Luke 19:35–38

Ancient and modern writers have worked hard to find in this remarkable incident a picture of the Gentiles obeying the gospel, since the Lord received and rode on the colt. That effort seems to me far from intelligent. It was very simply the evidence of His divine knowledge. It was His claim among the Jews to be Jehovah Messiah, asserted openly. Facts verified that claim, and so did the proved submission of human hearts, where God was pleased to produce it for the honour of His Son. That is why the Spirit records so carefully the words that passed and the fulfilment of all He said.

The Lord led His disciples up toward Jerusalem, and He sent for the donkey's colt on which He rode into the city, just as Zechariah had prophesied. The colt was unbroken, for no man had sat on it, and so it was tied up under restraint. It was loosed from that restraint, but only so that He might sit on it. Under His powerful hand it was perfectly controlled. This is a parable of how grace sets us free from the bondage of the law.

Only the Lord could give such instructions, for all things are His property. For anyone else to do this would be stealing. No difficulty came up. The words "The Lord has need of it" settled the matter even for the owners, who questioned the disciples at first.

"Casting (or, having cast) all your care — every anxiety — on Him." The word "casting" is a strong word. It really means "to fling," to part company with something completely. It is used that way in Luke 19:35, where the people cast their garments on the colt, letting them completely go!

The people put their clothing on the animal for the Lord to ride on. Others spread their garments on the ground in the way, for the donkey to walk on. This symbolized the submission of the people to this blessed though lowly Messiah of Israel. He did not ride on a war horse, as He will when He comes in judgment (Revelation 19:11). He rode a lowly donkey's colt, for He was presented in grace, offering peace if peace would be received.

The same divine power was controlling the hearts of the disciples and the multitude. That power gave this testimony to the royalty of Jesus, and it fulfilled the words of the prophet. They threw their cloaks on it, and He sat on it. A new position for the lowly Jesus — yet lovely even in this.

The colt here is seen alone, and not, as in Matthew, in company with its mother. It is grace entirely, not government. The King enters amid the applause of His people. When the Pharisees try to silence the disciples in their praise, He replies that the stones would cry out if the disciples kept quiet.

They spread the garments in the way. It was an Eastern custom to put costly rugs before the feet of kings, and the crowds followed this custom by putting their own garments down.

At the entry into Jerusalem, we see Him accepted in Israel, receiving such honours as Israel could give Him. The owner of the donkey acknowledges His higher claim as Lord. The crowd, it is true, cannot bathe His garments in glory, as heaven had done before. But they can spread their own garments under His feet, and surround Him with the joys of a feast of tabernacles. No glorified ones come out from their homes of glory to wait on Him and honour Him. But His citizens will hail Him as their King.

Writers ancient and modern have laboured to find in this remarkable incident a picture of the Gentiles obeying the gospel, as the Lord received and rode on the colt. That seems to me far from intelligent. It was simply the evidence of His divine knowledge, and the assertion among the Jews of His claim as Jehovah Messiah. Facts confirmed that claim, and so did the proven submission of human hearts, where God was pleased to produce it, to the honour of His Son. This is why the Spirit records in such detail the words that passed and the fulfilment of all He said.

The people put their clothing on the animal for the Lord to ride on. They spread other garments on the ground in the way for the donkey to walk on. This was a symbol of their submission to this blessed though lowly Messiah of Israel. He did not ride on a war horse, as He will when He comes in judgment (Rev. 19:11). He rode a lowly donkey's colt, for He was presented in grace, offering peace, if people would receive it.

The sovereign power of God moves a very great crowd to lay their garments on the road He travels. Others cut branches from the trees to spread in the way... The Jewish leaders had arranged nothing of the kind, though you would expect it at the arrival of their Messiah. Yet without any arrangement God worked in men's hearts. The result was a public presentation of the Messiah that the leaders could not ignore, however strongly they disapproved.

How happy for them if their hearts had been changed so as to hold on to this testimony in the Spirit. But God in His sovereignty arranged their hearts to give this testimony. He could not allow His Son to be rejected without receiving it.

Luke tells us that the colt was the one the Lord had need of. He instructs the disciples to go and loose it, and more than that, to bring it to Jesus. Those who are older, and those who seek to serve the Lord, should take that word to heart. Are we able, under the Lord's command, to bring in a ministry that results in affections being set free for His service?

