Palm Sunday - God Doesn't Always Tell Us What's Next

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 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. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!”, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”, “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”, “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”. Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.~ Mark 11:1-11

When Jesus told his disciples to retrieve the colt of a donkey, they knew what he wanted but they certainly would have had a question about why. I imagine the people who questioned the disciples wondered the same things. It would seem to the be the natural progression of the conversation and my guess is that, by this point, the disciples had figured out that Jesus did not often tell them what was coming next! He seemed to use situations like this to teach his followers to trust him and that things are often not as they appear. So, I try to imagine how they would have answered the question if asked why Jesus wanted the colt. I think they would have answered the question with a shrug and perhaps said something like "You know, he doesn't often tell us what is going to happen next." and went on their way. 

Picture taken during our trip to Israel in 2013 at the traditional site of the donkey colt event.

We often don't know what God is doing next. The mere riding into the city on a donkey was an act of humility by Jesus and was foretold by the prophets. But, the shouting of support from the crowd is probably what the disciples focused on because it was an obvious triumphant move by Jesus. After years of struggle, they had finally arrived at the moment they had all imagined! The throwing of cloaks on the on the ground and the waving of palm branches were all signs of great victory. People finally saw Jesus the way the disciples did: as the Savior, the Messiah, the Son of God (I find it interesting that, after entering, Jesus just turned around and left). Afterward, I'm sure the disciples were wondering what was next but, the gratifying sounds of the crowds surely replayed in their heads and whatever was next had to be good, they thought! They wanted Jesus to show his power and who he really was... it would be an incredible day of reckoning! Not quite. Not yet anyway.  

The disciples didn't see nor suspect that Jesus' next entry into Jerusalem would be described as anything but triumphal. He would be arrested and dragged by soldiers to a tainted trial followed by a brutal beating and execution. Sorry for the blunt language but, I'm just stating the facts. The disciples reacted like we all would when we expect things to go really well then have everything collapse around us. His crucifixion seemed like the end of the road and the ultimate defeat. It wasn't until a few days passed [Easter morning] before they understood that there was indeed a triumph that was greater than the throwing of cloaks on the ground and palm branches being waived (by the way, the crowd that shouted "Hosanna!" was likely many of the same people who shouted "Crucify him!" less than a week later!). We need to understand that God's blessings will very often come to us in ways we can't comprehend, understand, nor foretell. This may be especially true in times of difficulty. How often do we go into situations laid before us expecting success in a way we would define it (perhaps with fanfare, glory and palm branches) then, when when things become troublesome and difficult, we start to have questions? We often wonder why God sometimes chooses this topsy turvy path because we don't understand the meaning of our journey. Easy paths and accolades feel nice because they fit into our definition of what we think we want or need. But, these things can pale in comparison to the what God ultimately delivers when we simply follow him in faith without having to know what is next.  

Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion! Shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem! Look, your king is approaching, he is vindicated and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.~ Zecheriah 9 (written approximately 500 years before the birth of Christ)