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Rodeo time (Matthew 21:2-3) May 12, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 37-38

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 21:2-3
Jesus: Go to the village over there. There you’ll find a donkey tied to a post and a foal beside it. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone tries to stop you, then tell him, “The Master needs these,” and he will send the donkey and foal immediately.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I remember the first time I heard this story, I thought Jesus just told the disciple to go steal a donkey. That’s not a nice thing to do! Why would Jesus steal a donkey? It’s still easy to think that if you don’t stop to remember that the Bible isn’t a detailed history book. The writers tell us what they remember and what God puts in their hearts to relate to us for our understanding of His plan of salvation for all humankind.

We assume there were twelve disciples because we have the names of twelve. But there were undoubtedly a lot more than twelve. At Jesus’ ascension, some 500 gathered to see Him rise in the clouds with the promise He would return the same way one day. Many of those 500 were His disciples, not just the twelve, but followers, those who wanted to be like Him. That’s the definition of a disciple, a person who desires to study a learn and be like his teacher.

That’s why we have the distinction between the title Apostle and disciple. There are twelve apostles and there will never be more than that. Those are the twelve chosen by Jesus to draw very close to Him, learn from Him throughout His three year preaching ministry, and then carry on the work of building His church after His resurrection and ascension. But His disciples are too numerous to count and the number is growing every day and men and women find Him through faith and give themselves to Him as living sacrifices.

So what’s the answer to this great mystery? How did Jesus know about the donkey and the foal?

No doubt one of His disciples lived or had relatives or friends in the village Jesus speaks about in His command to the disciples He addresses in this command that Matthew records. It’s not hard to assume this disciple has gone there to take care of his household affairs, plant a crop, check on lambs that are just being born in the spring, feed cattle or whatever might be happening in the little village. Jesus might have seen the disciple ride in or ride out on a donkey. And the donkey, late in pregnancy might have been ready to deliver.

The miracle part of the story, of course, would be to know the donkey and foal would be tied together. Unless the disciple in the village already had his instructions from Jesus. Is it too far fetched to think those things were planned? No. Would it be a miracle for Jesus to have the knowledge that all those things were in place without anyone telling Him. Yes. Could it have happened that way? Yes

Would it have been a miracle for Jesus to have planned for the donkey and foal to be standing ready for Him in the village and send other disciples to fetch the animals as they drew closer to the village on their way to Jerusalem? Yes it would. Think about the timing of the event. A foal is not very old. To have a donkey and its foal tied together in the village just at the right time as Jesus and the rest of His entourage were passing through would not be an easy feat for even an extraordinary man. But Jesus knew it would happen.

Why was Jesus so sure the donkey and colt would be available? Because He knew He was the long awaited Messiah. He also knew His mission would take Him to Jerusalem and He would be heralded as the King of the Jews riding in to the city in the manner described 500 years earlier by the prophet Zechariah on the backs of humble beasts of burden, not on the back of a stallion as most conquerors would.

So He came into the city, riding on the backs of a donkey and an untamed foal. Now that is a miracle. I don’t know if you’ve ever ridden a donkey with an untamed animal tied to it. I haven’t, but I’ve seen others who have tried to ride those untamed animals. It’s usually not a pretty picture for the rider. But Jesus rode into the city, through a crowd of people with His disciples leading the parade. No one was trampled. The donkey and foal apparently behaved themselves. That’s a miracle!

The people waved palm branches, threw their cloaks onto the dusty road, shouted praises, heralded Jesus as King. The din must have been tremendous as the guards came out to settle what they thought was a riot. Still the animals remained quiet and controlled. Now that’s a miracle!

The planning to have a donkey available as Jesus passed by? I’ve learned as I’ve grown a little more mature that’s not so hard to do. And Jesus wouldn’t ask His disciples to heist a donkey. I think the donkey was planned. Riding that donkey and a new foal through that crowd, now that’s something only God could do.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Specializing in the little things (Luke 19:28-48), Jan 19, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Devotional

Today’s background scripture comes from Luke 19.
Many people know about what is commonly called Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into the city of Jerusalem the last week of His life. Many of those who think Him only a prophet think He acted according to scripture only because of His deep study of the scriptures. They don’t believe He was truly God incarnate. They don’t look at the details of the stories recorded about Him to understand He wasn’t just any man or any prophet.

