In the week leading up to the death of our Lord Jesus, His focus, as it was throughout His life, was on accomplishing the Fathers will and fulfilling the Scriptures. This verse in Zechariah talks about a humble King riding on a donkey. In all four of the gospels we're given the account of Jesus fulfilling this verse. This is the account given in Luke 19:29-38 - "When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord has need of it.” They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: “BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
What a glorious scene! I'm sure that many of those in the crowd thought that Jesus was riding in to the city to take His place as King and overthrow the Romans, and yet Jesus knew that in just days He would be delivered up to death for the sins of the whole world. It's very likely that this crowd that shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!”, was the same crowd that days later shouted “Crucify Him!”
In many Bible's this passage of Scripture is titled "The triumphant entry." It's true that Jesus came to triumph over sin and the grave, but His entrance wasn't one of triumph, but rather of humility. That's what Zechariah says - "Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey." A king didn't ride on a donkey, he rode on a white stallion, and yet in His humility Jesus, the eternal King, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords rode into Jerusalem on a beast of burden. I suggest that His triumphal entry is yet to come. At the end of the great tribulation period when all the armies of the earth unite under one banner with Satan as their leader and they come to challenge the Lord Jesus Christ, then He will make His triumphal entry into this world. This is what John tells us in Revelation 19:11-16 - "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”" That's a triumphal entry.
These are, as far as I remember, the only two times in the Bible that we see Jesus riding on a beast. The first time He was riding on a donkey making His humble entry in Jerusalem preparing for His humiliating, terrible death in which He would be rejected by God and man and hung on a cross to bear the sins of the whole world. But the second time He comes everyone will see His awesome majesty, His terrible power, and His enemies will be wiped out. The first time Jesus triumphed over sin and the grave, but the second time Jesus will triumph over His enemies and set up His kingdom on this earth where He will rule and reign for a thousand years.
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