“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” Mark 11.1-3
Have you ever wondered why God decided to do things the way He did? Like, why go to the trouble of sending a Son into the world? Why go through all that difficulty, mess, and pain? Why not just save everyone in an instant or condemn everyone to eternal fire?
But God is purposeful in all His actions. His “divine action and agency” in this world (to use a title from a Dr. Billy Abraham lecture) speaks to the fact that God acts with a purpose. He is not distant or uncaring. God cares about the needs of humanity, and He took the long road to redeem and save us. He is true to Himself, and there are no shortcuts in securing our salvation.
Therefore, as Jesus approached Jerusalem, He did so with the intent to follow through with His and the Father’s plan to redeem humanity. And He used a meager donkey to help fulfill this mission. (Which supports the prophetic verse in Zechariah 9:9 in the Old Testament – “See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”)
God was painstakingly clear about His desire to save us. He takes extreme care and intentionality to reach down to us, to offer a means for us to be saved – namely, through the shedding of the blood of the Lamb of God. And upon our receiving of the sacrifice of grace and love through faith, we can be saved.
Why would a God perform such an act as this? Because He loves us. He cares for the world and all who are in it, wishing that none should perish. It is now our act of response as we receive this gift of eternal life, freely given through the sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus, that leads us to salvation.
“O Lord God, thank you for your grace. Thank you that you act in our lives, drawing us to yourself so we might find life in you. I praise you for your glorious nature, for caring for us and allowing us to see you face to face. Come now, Holy Spirit, fill us with your power and love. For you are good, and your love endures forever.” Amen.