First we saw Jesus prophesy about preparing the donkey’s colt and its fulfillment. God knows our true selves, but we may not really know. As a Christian, sometimes we need to look back in order to understand how God was working at that time! God is absolutely sovereign in deciding whether or not to tell us in advance. From the fact that the Gospels of Luke and Mark speak of only a donkey’s colt, while the Gospel of Matthew speaks of a donkey and its colt, we can see that what God tells us through the Bible is consistent, not literal! Knowing this, we will think in this direction. Second, the disciples thought that His time as king on earth had come, but after He entered Jerusalem, He turned to the temple and cleansed it. We see that the prophecy, “…behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”(John 12:15), was achieved. We can also see the humility of Jesus during His first coming. Thirdly, we discuss that the ending of Jerusalem was discussed before it happened and where it was discussed. Finally, we see how He cleansed the temple, being angry without sin. He was fully human, subject to temptations just like us, but without sin.
1. Preparation of the donkey’s colt
“After He had said these things, He was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord has need of it.” They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it.”(Luke 19:28-35)
We see the fulfillment of this short-term prophecy about the donkey’s colt, for “So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them.” The Synoptic Gospels all say that the place where this happened was on the Mount of Olivet, so we won’t repeat it. The Gospel of Matthew talks about a donkey and a donkey’s colt. Let’s see what the scripture says, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.”(Matthew 21:1-7)
Mark’s Gospel only mentions a donkey’s colt, “…They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission. They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it.”(Mark 11:1-7)
This is not only recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, but also mentioned in the Gospel of John, which says, “On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.”(John 12:12-16)
So the disciples only remembered after the fact that these words were written about Him. In our experience, aren’t there many things that we suddenly realize after the fact? As a Christian, sometimes you need to look back in order to understand how God was working at that time! Don’t treat everything as an independent thing. God knows our true selves, but we may not really know it. As Jeremiah said, “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”(Jeremiah 17:9) People sometimes deceive themselves and fail to see themselves!
Once, I was asked in my mind whether I was proud. I couldn’t remember anything at the time, so something was taken back from what was given to me. Until more than ten years later, when I was told in my mind regarding what I did at that time, it suddenly dawned on me that I was so proud at that time that I couldn’t see my own pride! If a person says that I have never been proud, he is just deceiving himself. As far as our old self is concerned, if a person is not saved or if he sins after being saved and slips out of Christ, it is “…for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.”(Romans 7:18) “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”(Romans 8:1-2) Only in Jesus Christ can we have true freedom, and we can do whatever we want including not doing what we don’t want to do.
Why do we need to look back to find out? Because the best way for us to face our true selves is to not let us know in advance. Isn’t that the same as what Abraham offered Isaac? Of course, there are also things that are known in advance, as in this example, “…Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. Now the LORD had said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. You shall say thus and thus to her, for it will be when she arrives that she will pretend to be another woman.” When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the doorway, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam, why do you pretend to be another woman? For I am sent to you with a harsh message.”(1 Kings 14:4-6) God has the absolute sovereignty to decide whether or not to tell us in advance. So even if Elisha had twice the Spirit of the Lord that moved Elijah (see 2 Kings 2:7-12), he would still not know it if the Lord had not told him. Because the scripture says, “When she (Shunammite) came to the man of God (Elisha) to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.””(2 Kings 4:27)
Someone may ask, the Gospels of Luke and Mark say there was only a donkey’s colt, while the Gospel of Matthew talked about a donkey and donkey’s colt. If the consistency of the Bible means that it must be consistent in words, then obviously there is an inconsistency here! Christians believe that the entire Bible is inspired by God. Therefore, what God tells us through the Bible is consistent. It does not have to be consistent in words! Knowing that what God tells us through the Bible is consistent, we will think in this direction. What we are told here is that it is not that Matthew made a mistake and God inspired him in this way. Otherwise, God could easily correct his mistake through inspiration. Therefore, we must be told that what God tells us through the consistency of the Bible is not necessarily literal. Consistency, here means that the time and place where the events of the donkey colt occurred are consistent. And we can see that the more important purpose is as the Gospel of John says, “…behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”(John 12:15) Not only can we see the fulfillment of the prophecies spoken in the Bible long ago, but we can also see the humility of Jesus when he first came, as the scripture says, “…I (Jesus) am gentle and humble in heart…”Matthew 11:29) No earthly king would come riding on a donkey’s colt! They are all riding high horses.
