GOD USES DONKEYS
Pastor Tim P. Blaisure – April 2nd, 2023 – Palm Sunday Message
Intro:
This is the day that the Lord has made, and we should rejoice and be glad in it.
Today, we look back at what Jesus did and we can see the whole story but when the disciples and the Israelites were there on this day they thought Jesus was there to set up His kingdom here on earth and free them from being under the Roman rule.
Foundation Scriptures:
“As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.
2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’”
4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door.
5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?”
6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it.
7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.
8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields.
9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”
11 So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.”
I. THE SPEAKING DONKEY: ( HE IS USED TO WARN OF DANGER)
· Background – Balaam is asked to curse God’s People Israel for a reward of gold – he asked the Lord what to do – God said don’t go – he tells them no – they come back and ask again – He asked God again reluctantly God lets him go – on the way.
· Numbers 22:21-35 – Balaam and his donkey.
“So, the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials.
22 But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along,
23 Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls.
25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So, Balaam beat the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all.
27 This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff.
28 Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.
29 “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”
30 “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?”
“No,” Balaam admitted.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.
32 “Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.
33 Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”
34 Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”
35 But the angel of the Lord told Balaam, “Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So, Balaam went on with Balak’s officials.”
II. THE DEAD DONKEY: (HE IS USED TO KILL THE ENEMY)
· Background: Samson caught 300 foxes. He tied their tails together in pairs, and he fastened a torch to each pair of tails. Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all their grain to the ground, including the sheaves and the uncut grain. He also destroyed their vineyards and olive groves.
· Judges 15:9-17 NLT
“The Philistines retaliated by setting up camp in Judah and spreading out near the town of Lehi.
10 The men of Judah asked the Philistines, “Why are you attacking us?”
The Philistines replied, “We’ve come to capture Samson. We’ve come to pay him back for what he did to us.”
11 So 3,000 men of Judah went down to get Samson at the cave in the rock of Etam. They said to Samson, “Don’t you realize the Philistines rule over us? What are you doing to us?”
But Samson replied, “I only did to them what they did to me.”
12 But the men of Judah told him, “We have come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines.”
“All right,” Samson said. “But promise that you won’t kill me yourselves.”
13 “We will only tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines,” they replied. “We won’t kill you.” So, they tied him up with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.
14 As Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists.
15 Then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed 1,000 Philistines with it.
16 Then Samson said,
“With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve piled them in heaps!
With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve killed a thousand men!”
17 When he finished his boasting, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was named Jawbone Hill.”
· Correction: To bring deliverance to God’s people.
III. THE UNRIDDEN DONKEY: (HE IS USED TO BRING OUR SAVIOR)
· Background: Jesus has predicted to His disciples that He was going to go to Jerusalem and be beaten, mocked, rejected, and die – then on the third day He would raise from the dead.
· Matthew 21:1-11
“As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.
2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.
3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,
5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’”
6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.
7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.
8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!”
10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Matthew 21:12-13
“Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.”
He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”
Conclusion:
· Correction: to a man of God’s actions and His people’s Blessing. (stubbornness of a man of God and to keep His people blessed.
· Correction: To bring deliverance to God’s people.
(God’s people are not meant to be in bondage and under the reign of their enemy)
· Correction: To the Temple of God.
(it is not to be used for selling and buying but for prayer)
What is Palm Sunday to you?
This is a time when many were confused about the future of Israel, themselves, and what Jesus was there for.
Jesus has prepared the way for you and me. We live in a confusing time and the Lord wants you to know He can use anything and anyone that is willing to be used to bring Glory to God.