Questions I Have About The Triumphal Entry Of Jesus.

When Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, coming to Bethphage he basically sent his companions off to go rent a ride (even though he did not pay for it).

"And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Beth'phage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If any one says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and he will send them immediately." This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying, "Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass." The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" (Matt 21 : 1-10)

Why is it important for him to enter Jerusalem on a ride ( an ass ) besides what the prophet wrote?

Jesus knew the script  on him and he was playing it out. I can say there are scripts written for all of us, but we don't know it like Jesus knew his; so we grope. At best we do whatever seems right, and if it goes well with us, we say we found our calling. Really?

And why the ass and the colt? He only rode on one?! It seems to me he walked all the way to Bethphage. Why not walk right on into Jerusalem, after all, he was depicting humility? Hiring a ride to enter Jerusalem seems to me pretentious. He was born in a manger and we don't have any problem with that. His parents did not go and insist that a paid guest at the inn should vacate a room with a note saying ' the Master is about to be born.'

It is worldly and mundane sentiments like that which encourages churches to go out of their way to prop up pastors, making them live like divinity itself. They give people the wrong idea that the ministry has glamor and is to be equated to a secular profession. When they have visiting pastors, a struggling church would walk 'on the skin of their teeth' to task members with hiring for them luxury cars and lodging them in Five-star hotels.

But, if Jesus had walked into Jerusalem maybe the crowd that accompanied him ahead and around would not have been attracted, not to speak of getting involved. Perhaps, riding on the ass was a rallying act signalling that something momentous was about to happen, inspiring them to shout,

"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"