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Commentaries
English
John
  
14And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written,15"Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on an ass’s colt!"16His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him.


Jesus did not respond to this applause, because he knew that people, when tumultuous, cannot hear or think clearly, but jostle in lanes and pathways shouting and cheering. So Jesus spoke to them visually, riding a donkey in response to their choirs, as if to say, "I am the King promised in Zechariah 9:9. Fear not but exult. I do not break down the walls and gates of cities. I do not kill or carry out God’s judgment. I am just, with no favoritism; showing justice to orphans and caring for widows."
"Sadly, not all men are just. Most are unfair, diverging from the straight path. Fear not, I will not destroy you as you deserve, but will defeat evil in you. I will bear your sin in my body, a victor, yet at the same time appearing a weak and defeated victim. Thus I will rescue you from God’s wrath; he came out victorious in the spiritual war."
"You desire a hero-king conquering by the sword, but I come to you humble as a lamb, without violence. I surrendered my will to my Father. You expected a revolt and a victory, but I offer you reconciling, salvation and peace with God. Look at the beast I ride. I do not ride a horse, or a camel, but a donkey. Do not expect riches or honor from me, for I come with eternal life, and open heaven’s gates for you, reconciling the penitent with God."
But the crowd, including the disciples, failed to understand Jesus’ purpose with this acted parable. After his ascension, the Holy Spirit opened their minds to realize Christ’s meekness and God’s glory in him. This was totally different from men’s aspirations, both political and material. But the Holy Spirit led Christ’s followers to cheer and rejoice at his appearance, before they realized the meaning of the prophecy and its literal fulfillment.