The Declaration

The year is 1320.  William "Braveheart" Wallace has been dead fifteen years, and Robert the Bruce is King of Scotland.  The Declaration of Arbroath will become the most important document in Scottish history.  It’s an appeal for liberty.  It’s a prayer for justice.  It’s an affirmation of democracy.  It’s a declaration of a free Scotland.  And like every grasping after freedom, it foreshadows the liberty of God. 

Read Luke 19:28-40  

Whether he has made prior arrangements or just knows the future, Jesus sends two disciples on an errand.  “Go to the village ahead, and you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

So they go and find it just as Jesus has told them. And as they are untying the colt, sure enough, its owners say to them, “Hey, where do you think you’re going with that colt?”

These aren't the droids you are looking for.  And they said, “The Lord needs it.”

So they bring it to Jesus, throw their cloaks on the colt, and they set Jesus on it. And as he rides along, they spread their cloaks on the road.

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

The colt is young, so it symbolizes purity. Ordinarily a king or victorious warrior would ride a horse, so the young colt also reflects Jesus’ humility, his peaceful character.  This is the Prince of Peace, the King of Jerusalem, of Zion, the Son of David, humble, pure, and bringing salvation. 

The crowd goes wild. 

As he is drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples begins to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they have seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

This is their moment.  They have seen the miracles.  They have heard Jesus’ astonishing teaching.  He is coming to Jerusalem.  Surely this is their time.  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd say to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”

He answers them, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”  The King of Israel is the King of Creation, too.  

In a few days the same crowd will be calling for his crucifixion.  Would you crucify him?