All Glory to Jesus
Today’s Verse:
And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. ~Mark 11:2
Jesus is Creator God! “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him,” Col. 1:16. The key thought is all things are created by Him and for Him. This morning, we see a passage that beautifully demonstrates creation worshiping our Lord. Let us see how a young donkey teaches us a lesson on giving Jesus all the glory!
We see the donkey and his nature.
This donkey was a young colt that was near the side of its mother. Donkeys are stubborn by nature and have to be broken in. Donkeys are beasts of burden, and are used to carry goods and heavy belongings in travel. This young colt was one where no man had ever sat. It had never been used for anything. To sit on a young colt that had not been broken in was risky. To the common man, this did not make sense at all. Yet, Jesus saw this little donkey as something he needed. What a powerful thought that the Lord saw possibilities with this young donkey. The key thought we must not lose sight of is that “never a man sat.” The application for us is the question, “Who is sitting on the seat of our heart and life?”
We see the donkey and his necessity.
“And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.” We see two driving thoughts about the donkey’s necessity. First, the owner of the donkey allowed Jesus to take possession of this donkey without reservation. All Jesus had to say was, “The Lord hath need of him.” When the call for volunteers and laborers is given, are we like this unnamed owner who heard “the Lord hath need of him?” There was no reluctance, rebuttal, or resistance from this owner. Mark reads, “Straightway he will send him hither.” Second, Jesus wanted the donkey to ride upon. Jesus did a lot of walking, but He needed this donkey to fulfill the prophecy of Zech. 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” Now, the thought on this is that the donkey would have the privilege of serving our Lord. This is the first time this young colt had been used in service. What a privilege that the first time it was sat upon it was Jesus who sat on it!
We see the donkey and nobility.
Jesus rode this donkey into Jerusalem. All the people lined the highway and streets with their clothes and palm leaves, and proclaimed, “Hosanna: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” This donkey was carrying his Creator, the Lord of lords and King of kings on his back into the city of the King! Jesus was greatly glorified and lifted up on the back of a meek and lowly animal. Of all creation, the young colt had the privilege that day to bring Jesus forward and with honor. The owners of the donkey eventually got the young colt back, but I imagine that their hearts were flattered and overwhelmed that Jesus was the first and most important person to ride on it. There is a stewardship thought in this. Will you allow the Lord to use you when you are young? Will you allow the Lord to use you exclusively? Will you allow the Lord to be lifted up through your service? Will you be happy that Jesus gets all the praise and glory, and you are just his instrument of service?
Let us have a servant’s heart, a spirit of meekness and an unhesitating desire to lift Jesus up wherever he needs us.
Have a servant-hearted God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Mark 10-11