Humility and greatness of Jesus

Friday 11 June 2021

Humility and greatness of Jesus

Go to the village in front of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied on which no one has ridden yet. Untie him and bring him... They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their clothes on him, and Jesus sat on it. Mark 11:27

It is astonishing that Jesus chooses a colt to go up to Jerusalem for the Passover feast during which he is going to be crucified.

It is first of all the fulfillment of a prophecy of Zechariah : Rejoice, daughter of Zion ! Shout out cheers, daughter of Jerusalem ! Here is your you coming to you ; he is righteous and victorious, he is humble and rides on an ass, on a colt, the colt of an ass (Zechariah 9:9). The situation could not be clearer for religious leaders in Jerusalem who meet Jesus in the temple and are aware of his deeds and actions. The details given by the prophet prohibit any misunderstanding of Jesus who is indeed the Messiah, the Christ of God. Yet they decide to put Jesus to death, and the days of the Lord in the great city are numbered, before his condemnation and crucifixion.

The choice of the colt is also a sign of humility and manifests the character of Jesus' mission. He does not enter Jerusalem on a war horse like the military conqueror expected by the Jews. His purpose is not to drive out the Romans, but to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). It is in the guise of righteousness and humility that Jesus presented himself throughout his ministry and that is how he shows himself in Jerusalem. However, Jesus does not derogate from his title of king, since David rode such an animal (1 Kings 1:44).

The choice of a colt, as Mark specifies, also underlines in a discreet way the sovereignty of the Son of God, Creator of all things. Although not yet trained - no one had sat on it yet - the animal obediently allows itself to be mounted by Jesus to enter Jerusalem.

So, this short info about a colt highlights the Lord. Object of the prophets' message, Jesus, in his humility is sovereign, prince of peace.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)