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Author: Stephen Weller
649 words, 3 minutes read time

A Colt Secured

Scripture: Matthew 21:6-7; Mark 11:1-3; Luke 19:30, 32-34; John 12:12

With this lesson we begin a new section that covers the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on the Sunday before his death.

^{Jn 12:12} “The next day ^{Mk 11:1} when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her, ^{Lk 19:30} on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. ^{Mk 11:3} If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”’

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany” (John 12:1), and since Passover began Friday evening at sundown, that would most likely mean that Jesus arrived on Saturday. “The next day” is probably Sunday of Passion Week, called “Palm Sunday” in Christian tradition.

Early Sunday morning Jesus left Bethany and traveled the short distance to Bethphage as they were headed to Jerusalem. This village was near the Mount of Olives and on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. It was at the Sabbatical distance limit East of Jerusalem. It is most probable that the Bethphage of the New Testament occupied the summit of Oliver itself where Kefr et Tur stands today.

Arriving in Bethphage, or maybe just outside it, Jesus instructs two of his disciples to go into the village in front of them and there you will immediately find a donkey tied and her colt with her, on which no one has ever yet sat. They were to untie them and bring them to Jesus, and if anyone asks why they were doing that they were to explain that the Lord had need of them and they would send them at once. Did they take both the donkey and the colt or just the colt? Mark and Luke mention only the colt while Matthew includes the donkey.

^{Mt 21:6} “The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. L^{k 19:32} So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. ^{Lk 19:33} And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ^{Lk 19:34} And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” ^{Mt 21:7} They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.”

These verses detail the process of obtaining the colt as Jesus had instructed. However, there is some confusion with Matthew 21:7 that needs clarification. Matthew reports that they brought both the donkey and the colt back and put their cloaks on them and he sat on them. They may have put cloaks on both animals, not knowing which one he would ride. Jesus would choose the colt and sat on the garments that were on it. The “them” he sat on were not both the donkey and the colt, but the garments on the colt.

It is likely that both animals were used. Jesus rode the colt which had not been ridden before and was thus unbroken. Having the donkey alongside would be the best way to keep the colt calm during the noisy entrance into Jerusalem.

Conclusion

Here we are at lesson 556, at the beginning of the week that Jesus would be crucified on a cross, we find Jesus seated on a colt ready for his ride into Jerusalem. To think that it will require about 100 more lessons to get to his ascension indicates how much activity will occur during the next few days of the life of Jesus.