Luke 19:28–40

Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus entered Jerusalem in one of the most remarkable moments in Scripture. It was a scene filled with expectation. Palm branches were waving, voices were shouting, and hearts were hoping. The crowd believed the King had come.

Yet Jesus did not enter the city riding a war horse, the symbol of conquest and earthly power. He did not come in royal splendor or political triumph. Instead, He came riding on a borrowed donkey. He came not in pride, but in humility; not to claim a throne, but to go to a cross.

Palm Sunday reminds us that God often works through unexpected means and unlikely people. When I think about this passage, there is someone I would like to meet when I reach heaven. Many would choose to speak with the Apostle Paul about theology, or Abraham about faith, or David about facing giants. But I would like to meet the man who owned the donkey. We are not told his name, his occupation, or his background. Scripture gives us very little detail about him. But we do know one important thing: we know what he gave. He gave the Lord something He could use. He provided the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

It is interesting that the Bible gives so much attention to the story of this animal. That alone reminds us that this was no ordinary donkey. This was a donkey the Lord chose. The deeper truth is that God is still looking for lives He can use—lives willing to carry Christ into the world.

Chosen for His Purpose

There were many donkeys in Jerusalem. Donkeys were common in that day, much like automobiles are common today. They were a primary means of transportation. One might compare them to driving a Ford, a Chevrolet, or even a Mercedes-Benz. Yet among all the donkeys in Jerusalem, this was the one the Lord chose. Jesus instructed His disciples to go to a specific place, and there, tied at a particular post, they would find a particular colt. Not just any donkey, but a chosen donkey. In His sovereign wisdom, the Lord singled out that animal for His purpose.

While we might not enjoy being compared to a donkey, we can certainly rejoice in the fact that we too have been chosen by God. Jesus said in John 15:16 (KJV), “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you…” Ephesians 1:4 reminds us that He chose us before the foundation of the world. Peter wrote that we are a chosen generation, called out of darkness into His marvelous light.

This does not mean we have no response in the matter of salvation. Scripture teaches that those who are saved are those who respond to His grace. God’s foreknowledge does not override human will. He calls, He reaches, and He invites. What a miracle of grace that is. Just like that donkey, we are chosen for a purpose.

Needed by the Master

Luke 19:31 records the words Jesus instructed His disciples to speak: “Because the Lord hath need of him.” That simple statement reveals why the donkey was chosen. It was needed.

Some might say that God does not need anyone, yet Scripture repeatedly shows that God accomplishes His purposes through willing vessels. None of us are indispensable individually, but as God’s people, He has chosen to work through us. The Lord still chooses to move through His church.

Jesus gave His followers the Great Commission: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel.” We are the body of Christ, and the primary way the world encounters Jesus today is through His people. “Go ye” means you. It means me. It means all of us.

We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the signs of the times remind us that His return is drawing near. Scripture tells us that this gospel will be preached in all the world, and then the end will come. God continues to give time—time for hearts to turn, time for lives to change, time for one more soul to hear the message of hope.

Understanding purpose gives meaning to everything. Being chosen gave that donkey purpose. Being used gave that donkey significance. Every person matters in the kingdom of God.

Set Free to Be Used

Before the donkey could be used, it had to be loosed. Jesus instructed His disciples to untie the colt and bring it to Him. The Lord could not use that donkey while it remained bound.

In the same way, God desires to set people free today. Many lives are tied by fear, guilt, sin, or past experiences. Yet Jesus came to bring freedom.

John 8:36 declares, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Before we can fully carry Christ into the world, there may be things the Lord must loosen in our lives. What God uses, He first loosens.

Under His Lordship

Scripture tells us that this colt had never been ridden. No one had ever brought it under control. Yet the moment Jesus sat upon its back, everything changed. What had never been subdued came into alignment under the authority of Christ.

When we allow Jesus to be Lord, He brings order into areas of our lives that once seemed uncontrollable. As we submit to the Word of God and yield to the Spirit of God, His influence begins to shape us.

James 4:7 reminds us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Submission comes first; then comes authority. The next verse continues the pattern: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

We respond to Him, and He responds to us.

When Christ takes His rightful place, everything changes.

Lifting Up Jesus

The purpose of the donkey was not to draw attention to itself, but to lift up Jesus. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the people praised Him with great joy. The donkey was simply the means of elevating Christ so others could see Him.

Holiness is not about drawing attention to ourselves; it is about allowing Christ to be seen through us.

Jesus said in John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

Our purpose is not to promote ourselves, but to lift up Jesus. When Jesus is lifted up, He draws people to Himself.

Welcome the King

Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus is still coming—still coming in humility, still coming in peace, still coming to save.

That donkey did not preach a sermon or perform a miracle. It simply made itself available, and because it was available, Jesus was seen. When Jesus is seen, lives are changed.

Palm Sunday is not about the donkey; it is about the King—the King who entered Jerusalem knowing a cross was waiting, yet He came anyway because He loves us.

The Lord still has need of willing lives.

Perhaps there are areas of life still tied, still unsubmitted, still held back. Even now, the Lord is saying, “Loose it… and bring it to Me.” Bring your heart. Bring your burden. Bring your life.

When Jesus takes His rightful place, everything changes.

Give the King His rightful place, and everything else finds its proper place.

Welcome the King—and everything changes.