Jesus, a Special Leader
(From the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 11, verses 1-11)
Near the end of his earthly life, Jesus went to the city of Jerusalem. His friends went with him. The trip took them a few days because they had to walk. As they walked, they talked together. Jesus tried to get his friends ready for what would happen when they got to Jerusalem.
When they got near the city, Jesus stopped to rest. He said to two of his friends, "Run ahead to the next village. When you get there, you will find a young horse – a colt – tied to a tree. Untie the colt and bring it to me."
"A colt?" said one of the two. "Whose colt? And won't they think we're trying to steal their animal?"
Jesus reassured them. "Just tell them that the Master needs it. And tell them we will bring it back as soon as we are done."
So the two went ahead to the next village, and sure enough, just as Jesus had said, they found a colt tied to a tree. As they untied it, a man standing nearby asked, "And what, exactly, do you think you're doing?"
They answered, "The Master needs this colt."
"OK," the man replied, and just like that, he let them take his animal.
When they got back, Jesus climbed on the colt and rode it. Word spread that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, and people stopped what they were doing and began to gather along the road leading into the city. They lined the edges of the road, waving palm branches and into the city. They lined the edges of the road, waving palm branches and smiling. Soon they began to make a special passage way for Jesus by laying their coats on the ground in front of him. This made the dirty, dusty road into a colorful pathway for Jesus and the colt. This is just what they would have done for any other important leader. The people were so excited and happy to see Jesus that they began to shout out wonderful things to him.
"Hosanna! Hurray! Praise God!"
"Blessed is Jesus, the One who comes in the name of God!"
"Blessed is Jesus, the One who brings good news of God's kingdom!"
"Praise be to God!"
Everyone was happy. It felt like a parade! It felt like a party for a beloved leader. The people were dancing! They were jumping for joy!
Questions to ponder:
I wonder how the colt felt as he carried Jesus through the crowd into Jerusalem.
I wonder how Jesus' friends felt as they walked with him into Jerusalem.
I wonder how Jesus felt as he rode the colt into Jerusalem.
I wonder what you would have shouted if you were in the crowd that day.