The stream of men swept onward along the mountain track, the one route best suited to such a company. It led down the slope towards the city and the temple. The multitude seemed of one mind that day. The King was among them. The rightful occupant of David's throne was entering the capital of the kingdom. He came in the very way foretold centuries before. He was entering, too, the city from the east, from the very quarter from which some day He will return to it, to leave it no more. For His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4), and the glory of the Lord will return to the house of God from the east (Ezek. 43:2).

Jesus had passed through Galilee and Samaria on His way up, and came near Jericho. There His mercy still flowed freely: He opened the eyes of the blind man, and He brought salvation to the house of Zacchaeus... As He continued going up to Jerusalem, the crowd of disciples looked ahead in their praises to the triumph of the coming day... If Solomon's ascent so astonished the queen of Sheba that she was left breathless, the ascent of the Son of God filled His disciples with praise to God.

This is not just the crowds, or those who went before Him and followed after, as in Matthew and Mark. Nor is it the children crying in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," which Matthew records so fittingly. Luke tells us of the whole multitude of the disciples. So these are words that suit their lips alone. Yet God surely gave those words a wisdom far beyond the disciples' own measure, as often happens among the witnesses of Christ.

By all this He was clearly presenting Himself to Jerusalem as its rightful, God-sent King. His disciples helped in this, and as they came near the city they began to praise God and rejoice. John 12:16 tells us plainly that at the time they did not understand what they were doing. Yet the Spirit of God clearly took hold of their lips and guided their words.

So the Spirit of God gives them a step forward — a great step — in divine understanding. It reaches beyond the song of the angels at the beginning... Here we have a striking change, or rather the reverse. "Glory in the highest" is now the result, not the opening. And instead of "peace on earth," the disciples fittingly sing, "Peace in heaven." Peace on earth will no doubt be the fruit by and by, since it is according to God's mind and was looked for from the beginning. But peace on earth was not the question now. The reason was clear: the earth was not ready. It was about to judge unjustly, and to be judged.

The Son of David disappears. He is indeed the King who comes in the name of the Lord; but it is no longer the remnant of Israel seeking salvation in the name of the Son of David, acknowledging His title. It is "peace in heaven and glory in the highest." The kingdom rests on peace made in the heavenly places. The Son of man, exalted on high and victorious over Satan, has reconciled the heavens... The kingdom on earth is only a consequence of this glory which grace has established.

They hailed the Lord as King. It was a rehearsal, we may say, of the shout that will rise when Psalm 118:25-26 comes true. The "Save now" of the Psalm is the same as the "Hosanna" of the crowd... The crowd seemed of one mind that day. The King was among them. The rightful heir of David's throne was entering the capital of the kingdom. He came in the way foretold centuries before.

In Matthew it was, "Hosanna to the Son of David," and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest." All of that was true. But here we have something more. The Son of David disappears. He is indeed the King who comes in the name of the Lord. But this is no longer the faithful few in Israel seeking salvation in the name of the Son of David, owning His title. It is "peace in heaven and glory in the highest." The kingdom depends on peace made in the heavenly places. The Son of man, raised on high and victorious over Satan, has reconciled the heavens... The kingdom on earth is only a consequence of this glory which grace has established... To establish the kingdom, peace is made in heaven, and the glory of God stands complete in the highest.

The angels greeted His entry into the world with praise: "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace." But men rejected the One who alone could bring them peace. As He entered Jerusalem, shortly before the leaders of Israel rejected Him, the crowd of disciples rejoiced and praised God... Men had refused peace on earth, and now peace was about to spread her wings and fly to heaven.

Peace in heaven will be the ultimate and glorious effect of the work of Christ: Satan cast out of heaven, the heavenly inheritance redeemed (Ephesians 1:13), and the things in heaven reconciled (Colossians 1:20). All this and much more will surely come, when the King-Messiah comes again. Then there will be peace on earth, peace in heaven and glory in the highest.

They did not understand, yet they spoke out the mind of God, led by the Spirit. They knew the Scripture in Zechariah 9:9. But they did not foresee or expect this: at His first coming men would reject the King. Then, as the rejected King, He would go to the cross and there make a peace wholly connected with heaven. Yet was not this the truth? The kingdom was to be postponed, not lost.

Until you get peace in heaven, Christ cannot ride in. But when peace is in heaven, you cannot hinder it.

Our blessed Lord acted apart from man, and even despite man. He would not return to heaven without making a peace far higher than peace on earth among men. It was not a peace between man and man, but between God and man. He made it by the blood of His cross.

Earth refused Him, but heaven received Him very soon after His resurrection. Anyone today who wants true peace will find it only by looking to the Prince of Peace in heaven. The day will yet come when the Lord Jesus will establish peace on earth, but not until He returns.