The consistency of the Bible means that what God tells us through the Bible is consistent. It can also be seen from the same concept in different scriptures. For example, when we mentioned the concept of substitution before, at the beginning it was “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”(Genesis 3:21) Animals died in their place. Abraham sacrificed Isaac, and finally “Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.”(Genesis 22:13) And today it is “He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”(2 Corinthians 5:21) Another example of “what God tells us through the Bible is consistent, not the letter must be consistent” is when Jesus was tempted, what was said there was referring to Jesus the events of temptation are consistent in the time mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels. He was tempted more than three times. In “1046 The genealogy and the temptations of Jesus, and the controversial issue – The image of Jesus (1)”, we have discussed it at length, so I won’t go into detail.
2. As Jesus approaching Jerusalem and descending from the Mount of Olives
“As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord;
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!””(Luke 19:36-40) This is the time for the disciples to speak, and they must speak!
The Gospel of Mark says this, “They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.”(Mark 11:7-11)
The Jews at that time were under the rule of Rome. They thought that He came to restore the glory of David’s kingdom on earth and lead them out of Roman control. Therefore, they thought that it was the time when the king of the world would come, and with their clothes and field branches spread on the ground, which is equivalent to the current red carpet to welcome the visit of foreign heads of state. But after He entered Jerusalem, He turned to the temple and cleansed it.
The record of this incident in Mark 11:7-11 is basically the same. Jesus made it very clear, “…it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.”(Luke 13:33) If we pay attention, we will notice that He will not spend the night in Jerusalem. This time He is said to have gone to Bethany.
3. Weeping for the city of Jerusalem
“When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.””(Luke 19:41-44)
We have previously talked about this in detail at “2. The end of Jerusalem” in “1067 Narrow Gate, Jerusalem, Healing Dropsy, and Self Exalted – Jesus (20).”
4. Cleanse the Temple
“Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling, saying to them, “It is written, ‘And My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a robbers’ den.” And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.”(Luke 19:45-48) Jesus said the fact that the temple of God was originally used for prayer, but now it has become a den of thieves! We saw that the enemy wanted to kill Him at that time.
This matter is recorded more clearly in the Gospel of Mark, “On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.” The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. When evening came, they would go out of the city.”(Mark 11:12-19)
It is made clear here that He will not spend the night in the city of Jerusalem. He overthrew the tables, etc. It is difficult to imagine that He was not alive, for He was fully human, as the Bible says, “…because He is the Son of Man.”(John 5:27) So Hebrews says, “…One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”(Hebrews 4:15) It can be seen that “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.”(Ephesians 4:26) This can be done in Christ. Especially we know that “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”(Matthew 6:34) Why should we remain angry until tomorrow? There is a misconception that someone is so spiritual that they are not human at all!
The Gospel of Matthew says this, “When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.” And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.”(Matthew 21:10-17)
The Jews at that time looked down upon Galilee. We can see from his answer to Nicodemus, “…You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.”(John 7:50-52) For at that time Jesus healed the blind and lame in the temple, and the little children cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Isn’t this the true fulfillment of this verse? “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.”(Psalm 8:2)
From a spiritual perspective, aren’t we infants and nursing babes? Because we were created a little lower than the angels (see Hebrews 2:6-8), and Satan is a fallen angel. But when we obey willingly, God establishes the power to silence Satan.
(Verses refer to those in NASB unless otherwise specified.)
(You can get all articles in “https://a-christian-voice.com/” under “On spiritual understanding about life.”)
aChristianVoice 一個基督徒的聲音 