes, their valuable outer garments, on the road to invite Him in celebration to be their king.

So what am I willing to take off and give to exhalt the Lord in my life, and to declare Him my King in this world, and the next? Am I seeing immediate needs and providing for them without fearing that they are inadequate for the task, not good enough for the Lord? Nothing we give is worthy of Him, and for such a grandious event, their well-worn everyday robes were al they had to offer. Jesus didn't ask for the best in this situation. He didn't ask for parades and flowers, but when people saw him coming, they cut the branches of the trees along the road. The people hoped He was coming to town for the Passover, and the Pharasees were looking for Him to come for the opposite reasons, but those who accepted His coming honored Him with their clothes...using them in ways that they weren't designed for... Who of us would have thought of using our clothes as road coverings and saddles? Not many, but we must adjust and use what we have as we see the need and let Jesus be glorified however He can be through our use of whatever we have however He calls us to use it at the time. The whole situation may not make sense to us, but God planned it in the Old Testament, and they fulfilled His will whether they realized it or not.

And that can be triumphal!