Matthew 21:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do not dismiss this occurrence as trivial. Indeed, what prompted these humble individuals, perhaps laborers, to surrender their possessions without resistance? To clarify, I am not merely suggesting that they complied without protest; they did so without even uttering a word or having previously requested silence and compliance. If they responded with silence while their belongings were taken, or if they spoke yet yielded upon hearing the Lord’s request, both scenarios are astonishing, particularly since they had not seen Him directly, only His disciples.

Through this, the Lord illustrates that He could have rendered the hard-hearted Jews speechless when they came to seize Him, yet He chose not to. Additionally, He instructs His disciples to willingly offer whatever He asks of them; should He demand even their very lives, they should comply without question. Truly, if those who were strangers to Him followed His command, how much more should His disciples surrender everything to Him.

John does not provide a detailed narrative of how the Lord instructed His disciples to bring the animals to Him but, like Matthew, refers to prophetic testimony after mentioning the donkey. Although the evangelists relay the prophecy in varying words, the essence remains unchanged. The key distinction is that Matthew's account includes a donkey in the prophetic words, which is absent in both John's account and the church's common translations of the Old Testament.

It is my belief that this difference stems from Matthew traditionally having composed his Gospel in Hebrew. However, it is acknowledged that the Septuagint translation sometimes diverges from the Hebrew scriptures, as noted by scholars and translators. In seeking to understand these discrepancies, a fitting explanation may be found in the idea that the seventy translators were guided by the Holy Spirit while rendering the Hebrew texts. This remarkable unity among their translations is evident to all who observe it. They selected various words but maintained a singular divine intent, reflecting the will of God, whose Scriptures they serve. Their translations reveal a harmony akin to what we observe among the four evangelists, even amidst their differences. We contend that there is no deception in recounting the same event with different details, provided the essential message remains intact and resonates cohesively within a single understanding. Grasping how to discern and address falsehoods is beneficial. We should not believe that the truth of faith resides solely in the phonetics used, as if God has given us mere words rather than the underlying truth they express. It is vital to prioritize understanding the essence over the specific language that conveys it. Indeed, if we could comprehend truth as fully as God does, as His angels perceive it, words would become superfluous.

The colt symbolizes the new Gentile nation, which had not yet embraced the divine law before believing in Christ, and upon which no prophet or apostle had previously sat. In contrast, the donkey represents the ancient Jewish nation, burdened by the law. The colt carries Christ, while the donkey follows, illustrating that once Christ has rested upon the Gentiles who believe in Him, the Jews will subsequently join them. The Apostle Paul states that partial blindness has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus, all Israel will be saved. Therefore, Matthew accurately mentions both animals, while other writers, in their brevity, focused solely on the donkey because the Savior rode on it, remaining silent as it followed. In riding a young donkey, Christ not only foreshadowed the future but also indicated that His disciples should refrain from using horses or mules, opting instead for a donkey, thus demonstrating that they should be satisfied with only what is necessary.

He could have entered Jerusalem quietly, either with His disciples or alone, or He might have chosen to stay away given the tension of the situation. Yet, He deemed it essential, and it cannot be claimed that He acted merely upon chance in this instance. Rather, His prior actions indicated a purposefulness. A similar incident had occurred in Jericho. He further demonstrated His intent by instructing two disciples to go ahead of Him to Bethphage, a village on the slope of the Mount of Olives, to procure a donkey and its colt. The disciples placed their garments on the animals, and Jesus mounted a young donkey that had never been ridden. This act clearly fulfilled the prophecy that signified the arrival of the Messiah in Jerusalem, portraying Him as a gentle and humble king who chose a symbol of peace rather than one of conflict (Zechariah 9:9-10). By taking this position, He made Himself visible to all, which only heightened the excitement among the people.

As a prophet and revered teacher widely acknowledged by the people, Christ sought to make a noteworthy entrance, seizing this occasion to unveil His glory for the final time. Traditionally, He had entered Jerusalem on foot; this time, however, He wished to enter in the manner of His ancestor David, specifically riding on a donkey. This gentle and practical creature was held in high regard in the East, with historical significance that rendered it even more esteemed and cherished among the Jews than the proud steeds imported from Egypt. The significance of the donkey was further heightened due to the prophet's earnest proclamation that the Messiah-King would enter Jerusalem in this humble manner (Zechariah 9:9). Thus, this type of entry by the Saviour into the holy city served as the most profound testament to His Messiahship. Early in the morning of the ninth of Nisan, the Saviour departed from His peaceful and welcoming abode in Bethany and, adhering to convention, walked to Jerusalem with His disciples. As they descended into a small valley adorned with fig and olive trees, they approached the village of Bethphage, which, like Bethany, was considered part of Jerusalem according to rabbinical law. At this time, the secret disciples and followers of Christ resided in various locations, and He sent two of His disciples to one such follower in Bethphage to retrieve a donkey for His grand entry into Jerusalem. The disciples meticulously fulfilled this instruction and brought back both a donkey and a colt.

Therefore, Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on a donkey was not a depiction of His lowliness or disgrace, but rather a profound symbol of peace. The King of Zion, the Prince of Peace, rides into His city on a donkey, a true emblem of tranquility."

