Commentaries:
Zechariah 9:9, quoted here, seems to be one of those places in the Bible where the repetition of an idea should make us sit up and take notice. He writes, “Rejoice. . . . Shout. . . . Behold”! This tells us something significant is about to happen, and we would do well to pay attention! The scribes and Pharisees, well-versed in Scripture, undoubtedly knew this prophecy, but they failed miserably to make the proper connection. As Luke's account reveals, they were more interested in rebuking the disciples for “making a scene” and perhaps getting the Roman authorities involved.
In Matthew 21:2, Jesus instructs His disciples to go into a nearby village, and there they would “find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.” This agrees with Zechariah's prophecy, but the accounts in Mark, Luke, and John mention only one animal. Mark and Luke both indicate that Christ rode the colt, adding that the colt had never before been ridden. John, on the other hand, just says Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it and then quotes Zechariah 9:9. To them, this was yet another fulfillment of an Old Testament sign that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Few others, it seems, understood it or believed it.
Why was a donkey the chosen means of transport? How much planning and forethought did God give to this one seemingly insignificant detail?
Contrary to common perception, donkeys are anything but stupid. In fact, once their owner gains their trust, they can be willing and companionable partners and very dependable. It is said that they actually do not work their best unless they trust the one they are working for. Once they feel comfortable with the owner, donkeys will do almost anything within their limits, and as a bonus, they need minimal training.
Being surefooted and having excellent eyesight, they are able to navigate rocky desert terrain and find paths that the human eye may not even be able to see. They will actually lead the way without having to be guided.
Another trait the donkey possesses is an acute predator-detection instinct. For this reason, many modern farmers are adding them to their herds as “guard donkeys”! Having a keen sense of smell along with excellent hearing and the aforementioned exceptional eyesight, they are quick to sense predators and sound the alarm, baying wildly. Even more, they will position themselves between the predator and the other animals they are protecting. They have been known to kill foxes, coyotes, and even mountain lions with their sharp hooves and powerful kicks.
The donkey has been perceived as a stubborn animal, but many experts believe that it is because the donkey has such a strong survival instinct that it is difficult to get them to do something they perceive to be dangerous. Recall Balaam's donkey, which saw the angelic danger ahead, but Balaam, ignoring God's instruction and being spiritually blind, tried to force the donkey to move on (Numbers 22:22-33).
Donkeys were used throughout the times of the Bible. According to the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, the riding of a donkey was a sign of royalty. From the archives dug up in the Babylonian city of Mari, it was learned that the riding of a donkey for entry into a city was an act of kingship. The donkey and the mule were a staple in the Near Eastern royal ceremonies as well.
Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem while riding on a donkey was not just an afterthought, using whatever beast was available. This was a well-considered part of God's plan for a specific purpose. Although the use of the donkey was widespread in those times, Jesus' riding on the donkey did not show Him to be a poor or common man but a King, just as the Mari archives show was commonly understood across the Middle East.
The New Testament Commentary makes an interesting observation on John 12:14-15:
The ... donkey is commonly associated with the pursuits of peace (Judges 10:4; 12:14; II Samuel 17:23; 19:26; Isaiah 1:3); the horse, with warfare (Exodus 15:1,19,21; Psalm 33:17; 76:6; 147:10; Proverbs 21:31; Jeremiah 8:6; 51:21; Zechariah 10:3; and Revelation 6:4). This king is meek (prautes), peaceful, gentle. He comes to bring salvation.
So Jesus, riding on a donkey, fulfills the characterization shown in Zechariah 9:9, that the King would be “lowly.” The symbolic character of the donkey as an animal used for peaceful purposes stands in marked contrast to a horse, whose imagery associates with war. A man riding on a donkey is not looking for war, and in Jesus' case, He came instead to save, carried on perhaps the lowliest of animals.
That Jesus chose a donkey that had never been ridden was yet another miraculous part of this prophecy. Given what we have learned about donkeys—that they will not work until they trust the one they work for—we would think that the colt would have balked. But when the disciples brought the colt to Jesus, the colt immediately trusted Him and instinctively carried Him down the path into the city. Would we be surprised if he did not even need to be guided?
Ronny H. Graham
Lowly and Riding on a Donkey?
Zechariah 9:9 is a well-known prophecy, fulfilled at Christ's first coming, that contains the common theme of shouting that accompanies God's presence. In this prophecy, the shouting by the people of Zion/Jerusalem would be on account of their King coming to them, bringing salvation.
Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy of the Messiah entering Zion on a donkey during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-5). Yet it was not just His riding on a donkey that was fulfilled; the detail regarding shouting also came to pass. A tremendous cry went up from the people. Whether they recognized it or not, the multitudes were announcing the presence of their King:
Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!” And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:9-11)
The King—the Son of David—was in the presence of the multitudes, and they were crying out—they were shouting, as was only fitting. Of course, He had been among them for three-and-a-half years, and His presence did not evoke shouting everywhere He went. His entry, however, was an extraordinary occasion to draw attention to the fact that God was present and something significant was happening. He had been among them for half a prophetic week, healing, teaching, warning, and performing signs, but now His earthly work was almost finished. He fulfilled Zechariah 9:9 by entering Jerusalem on a donkey in the lead-up to the covenant memorial of Passover.
For those with eyes to see, what was happening was as plain as day: They were shouting in celebration, honor, and recognition of their King. As Zechariah prophesied, He had salvation for those who would accept Him. Hosanna, a transliterated Hebrew word, is a plea that means “save now” or “save, we pray.” The people were shouting, “Save now!” while their King entered Jerusalem with salvation. They took the words they called from Psalm 118:25-26, a Messianic psalm.
Some had made the connection, but not everyone was pleased (Luke 19:37-40). As was their custom, the Pharisees were offended by Him because they felt threatened. Since they focused only on their own positions, they could not see God. Jesus answered them with a declaration that if His people failed to shout, the stones themselves would take up the cry!
Part of His statement deals with the creation—whether men or stones—rightly praising Him as the Creator. Shouting was not just fitting but absolutely required on this occasion. His words about stones crying out may also refer to Habakkuk 2:11, a prophecy of woe against those who covet unlawful gain, those who feather their nests at the expense of others, something He accused the Pharisees of doing (see Matthew 23:16-26). In that verse, God says, “The stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the timbers will answer it.” In other words, the stones and other parts of the house would cry out as it crumbled on the occupants. In this case, Jesus' words were both a defense of the people's appropriate shouting in His honor and an allusion to destructive judgment upon a wicked house.
Christ Himself foretold the people's shouting the words of Psalm 118—“Save now . . .. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” He uttered the prophecy during His final journey to Jerusalem (Luke 13:34-35). He was still some distance from Jerusalem when He prophesied that the city would not see Him until the citizens proclaimed the words of Psalm 118. When some of them indeed shouted, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” He entered Jerusalem on a donkey as their King with salvation, thus fulfilling Zechariah 9:9.
Though some welcomed Him, His reception by the religious authorities was entirely hostile, and as He foretold, their house was left desolate shortly thereafter. They had searched the Scriptures after a fashion, trying to gain eternal life for themselves, but their rotten hearts would not allow them to see that the Scriptures testified of Jesus of Nazareth.
In the same way, many religious Jews today observe the Day of Shouting (Yom Teruah) without acknowledging that the shouting points to the divine King, Jesus Christ. And as Jesus prophesied, they will not see Him until they proclaim, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”—that is, until they acknowledge Him as Messiah.
David C. Grabbe
The Shout of a King
