LET US remember that from Luke 17:11 to 19:44 we are studying the last journey that our Lord made to Jerusalem, at the time of the Passover when He was crucified. There were different stages of this trip. From 17:11--18:34 we have an account of the events which took place on that part of the journey which was from Galilee to Jericho, east of the Jordan. In 18:35--19:27 we have the events that occurred when He and His disciples were passing through ancient Jericho, captured by Joshua, and going forward towards the Jericho of Roman times. Luke 19:28 takes Jesus from Jericho to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. In the present study (vss. 28-44) we shall note some of the events as recorded by Luke, that occurred when Jesus made His entry into Jerusalem.

Jesus made His home with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, who lived at Bethany on the east slope of the Mount of Olives just before the crest of the mountain is reached. When He arrived in the vicinity of Bethphage and Bethany, He sent two of His disciples to the village opposite them in order that they might procure an ass upon which Jesus could ride into the Holy City. Matthew is the one who gives us this information. He also tells us that a colt would be with this ass. Mark and Luke, however, mention only the colt. We may be certain that Jesus gave instructions regarding both the ass and its colt, as Matthew informs us. Why He should instruct them to bring both we are not told. From the records of Mark and Luke we know that Christ rode on the colt, on which no one had ever ridden before. It was therefore appropriate that Jesus should be the first one to ride on this colt.

Jesus instructed His disciples that, as they would enter the village, they would find a colt tied in the street before the house. They were to loose it, and, if anyone should speak to them regarding the colt, they were to say, "The master has need of it." They went into the village and found things exactly as Jesus said. As they unloosed the colt, the owner asked why they were doing it. They informed him that the Master had need of it. He immediately gave his consent. Evidently he knew and honored Christ, the Master of the disciples.

This colt was procured for the Lord Jesus in order that He might ride into Jerusalem as was foretold by Zechariah: "Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion; shout, 0 daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10 And I will cut of the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off; and he shall speak peace unto the nations: and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth" (Zech. 9:9,10).

It is absolutely certain that Zechariah in vision saw Christ as He would enter Jerusalem on this occasion. In this particular prophecy he explained the purpose of the Lord's entering Jerusalem in this manner. He therefore urged the people of Jerusalem of the Saviour's day to rejoice and shout aloud, because this One who comes riding upon the colt of an ass is Zion's King, who is just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt, the foal of an ass. Note the fact that He comes riding upon an ass, and not upon a warhorse. His coming in this manner is in harmony with His statement that He came, not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:15).

Did Christ, as is often asserted, come in this manner, riding upon an ass, and offer Himself to Israel as his King? There is nothing in the context that would indicate this idea. On the contrary, He is represented as coming in the humblest manner--offering salvation to the nation. He did offer salvation to the Jewish people, but the bulk of the people did not see and recognize in Him their Saviour. Hence, they rejected Him as such.

Some assert that Zechariah 9:10 is a prediction of the things that the Saviour will do when He comes to reign as King over Israel. This is true, for when the Lord returns He will stop all wars and will speak peace to the nations as is set forth in this verse. Though it follows verse 9 immediately, we are not to conclude that, when He came nineteen hundred years ago riding on the ass, He offered to stop all wars and speak peace to the nations. We must remember that these two verses are related, one to the other, by the law of double reference. Frequently the prophets speak of two remotely separated events and blend them into one picture. Zechariah 9:9 is a prediction of Christ's first coming and His entry into Jerusalem at the time of which the Evangelists speak in their Gospels. The entire Christian Dispensation is passed over in silence between verses 9 and 10. But in verse 10 the second coming of Christ and what He will do at that future time are foretold. The account of our Lord's entry into Jerusalem on this occasion is recorded in Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:29-40, and John 12:12-19. Each of these four accounts should be read before we continue this study.

We usually hear people speak of Christ's going into Jerusalem on this occasion as His triumphant entry. It is difficult for me to speak of it in these terms. Yes, He entered Jerusalem attended by a great throng of people, who acclaimed Him as the Son of David, the King of Israel. It was the custom of conquerors of those days, after some victorious campaign, to return to their capitals accompanied by their armies, and with the captives taken in the war which had just been completed. For instance, the Romans erected arches in commemoration of their warriors and their conquests. As an example; Titus conquered the Jews, destroyed Jerusalem, returned to Rome, was acclaimed a great hero, and a triumphal arch was erected, with certain inscriptions and engravings, to commemorate the fact that he had successfully conquered the Jews and was victor over that unfortunate people.

But the Lord Jesus Christ did not enter Jerusalem as a conqueror on this occasion. He entered the city as the meek and lowly Nazarene, offering salvation to the people, salvation in the spiritual sense of the term.

But He will return at the end of the present, dispensation and will then enter Jerusalem as a triumphant Warrior. Isaiah saw Him returning and coming into the beloved city (Isa. 63:1-6). Again, we see Him coming to Jerusalem as the King of Glory, who is described as "Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle." His coming as Israel's King and as the Conqueror of the world is graphically set forth in Psalm 24:7-10:

"7 Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates;
And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors:
And the King of glory will come in.
8 Who is the King of glory?
Jehovah strong and mighty,
Jehovah mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates;
Yea, lift them up, ye everlasting doors:
And the King of glory will come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
Jehovah of hosts,
He is the King of glory."