3:8), to grant us access to the Kingdom of Heaven (Eph. 2:6), and to make us heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:7). The time of Easter was approaching, the unparalleled event in the timeline of humanity when our true Passover, Jesus Christ, was offered for us (1 Cor. 5:7), enabling His death to nullify the one who held the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14), thereby liberating believers from spiritual bondage into the glorious freedom of God's children (Rom. 8:21).

The First Day of the Final Week marked the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus commenced these last days with a profound act that revealed Him to all as the foretold Savior expected by Israel. Even while His time had not yet arrived (John 7:6) and the hour of His glorification on the cross had yet to come (17:1), He meticulously avoided situations where public enthusiasm might have prompted an expectation for the restoration of Israel's ancient glory (John 6:15). To prevent any misunderstandings and misinterpretations, He often instructed His disciples and followers not to declare publicly that He was the promised Messiah (Matt. 12:16; 16:20; 17:9; Mk. 5:43; Lk. 5:14). At this moment, in light of the impending sufferings, such fantastical hopes would not reach a disappointing extreme, as the cross definitively ended all such aspirations among His disciples.

St. John Chrysostom noted that while Jesus had visited Jerusalem previously, He had never done so with such grandeur, as it had been the initial phase of His ministry with the time of His suffering not yet close; thus, He often mingled without drawing attention to Himself. According to the teachings of this holy Father, His majestic arrival at the outset would have been unnecessary and counterproductive, potentially provoking significant hostility from the Jewish leaders. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, while some believed due to His teachings or miracles, others still sought an overt acknowledgment of His Messiahship from Him (John 10:24). Thus, the first day of this final week—culminating in the death of the God-Man—became an extraordinarily important day that determined not only the fate of many contemporaneous to the Lord but also that of the entire Jewish nation. This occasion represented the final teachings for the ignorant, guidance for the obstinate, clarity for the doubtful, and fortification of the faith for true believers.

Jesus Christ presented Himself before His chosen people, the children of Zion, in the ethereal glory of a gentle, righteous, and saving King (Zechariah 9:9). Having rejected their Savior, the Jews could no longer claim ignorance of their choice. In truth, they faced the dire repercussions of divine judgment: as noted by St. Theophylact, the fulfillment of prophecies served to expose the truth to them, leaving them without excuse. Additionally, the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem carried profound significance. This event was no mere coincidence, aligning with the time when, following the Mosaic Law (Exodus 12:3), each family selected a lamb for the Passover feast. This lamb—a visible emblem of God's ancient grace towards the Israelites in Egypt—was also the pure Lamb (1 Pet. 1:19), the Lamb slain before the world's foundation (Rev. 5:12; Rev. 13:8), the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29).

As the time approached, the Lamb, described by St. Gregory the Theologian as both a Sacrifice and a High Priest, both God and human, prepared Himself openly so that He could fulfill the symbolism of the Old Testament Passover and become a new Passover for the new Israel. Entering the holy city as a sacrifice destined for slaughter, Jesus was acutely aware of the suffering and death that lay ahead. For the disciples, after being taught by the Holy Spirit (John 14:26) and having their understanding of the Scriptures enlightened (Luke 24:45), the exultant responses of the people during His entry might later signify the Savior's triumph over death and hell (1 Corinthians 15:55, 57). The Holy Church, in its hymns celebrating the Lord as the ‘Conqueror of Death,’ interprets the reception by the Jewish children—who met Him with branches and palms—as a proclamation of the victory of the Resurrection, equating those branches and palms as symbols of the Resurrection.

The Lord's entry into Jerusalem, despite the honors heaped upon Him by the people and disciples, embodied none of the trappings of worldly magnificence. Unlike earthly monarchs who parade with displays of grandeur, there were no weapons, shields, or ostentatious guards; instead, there was only a humble young donkey, signifying vulnerability. This humble approach reflected the words of St. Methodius of Patara, who remarked that the good and faithful Shepherd comes to willingly lay down His life for His sheep, confronting the devil not with overt power but in humble flesh, to confront the strong and liberate the prey of the serpent, who is wise in evil. On this significant day of visitation, Jesus Christ presented Himself to the Jewish people in simplicity, gentleness, and humility—a stark contrast to their earthly aspirations for power. Although this event created a stir among the people, it did not disrupt the typical order of things to such an extent that even His most vehement opponents refrained from accusing Him based on His entrance into the city. The Romans, wary guardians of their authority in Judea, also dismissed the celebration of His entry, viewing it as innocuous and devoid of any implication.

The day following the supper in Bethany, the Savior continued His journey to Jerusalem, approaching the village of Bethphage nearby on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives (Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29). He called two of His disciples, instructing them to go ahead into the village, where they would find a donkey tied up, with a colt that no one had ever ridden. If anyone asked why they were doing this, they were to respond as directed. The Holy Evangelist John notes that the disciples initially did not grasp the significance of the grand event unfolding before them (John 12:16). They knew the prophecies regarding the royal entry of the Savior into Jerusalem but, not yet fully understanding His mission, likely believed that the prophecy would materialize in a different manner. In comforting the suffering people of Israel, the prophet Zechariah prophesied a King who would come bringing peace and salvation, stating, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey’ (Zechariah 9:9). It was only after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension that the disciples recognized these events as being fulfilled in Him (John 12:16), acknowledging their prior misunderstanding of their Master’s words and deeds, thereby carrying out His commission without needless inquiry.