WHY DID JESUS RIDE A DONKEY? - It would have been unthinkable for Jesus to ride a horse, which was a military animal, ridden by foreign kings coming to conquer Israel. The Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians – all had instilled a deep fear of horses in the hearts of Israel. By choosing a donkey, Jesus sought to reassure the city of Jerusalem that his kingship would be one of humility, peace and salvation. More than a beast of burden - Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey strikes many modern readers as odd. Today we think of donkeys as stubborn pack animals, hardly suitable for a royal procession. If Jesus was indeed the Messianic King arriving in his royal capital of Jerusalem, shouldn’t he have been riding a horse-drawn chariot? Not at all. In the ancient world of the Bible the Hebrew word for “donkey” hamor (חֲמוֹר) had a much nobler meaning. Ancient prophecy fulfilled - Both Matthew and John explain that it was necessary for Jesus to ride a donkey to fulfill the Hebrew Scriptures. Centuries earlier, the prophet Zechariah had predicted that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem “righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey”. In ancient Israel, donkeys were a symbol of peace and humility. Abraham and Jacob both rode donkeys. The kings of Israel would ride a white donkey. Rediscover the wonders of the Scripture. It would have been unthinkable for Jesus to ride a horse, which was a military animal, ridden by foreign kings coming to conquer Israel.

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Why did Jesus ride a donkey?

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It would have been unthinkable for Jesus to ride a horse, which was a military animal, ridden by foreign kings coming to conquer Israel. The Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians – all had instilled a deep fear of horses in the hearts of Israel. By choosing a donkey, Jesus sought to reassure the city of Jerusalem that his kingship would be one of humility, peace and salvation.

Discover the wonders of Biblical Hebrew

The Israel Institute of Bible Studies

 

More Than a Beast of Burden

Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey strikes many modern readers as odd.

Today we think of donkeys as stubborn pack animals, hardly suitable for a royal procession.

If Jesus was indeed the Messianic King arriving in his royal capital of Jerusalem, shouldn’t he have been riding a horse-drawn chariot?

Not at all. In the ancient world of the Bible the Hebrew word for “donkey” hamor (חֲמוֹר) had a much nobler meaning.

Ancient Prophecy Fulfilled

Both Matthew and John explain that it was necessary for Jesus to ride a donkey to fulfill the Hebrew Scriptures.

Centuries earlier, the prophet Zechariah had predicted that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem “righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

In ancient Israel, donkeys were a symbol of peace and humility.

Abraham and Jacob both rode donkeys. The kings of Israel would ride a white donkey (Judges 5:10).

Rediscover the wonders of the Scripture

It would have been unthinkable for Jesus to ride a horse, which was a military animal, ridden by foreign kings coming to conquer Israel.

The Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians – all had instilled a deep fear of horses in the hearts of Israel.

By choosing a donkey, Jesus sought to reassure the city of Jerusalem that his kingship would be one of humility, peace and salvation.

Enroll in our live online Biblical Hebrew course and rediscover the wonders of the Scripture!

The Israel Institute of Bible Studies has partnered with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the leading academic institute in Israel and one of the leading biblical research institutes in the world with a long and proud history of scholarly excellence and leadership in biblical languages and studies. We aim to share this wealth of knowledge with people around the world through programs developed by our leading biblical scholars and education professionals, and through our many years of experience as the leading online institute of biblical studies. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem fully accredits all of our classical languages courses, so students can take courses for university credits that are acknowledged by universities around the world.

