Triumphal Entry?

Tomorrow we gather to worship Christ and to remember his willingness to be vulnerable and weak. He rode into town, down through the valley on a Donkey, a colt. That wasn't really victorious. A servant or a slave might ride a colt. A victor would ride a horse.

This happened in a real place and time. And was recorded for us to read.

Luke 19:28-40  (NIV)
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,  “Go to the village ahead of you, and 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 untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.  As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.  As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Here is the hill called the Mount of Olives, I was standing on the city of Jerusalem side when I took this photo.

On that day he rode down that hill, the people praising God.