Dr. Lawrence Butler

The Bridge Church, Pembroke

Excitement filled the air. Every year the crowds came to Jerusalem for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover. It was the most important day of the year for the nation of Israel.

 Elihu, though not quite old enough to be considered a man, always enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the crowds with his friends. People came from all around the world to honor this most sacred part of Jewish worship. He had completed his chores as required by his father, such as putting that aggravating donkey out front of the house, and was eager to be on his way to meet his friends and mingle with the crowd of strangers. There was, however, something else that made this year really special. His friend, Jonadab, had told him he heard the “Prophet” was coming to Jerusalem this year and the Sanhedrin was seeking to arrest him. Jonadab’s father was a member of the court and Jonadab kept all his friends informed about the latest gossip. The stories about the “Prophet” were all but unbelievable, things like raising the dead, feeding multitudes with very little or healing the blind. Israel had never seen anything like this, and Elihu did not want to miss seeing a miracle should one occur.

As the day wore on Elihu and his friends continued walking the streets, tasting various foods and generally looking to have some fun.

Suddenly there was a buzz among the crowd. Word spread that the Prophet was on his way into the city. The boys followed the noise and saw the strangest sights. There was a man riding a donkey down the street of Jerusalem. The crowd was in a frenzy, shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest” (Matt. 21:9). People were cutting down limbs and putting them in the street for the donkey to walk on. Even stranger than that, they started taking off their clothes and throwing them into the street for the donkey to walk on. Elihu had been taught by his father that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey as prophesied by Zechariah 9:9, but he was actually seeing the prophecy fulfilled. It was exhilarating beyond words. Then suddenly he stopped.

He could have never predicted that the Messiah would come in his lifetime, but never in his wildest dreams would he have thought the donkey would be his father’s animal, the one which never let anyone ride him. Yet here that donkey was, behaving and carrying the Prophet into Jerusalem.

Miracles really do happen!