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Hosanna

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Jesus Entered Jerusalem on a Donkey

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KING OF GLORY - Who is this king of glory? - King Jesus stands in stark contrast with all earthly kings, for He is the eternal King. He is the King whose coronation was foretold in advance by the prophets. Christ is perfectly righteous and forever victorious, yet He is lowly — humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross. His weapon is not mass destruction, but the mass restoration of lives. On Palm Sunday, King Jesus rode into Jerusalem not to conquer the city like an earthly king, but to conquer your heart and mine. He entered the city not as a man of the sword but as a man of sorrow, not as a man of hatred but as the God of love - is Christ the King of your life? - "They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 'Hosanna!' 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Blessed is the king of Israel!'" - Historically, the Sunday before Easter is celebrated as Palm Sunday, a day for the church to reflect on and celebrate the kingship of Jesus. Palm Sunday was a unique moment in Jesus' lifetime — the first time He allowed His followers to crown Him King. Through this historic event, we see the glory of Jesus that sets Him apart from every prophet and king who ever lived. King Jesus stands in stark contrast with all earthly kings, for He is the eternal King. He is the King whose coronation was foretold in advance by the prophets. Christ is perfectly righteous and forever victorious, yet He is lowly — humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross.

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King Of Glory

WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY?

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King Jesus stands in stark contrast with all earthly kings, for He is the eternal King. He is the King whose coronation was foretold in advance by the prophets. Christ is perfectly righteous and forever victorious, yet He is lowly — humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross. His weapon is not mass destruction, but the mass restoration of lives. On Palm Sunday, King Jesus rode into Jerusalem not to conquer the city like an earthly king, but to conquer your heart and mine. He entered the city not as a man of the sword but as a man of sorrow, not as a man of hatred but as the God of love - is Christ the King of your life?

Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

"They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 'Hosanna!' 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Blessed is the king of Israel!'" - (John 12:13).

Historically, the Sunday before Easter is celebrated as Palm Sunday, a day for the church to reflect on and celebrate the kingship of Jesus.

Palm Sunday was a unique moment in Jesus' lifetime — the first time He allowed His followers to crown Him King (see John 12:12-19).

Through this historic event, we see the glory of Jesus that sets Him apart from every prophet and king who ever lived.

King Jesus stands in stark contrast with all earthly kings, for He is the eternal King.

He is the King whose coronation was foretold in advance by the prophets.

In fact, hundreds of years before Jesus entered Jerusalem, Zechariah prophesied, "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9).  

The difference between King Jesus and every other earthly king can be found in this one verse.

Christ is perfectly righteous and forever victorious, yet He is lowly — humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross.

His weapon is not mass destruction, but the mass restoration of lives.

On Palm Sunday, King Jesus rode into Jerusalem not to conquer the city like an earthly king, but to conquer your heart and mine.

He entered the city not as a man of the sword but as a man of sorrow, not as a man of hatred but as the God of love.

Earthly kings may lord their authority over their subjects, but King Jesus compels us by His love and invites us into His Kingdom.

On that first Palm Sunday, the masses cried out, "Hosanna!" which means "Save now."

In doing so, they were proclaiming, "The king who will reign forever, whose sacrifice will redeem us, whose strength will carry us, whose might will defeat Satan — He is here."

Jesus purposely rode into Jerusalem on a donkey in order to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah, and the crowd recognized His kingship.

The celebration of Christ's kingship on Palm Sunday begs the question: Is Christ the King of your life?

Prayer: Jesus, You are the rightful, righteous, eternal King. Help me by Your Spirit to live a life of submission to You. Thank You for Your love and sacrifice. All glory and praise belong to You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

DR. MICHAEL YOUSSEF

Even before he was born, it was evident that God had a vision for Michael Amerhom Youssef. Against doctors’ recommendations to terminate the at-risk pregnancy, Michael’s parents chose life after God intervened, sending the family pastor to reassure them that this child would be “born to serve the Lord.” His mother gave birth and lived to see him surrender his life to the Lord in 1964 at age 16.
Dr. Michael Youssef was born in Egypt and lived in Lebanon and Australia before coming to the United States and fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming an American citizen. With degrees in theology and social anthropology, God has gifted Dr. Youssef with a bold voice to bring Biblical clarity to today’s issues and speak to a worldwide audience.

https://au.ltw.org/read/my-devotional/2019/04/who-is-this-king-of-glory

THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE - What “day” is Psalm 118:24 referring to? Psalm 118 is talking about the work of God in Christ and the future day when God will lay the foundation Stone that will bring salvation.

