Jesus and his band of followers were approaching Jerusalem where he would be crucified. Jesus knew had told them plainly what would happen when they arrived in the city. He had predicted his brutal death at the hands of the Romans but Jesus was in control of events. He was not at the mercy of the Roman army. The crucifixion was an essential part of God’s plan and Jesus was in perfect obedience with His Father's will.
And Jesus arrives at Jerusalem on a donkey. Most pilgrims attending the Passover Feast at Jerusalem made the last part of their journey on foot. Jesus commandeered a donkey (or two). From the Gospel records, we learn that this was a borrowed donkey. There was a custom which gave important people the right to ‘impress’ animals for their service. This was known as 'Angaria.' That may explain what is happening in these verses and why the owner of the donkey simply allowed the disciples to take it without any protest. Maybe the owner of the animals was a follower of Jesus. At any rate, the description shows that Jesus was sovereign - he was in control of the details of the event.
It is important to appreciate the significance of this incident. The prophet Zechariah had made a prophecy many years previously and it was now being fulfilled.
“Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you: he is legitimate and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey – on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.” [Zechariah 9:9 NET]
This is a clear statement to the nation of Israel and to the world at large that Jesus is the Messiah - the One for whom the nation of Israel had been waiting. Notice that Jesus is riding on a donkey and not a horse. I have read somewhere that this was a sign of peace. Riding a horse into the city would have been a declaration of war - he would have been seen as a warrior preparing for battle. In the book of Revelation we see Jesus on a horse
“So I looked, and here came a white horse! The one who rode it had a bow, and he was given a crown, and as a conqueror he rode out to conquer.” [Revelation 6:2 NET]
In this passage in Mark 11, Jesus is the humble servant who is giving his life as a ransom for many. If we look back to the previous chapter, we discover that Jesus made this statement about his mission.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. [Mark 10:45 NIV]
Jesus often used this title for himself and this is a key verse in our understanding of Mark's Gospel. It sums up the reason for Jesus coming to earth. It gives an insight into his character - his humility and willingness to be a servant and to be sacrificed on the cross - as a ransom for many. He was paying the price to set us free from sins. He had previously provided more detail in what was involved in becoming a 'ransom for many.' He spoke of his betrayal to the chief priests and teachers of the law. He explained that they would condemn him to death and then hand him over to the Gentiles - Pilate the Roman governor. He went into precise details about his death mentioning mocking, spitting, flogging and being killed. He also prophesied that he would rise again.
There was a great reaction from the crowd to the sight of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on the donkey. They welcomed this man from Nazareth as the Messiah and shouted ‘Hosanna’ which literally means 'O Lord, save.' This was a Hebrew word which we find in the Psalms (118:25-26). It was being used as an expression of praise in the same way as we might say, "Hallelujah." Jerusalem would have been packed with pilgrims and visitors coming to the Passover feast and there is great excitement. Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in the fields. There were two groups who accompanied him (verse 9). One group went ahead and the other followed after. They are turning this into a royal procession.
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!” [Mark 11:9-10 NIV]
It is clear that the crowd are convinced that this was the long-promised Messiah coming. They are proclaiming him as Messiah, the king of the Jews. They were anticipating that the Messiah would lead an army against the oppressors – and defeat the Romans who were cruel rulers and oppressors. This would improve life for them – end of taxes and oppression. They would have their freedom again.
The same people were not prepared for what was really going to happen. Instead of raising an army to wipe out the Romans, Jesus the Messiah was crucified in shame by the Roman army. What happened when he entered the city. Mark is very brief and does not provide the same level of detail as Matthew. He simply tells us that after looking around at everything - he left the city and went to Bethany. Mark does not recount the cleansing of the temple which we find in Matthew's Gospel. Matthew tells us the impact of his visit.
As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” [Matthew 21:10-11]
These same Jews who had welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem would refuse to accept him as their Messiah. When Pilate asked the crowd what they wanted to happen to Jesus, they demanded that he be crucified. How could he be the Messiah if he had been arrested by the Romans. Why did he allow that to happen? They found it impossible to accept that their Messiah would be crucified as they regarded crucifixion as something despicable and shameful. Jesus of Nazareth could not be the Messiah if he was crucified.
As we close, maybe we should learn lessons from this incident. Are we making the same mistake as the Jews. Are we trying to avoid thinking about the cross and all its shameful associations? Are we trying to have Jesus without the cross? Do we want a respectable religion so we play down or cut out the nasty stuff which does not fit into our sanitised discourse. Are we prepared to take up our cross and follow Jesus in the Christian pathway?
コメント