THE FIRST PALM SUNDAY
In 520BC, the prophet Zechariah, under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, made the following prophecy: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your King comes to you; triumphant and victorious is He, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass (Zechariah 9:9).
In the fullness of time, the prophecy was to be fulfilled to the letter in the Lord Jesus Christ, and Christians recall the fulfilment of this prophecy every Sunday before Easter, on the day known as ‘Palm Sunday.’ On this day, we remember how the Lord Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on a colt – a colt being a donkey under four years old. Matthew’s Gospel records of that day how . . . the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him shouted ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ (Matthew 21:8,9).
The Last Adam
The incident concerning the colt on Palm Sunday reveals Jesus as ‘the last Adam.’ We know from the Bible that before sin entered the world, the first Adam had dominion over the creatures. Genesis 1:26 tells us how God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle . . . Palm Sunday reveals the Lord Jesus’ dominion . . . over the cattle, for the colt on which He rode was one on which no one has ever sat (Mark 11:3). The colt had thus never been broken in. Ordinarily, it should have bolted as soon as Jesus sat on it. But the Lord Jesus is the Last Adam with total dominion over the cattle. The Lord of creation was in complete control of this unbroken colt. Thou hast given Him dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under His feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea (Psalm 8:6-8). Palm Sunday demonstrated Jesus’ dominion over the beasts of the field. Later that week, the cock’s crowing just at the time when Jesus predicted just after Peter’s denial of His Master, demonstrated His dominion over the birds of the air. Elsewhere in the Gospel records, Jesus’ dominion over the fish of the sea is demonstrated on more than one occasion – witness His being able to bring about a miraculous catch of fish, as well as predicting that if Peter went fishing with a rod and line, the very first fish he caught would have a silver coin in its mouth.
An ‘Unquiet Horse’
Returning again to ‘Palm Sunday’ and Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on an unbroken colt, consider the following:-
A specialist equestrian term refers to an ‘unquiet horse.’ An unquiet horse is a restless, anxious one. The anxiety in the case of an unquiet horse though is caused not by something intrinsic to the horse, but by the rider on the animal. Horses are very sensitive creatures and know at once if their rider is ill at ease. The spirit of the rider is communicated to the horse, so a troubled rider causes a troubled horse, that is, causes it to be ‘unquiet.’
On the first Palm Sunday there was much commotion. Messianic expectation had reached fever pitch. People behind and in front of the colt were shouting, waving palm branches and throwing garments on the road. Yet in spite of all this, the colt did not bolt or demonstrate any anxiety – unquiet ness – at all. Why? Because the Prince of Peace was riding upon it, and so this most honoured, dumb creature sensed immediately that all was well.
Horses are very sensitive creatures and know at once if their rider is ill at ease. The spirit of the rider is communicated to the horse, so a troubled rider causes a troubled horse, that is, causes it to be ‘unquiet.’
The Prince of Peace
Isaiah 9:6 refers to the Lord Jesus as the Prince of Peace. At this moment, the Prince of Peace was riding into Jerusalem with the sole purpose of making peace between God and humanity – the peace of sins forgiven and the peace of being reconciled to God for time and eternity. Riding a humble colt was certainly an act of humility for the Son of God. But infinitely more so was His crucifixion at the hands of cruel men later that week to procure our salvation. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Colossians 1:20 refers to Jesus making peace be the blood of His cross. And Romans 5:1 gives the joyful testimony of every Christian since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace in a troubled world
The Prince of Peace alone was able to make our peace with God. The Prince of Peace alone will be able to bring universal peace, when He comes again in glory to reign, and destroy finally and for ever all the causes of disharmony in God’s world. And in a world as troubled now as it was in Jesus’ day, Jesus still says to His Own: Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27).
So thank God for Jesus, the Last Adam, Lord of creation and Prince of Peace. He humbled Himself that we might be exalted. He suffered that we might be saved. He died that we might have eternal life. He, the sinless One, was punished in the place of sinners, that whoever believes in Him may enjoy peace with God, now and for ever.
TJEC
