1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 2 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. 3 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. 4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. 5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? 6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. (Mark 11:1-6 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
The former part of this chapter acquaints us with our Saviour’s solemn and triumphant riding into the city of Jerusalem: he who in all his journies travelled like a poor man on foot, without noise, and without train; now he goes up to Jerusalem to die for sinners, he rides, to show his great forwardness to lay down his life for us: the beast he rides on is an ass, as the manner of kings and great persons anciently was, and to fulfill that prophecy, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold thy king cometh riding upon an ass Zec 9:1 It was also an ass upon which never man sat before; signifying thereby, that the most unruly and untamed creatures become obsequious to Christ.
Grotius observes, that such animals as had not been employed in the use of man, were wont to be chosen for sacred uses. Even heathens adjudged those things most proper for the service of the gods, which had never been put to profane uses. Thus in 1Sa 6:7. we read that the Philistines returned the ark in a new cart, drawn by heifers never before put into the yoke; they thinking them polluted by being put to profane work. Our Saviour here chooses an ass which had never been backed before; and that the colt should so patiently suffer Christ to ride upon him, was miraculous. And this was a borrowed ass, whereby our Saviour’s right to all the creatures was manifested; and accordingly, he bids his disciples tell the owner That the Lord hath need of him. Not your Lord, or our lord, but the Lord; that is, he that is Lord of all, whose are the cattle on a thousand hills. Observe further, That notwithstanding Christ’s supreme right to the colt, he will not have it taken without the owner’s knowledge and consent, Tell him that the Lord hath need of him.
Observe, lastly, What a clear and full demonstration Christ gave of his divine nature; of his omniscience in foreseeing and foretelling the event; of his omnipotency, in inclining the heart, and overruling the will, of the owner to let the colt go; and of his sovereignty, as he was Lord of the creatures, to command and call for their service when he needed them.