What is the Significance of Jesus’ Riding a Donkey?
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What is the significance of Jesus’ riding into Jerusalem on a donkey?
This question refers to what is known as the Triumphal Entry. Matthew records it in Matthew 21:1-11, Mark in Mark 11:1-11, and Luke in Luke 19:28-40. In these accounts, Jesus instructs His disciples to retrieve a young donkey so that he may ride it into the city of Jerusalem. The day on which he rode it was the Sunday before Passover. This meant that millions of Jews would have been in Jerusalem at this time.
Why did Jesus do this? It was a statement to everyone gathered that He was the Messiah. Matthew informs us that this was done to fulfill a prophecy found in Zecharaiah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” This prophecy was about how the Messiah would come. The prophecy explains that the Messiah would usher in a great time of peace. Zecharaiah 9:10 says, “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.” This prophecy points out the significance of the donkey. Unlike the horse, which was an animal used for war, donkeys were ridden in times of peace and symbolized peace.
It is also significant that Jesus asked for a donkey on which no one had ever sat (Mark 11:2, Luke 19:30). First, it shows Jesus’ divine control over animals. To ride donkeys, they need to be broken in, but Jesus had divine power at His disposal to do things that others could not. Second, there is some symbolism in that this donkey had never been used for some other purpose. Its first passenger was Jesus. So, it was fully consecrated to the Lord and His purposes.
While Jesus was entering Jerusalem, the people of that day and time recognized Him as fulfilling these prophecies. The text says that a very great multitude brought their clothes, laid them in the road, and also laid palm branches in the road in front of Him. While they did this, they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” This is a quotation from Psalm 118:26 which also prophesies of the coming of the Messiah.
All of these prophecies being fulfilled in this one scene was a proclamation to everyone that Jesus was the Messiah. There were many who welcomed Him as such as He rode into Jerusalem. However, by the end of the week, the leaders of the Jews had stirred up a mob against Him to crucify Him.