Daily Devotional For Sunday, January 18, 2026
Good morning Southside. The Lord is good and He is good all the time. We are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew. Today we come to Matthew 22:1-11. Because this is such a packed passage on the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, we are going to take several days to cover it:
“When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, (2) saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. (3) If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” (4) This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: (5) ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ (6) The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, (7) and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. (8) Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. (9) The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!’ (10) When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, ‘Who is this?’ (11) And the crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee’” (NASB).
Today, are going to wrap up this passage of Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem. As Jesus road the donkey through the stress of Jerusalem, the people were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!” They were doing much like people in church do today – just going through the motions. Some in the church will say, “Praise the Lord,” or “Halleliujah,” or “Amen” without thinking about what they are really saying. It’s mechanical, not meaningful. It’s rote, not about a relationship. If we could paraphrase what they were saying, it might be, “Long live the king.”
They say, “Timing is everything” and sometimes it is. Jesus intentionally waited until Passover where 2.5-3 million Jewish pilgrims would travel. Crowds would be huge and anticipation of the coming Messiah would be electrifying. Fickle they are because in 5 days they will be shouting “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Sound familiar? It is easy to go to a conference where the music is power and the preaching is moving and shout praises to God, but it's a whole other thing to return home and do the same. We can be fickle also. It is often refreshing to experience how large the church really is, but the truth is: what Lord needs is not just numbers, but consistent Christian disciples.
Just like at His birth, Jesus caused a stir (see Matt. 2:3).. People were wondering what all the excitement was about. “Who is this” they asked. ‘Oh, it’s Jesus that prophet.” If Jesus was only a prophet from Nazareth, why all the excitement, waving branches and putting cloaks on the street and Messianic shouts? Jesus was in some way a prophet as prophesied by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-18. But Jesus was more than just any prophet.
The impact of Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem was powerful. Matthew says all the city was “stirred” is the Greek New Testament word [ἐσείσθη, eseithe]. This is same word used for the stirring or shaking of an earthquake and apocalyptic upheavals. The same word is used to describe how the ground shook and the veil in the Temple was ripped from top to bottom (see Matt. 27:51 and Rev. 6:13). Why did Jesus ride a donkey and not a warhorse? I like what New Testament scholar Daniel M. Dorian says about this:
“Because a man’s transportation reveals much about him. If a man drives a minivan with car seats with melted crayons and partially dismembered soldiers and dolls lying about, we know he is a family man. If a young man drives a twenty-year-old car with rust holes the size of a fist, he is probably a student. If a forty-five-year-old with salt and pepper hair hops from a little red sports car, he is probably experiencing a midlife crisis” (Source: Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary, “Matthew 1 & 2,” p. 246.
To me, Jesus road the donkey because He had inspired the prophet Zechariah to foretell this in Zechariah 9:9. This is why Matthew introduces this with in verse 4, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet,” but this is not all of it. Zechariah went on to prophesy that when the Messiah arrived, He would cleanse the Temple. Look at Zechariah 9:8, “Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro” (ESV). “My house” is an Old Testament reference to the Temple. Jesus will cleanse the Temple immediately after this in Matthew 21:12-17, thus fulfilling another prophecy proving He is the Messiah.
The crowd in their misguided praise really do not understand who Jesus is and why He rides a donkey. “Hosanna to the Son of David” implies they hope that just like David was a warrior king defeating the enemies of Israel, so Jesus will His supernatural power. We have to let Jesus be Jesus, not the Jesus of our own making. Jesus made it clear to Pilate that His kingdom was spiritual, it was not of this world (see John 18:36). If you have read or seen the movie, The Chronicles of Narnia, there is a discussion between the children and characters in Narnia:
When Lucy learns of Aslan (C.S. Lewis’ metaphor and symbol of Jesus), she asks, “Is He safe?” "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." Mr. Tumnus also says, "He's wild, you know. Not a tame lion."
The point is no matter how much we want to put God in a box, no matter how much we want to make Jesus into our image, it is impossible. We are much better off letting Jesus be Jesus and we be His disciples and followers. We need to let the Bible and faith tell us who He is, not our own feelings and expectations.
Reflection Assignment: The Jews wanted a conquering hero to overthrow Rome who had conquered and enslaved them. Who do you want Jesus to be to you? A healer of all your illnesses and sicknesses in your and your family? A financial donor who makes sure your bank account is full? The court jester who is always attempting to cheer you up? A spiritual “Paxil or Prozac” that removes all your anxiety? Who do you want Jesus to be to you and why?
Scripture to Meditate On: Revelation 19:11, “Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for He judges fairly and wages a righteous war.” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I pray that I will let You be God and I be your humble servant. I ask for Your forgiveness when I expect You to treat me differently than others. I am content with all You have already done for me and given me. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly