Jesus is Riding Your Way!

Mat 21:1-11 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

I've been to the old city of Jerusalem a couple of times.

The city is so very intriguing. All kinds of different people are everywhere. Jews, Palestinians, pilgrims, religious leaders and followers, international government types. There is a buzz everywhere you look. Nobody is laid back, nobody is taking it easy. The air is thick with anticipation of something...the past coming alive, a coming Messiah, a religious feeling, fervency of worship, or a good buy on some relic, souvenir or even a loaf of bread.

And everybody is scurrying around. They are going to the temple mount, or just leaving. Or they are headed to a mosque or synagogue, or have just left one. Nobody is stationary very long. Even those who do stop don't stand still.

And crowds, they are everywhere! Never or nowhere have I ever witnessed so many groups of people, anywhere from 3 or 4 to 30 or 40, huddled around some guide listening intently to some anecdote.

That's the way it is in the holy city now, and that's exactly the way it was 2000 years ago when a former Carpenter rode into town from Mount Olivet on a borrowed donkey.

People were stirring, thoughts were expressed, opinions were bandied about, emotions were displayed. Anger, joy, doubt and exultation comingled as a crowd grew from 13 to hundreds, maybe even thousands.

Passover week was in view as pilgrims made the city swell to more than double its normal population. Many of them were enveloped in this special occasion, the King of Zion, the Son of David, making His entry amidst the cheers and adulation of the growing throng.

They spread their clothes in the path of the parade. They defaced the palm trees so they would have branches to wave in honor of the King. They cried out, "hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."

The account tells us that all the city was moved. Those in the dark asked who the Honoree was, others answered that it is Jesus, the prophet from Galilee.