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“This is the day the Lord has made”

What “day” is Psalm 118:24 referring to?

This is a good illustration how people use verses from the Bible totally out of context and with the wrong application,

There is the popular chorus, “This is the Day.” It is usually understood as referring to the new day, i.e. today, that God has given us, and so we should rejoice in it.

That is true, but Psalm 118 is talking about the work of God in Christ and the future day when God will lay the foundation Stone that will bring salvation.

Please note the comments on this Psalm from The Bible Knowledge Commentary.

C. Significance of the triumph (Psalm 118:22-29)

Psalm 118:22-24. The psalmist explained that the Lord had taken the stone that the builders rejected and had marvelously made it the capstone of the nation. Therefore the people should rejoice.

In those days great empires easily set up and removed kings. Perhaps those great nations discounted Israel as a nation. Yet the Lord took that “stone” and made it “the capstone” of His rule on earth.

The image of the stone may have suggested itself from the temple construction work going on in the postexilic community. The psalmist, perhaps the congregation’s leader, may have thought of his king as the stone, for in Israel kings often represented the nation.

Certainly in Jesus’ Parable of the Landowner and the Tenants He applied the psalm in that way (Matthew 21:33-44).

Jesus is the Stone and the Jewish leaders, the builders of the nation, had rejected Him. But God made Him the Capstone.

Thus the kingdom would be taken from them and given to others (Matthew 21:43).

The fact that this psalm was probably popular at the Passover festival made Jesus’ use of it all the more forceful.

Psalm 118:25-29. The psalmist prayed then for his people’s

salvation and prosperity.

The words save us (v. 25) and Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (v. 26) were proclaimed at Jesus’ Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:9; (“Hosanna” translates the Hebrew for “save”).

The people believed that Jesus was the Coming Savior. In fact the phrase with boughs in hand (Psalm118:27) may have prompted their putting the branches down for Jesus (Matthew 21:8).

The second half of Psalm 118:27, though difficult in the Hebrew, refers to the custom at the Feast of Tabernacles of waving branches before the Lord.

Then later, when the psalm was used in all the feasts, this part of verse 27 became simply an expression in the hymn without boughs literally being in people’s hands.

But the people in Jesus’ day knew that He claimed to be the Messiah, and that this psalm spoke of the Coming One.

So they appropriated its message for the occasion. Fittingly Jesus identified Himself as the Stone who would bring salvation to those who prayed to Him, “Save us.”

Because the psalm is typically prophetic of the Messiah, the earlier references to “cut off” may also have a higher significance in relation to the work of Christ. (vv. 10-12)

   In the Old Testament, circumcision was the means by which a male Israelite was identified with the covenant, but circumcision came to signify “inner circumcision” (cf. Deuteronomy 30:6), belief that set one apart to God. Paul wrote that a true Jew is one whose heart is circumcised (Romans 2:29).

Perhaps Psalm 118 anticipated the time when the Stone, Jesus, would turn to the nations who would receive Him (cf. John 1:12).

If so, His triumph is in a sense different from its meaning when it was historically recorded in Israel.

For the psalmist, Psalm 118:25-29 spoke of the procession coming to the temple to worship, and the one coming “in the name of the Lord” was the worshiper.

At the altar the worshiper would give…thanks (cf. vv. 19, 21) and acknowledge the Lord God for His goodness and loyal love.

In Jesus’ Triumphal Entry this psalm, sung by the people as they moved in the procession to the temple, was most appropriate as He entered Jerusalem to begin His work of salvation for those who would believe.

“This Is The Day”

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cccJhMVFrLskaW

1
This is the day, this is the day.
That the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice, we will rejoice,
And be glad in it, and be glad in it.
This is the day that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the day, this is the day
That the Lord has made.

2

We are the sons, we are the sons,
Of the living God, of the living God.
We will rejoice, we will rejoice,
And be glad in Him, and be glad in Him.
We are the sons of the living God.
We will rejoice and be glad in Him.
We are the sons, we are the sons
    Of the living God.