Zechariah foretold the coming of the King 500 years earlier. He said He would come riding on a donkey, specifically on a colt, an unridden colt. Most today haven’t been around unridden animals, but it isn’t common to ride into town on an animal that’s never been ridden. Think a minute about the westerns you’ve seen. The horse that throws its rider is the nature of an unridden animal. As soon as the disciples tried to put the cloaks on its back, it would have tried to shake them off.

But not this one. Not in the presence of My Son. The colt acted like a well trained adult horse, not a brand new unridden donkey colt. The disciples put their cloaks on it to provide a makeshift saddle and Jesus rode it across the narrow paths of the steep hillsides into the gates of Jerusalem. No bucking, no resistance, no missteps. One of My creation carried My Son exactly as I told Zechariah it would 500 years earlier. Jesus knew where the colt would be. He knew its owners would release it without question. He knew it would return with the disciples without hindrance. He knew He could ride the untamed animal. He knew all of this, not because all of it was written in scripture. Only the fact He would ride into Jerusalem on a colt was foretold. The rest He knew because He was My Son, the God-Man.

Maybe it sounds like a little thing to you. I specialize in little things, like forming each individual snowflake that together add up to mountains of snow in the winter. Forming each raindrop around a speck of dust and letting it fall to earth to replenish the rivers that flow to the oceans. I paint each flower petal before folding it into the DNA of each seed that falls into the ground.

I specialize in the little things that become the incredible things. The prophecy seemed like a little thing to Zechariah 500 years before it happened. It seemed like a little thing when the disciples picked up the donkey from the owners the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem. It seemed like a little thing when He told His disciples He would not eat the Passover with them again. You see I specialize in little things and make them pretty incredible.

I can take things you might think are little and make them pretty incredible, too. In this one story of one event in Jesus’ life, a story that consumes only eight verse in Luke’s gospel, you see how small things mean a great deal to me. I specialize in the small things in life. Imagine what I can do with your life. In the small things and the big things that come your way.

Today’s Scripture

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Luke 19:28-48
Set – Genesis 48; Luke 19
Go! – Genesis 47-48; Psalms 19; Luke 19

Luke 19:28-48
28 When He finished the parable, He pushed onward, climbing the steep hills toward Jerusalem.

29 He approached the towns of Bethphage and Bethany, which are near Mount Olivet. He sent two of the disciples ahead.

Jesus: 30 Go to the next village. When you enter, you will find a colt tied—a colt that has never been ridden before. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you why you’re untying it, just say, “The Lord needs it.”

32 So the two disciples found things just as He had told them. 33 When its owners did indeed ask why they were untying the colt, 34 the disciples answered as they had been instructed.

Disciples: The Lord needs it.

35 They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their coats on the colt’s back, and then sat Jesus on it. 36 As Jesus rode along, some people began to spread their garments on the road as a carpet. 37 When they passed the crest of Mount Olivet and began descending toward Jerusalem, a huge crowd of disciples began to celebrate and praise God with loud shouts, glorifying God for the mighty works they had witnessed.

Crowd of Disciples: 38 The King who comes in the name of the Eternal One is blessed!

Peace in heaven! Glory in the highest!

Pharisees (who were in the crowd): 39 Teacher, tell these people to stop making these wild claims and acting this way!

Jesus: 40 Listen—if they were silent, the very rocks would start to shout!

41 When Jerusalem came into view, He looked intently at the city and began to weep.

Jesus: 42 How I wish you knew today what would bring peace! But you can’t see. 43 Days will come when your enemies will build up a siege ramp, and you will be surrounded and contained on every side. 44 Your enemies will smash you into rubble and not leave one stone standing on another, and they will cut your children down too, because you did not recognize the day when God’s Anointed One visited you.

45 He entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. He began driving out the temple merchants.

Jesus: 46 The Hebrew Scriptures say, “My house shall be a house of prayer,” but you have turned it into a shelter for thieves.

47 He came back day after day to teach in the temple. The chief priests, the religious scholars, and the leading men of the city wanted to kill Him, 48 but because He was so popular among the people—who hung upon each word He spoke—they were unable to do anything.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Music by the Booth Brothers from Room for More, “Faithful One” ©2008.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.