Mark 11:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.

NIV: When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.

NASB: They *brought the colt to Jesus and *put their cloaks on it; and He sat on it.

CSB: They brought the donkey to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and he sat on it.

NLT: Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.

KJV: And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

NKJV: Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.

The two disciples whom Jesus sent to collect a donkey jenny and her colt have returned (Matthew 21:1–2). The Jews ride donkeys (Judges 10:4; 12:14; 1 Samuel 25:20), but usually with a saddle. Unlike horses, which have a relatively flat back, donkeys' spines stick out in a way that makes bareback riding uncomfortable. One does not simply ride a donkey bareback. The writer can attest to this personally.

The choice of a donkey carries symbolic value in addition to fulfilling prophecy. In that era, donkeys were exclusively used for work, whereas horses were more frequently used for war. Rather than entering the city on a horse, like a military conqueror, Jesus arrives on a donkey. This is somewhat like the difference between a modern person riding into town in the back of a pickup truck, as opposed to an armored personnel carrier. In His second coming, Jesus will arrive riding a horse (Revelation 19:11–16) because His purpose will be judgment rather than sacrifice.

The Old Testament has over 300 prophecies of the Jewish Messiah. Daniel 9:25–26 gives the date of the week between the triumphal entry and the crucifixion. Micah 5:2 says the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1). Second Samuel 7:12–16 says He will be a descendent of David (Matthew 1:1–16; Luke 3:23–31). And Hosea 11:1 says He will live in Egypt for a time (Matthew 2:13–15).

The purpose of the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament is to identify who this Messiah is when He arrives. In the above examples, Jesus fulfilled prophecy through no effort of His own. As a baby, He had no say in whether Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt.

For other prophecies, Jesus fulfills them very intentionally. In Zechariah, God explains how He will send a champion to rescue Israel from their enemies. He says, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9). Despite the obvious fulfillment of prophecy, the disciples won't recognize the significance until after the resurrection (John 12:16).

Mark 11:1–11 records an event included in all four Gospels: that several days before the crucifixion, Jesus enters Jerusalem, welcomed by the people as the Messiah who will free them from Roman rule. Jesus enters on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy and symbolizing the peaceful nature of His first coming. Matthew 21:1–11 ties the triumphal entry to Isaiah 62:11. Luke 19:29–44 records that the Pharisees demand Jesus silence His followers and that Jesus weeps, knowing what happen when the Romans destroy Jerusalem in AD 70. John 12:12–19 goes into more detail about how the disciples don't realize Jesus is fulfilling prophecy (Zechariah 9:9) until after the ascension (Acts 1:6–11).

Jesus and the disciples arrive in Jerusalem a week before the crucifixion, and Jesus begins the last days of His public ministry. They spend their nights on the Mount of Olives and their days in Jerusalem (Luke 21:37). Jesus accepts the accolades designed for a king (Mark 11:1–11), attacks materialistic tradition that keeps people from worshiping God (Mark 11:15–19), gives an object lesson about the fate of fruitless Jerusalem (Mark 11:12–14, 20–25), and reveals the Jewish religious leaders' hypocrisy (Mark 11:27–33). Despite the support of the crowd, Jesus is pushing the leaders toward the crucifixion.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.