John 5:1-16
Gospel according to John 5:1-16
When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it in. If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.” They went away and found a colt tied near the door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” The disciples told them what Jesus had said, and they allowed them to take it. Then, they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Reflections
Jesus and his disciples arrived at the outskirts of Jerusalem. Many were speculating if he would come to the Passover festivities, as it was his custom, because the Pharisees and the chief priests were plotting to find a way to harm him. Others were curious to see him. Still others believed that he was the chosen Messiah who would restore the glory of Israel, reign from the House of David and free them from Roman oppression.
The fame of Jesus spread far, and different people had different expectations about what he would do next. People welcomed him according to their expectations: The Pharisees remained in the background, observing the unfolding events, and plotting their next move. The poor people were excited to greet Jesus as their savior and deliverer. A handful of the disciples who accompanied him were aware that he predicted his suffering and death. None of them fully understood the plan of God.
The disciples followed Jesus because they trusted His word, and the word of the Father, according to which Jesus will be triumphant at the end. They left everything and were ready to assist Him in every way possible. Only one of them, Judas Iscariot, let himself be influenced by the sinister plan of the Pharisees to deliver Jesus to them. But this hour has not come yet. The triumphant entry into Jerusalem preceded the evil conspiracy to put Jesus to death.
Jesus, fully aware of the various sentiments, yet fully focused on his mission, instructed his disciples to go into a village on the outskirts of the city. There, they would find a young donkey, a colt, that was never ridden on. The donkey that was “never ridden on” was chosen to symbolize Jesus’s mission in two ways: (1) that it was pure and untouched, just like the young donkey that was not used for any work yet; and (2) that it was to carry or usher in a new reality, just like the donkey went from being previously unknown and unused to assuming the center role of carrying Jesus.
The first time we saw Jesus being carried by a donkey was during the Holy night before he was born. The last time he is carried on the back of a donkey is during Holy Week, before Passover, where he is nearing the full accomplishment of his ministry. Victorious kings rode into cities on their battle horses. Instead, the donkey carries Jesus as the Paschal Sacrifice, the Lamb of God, and the Prince of Peace. In the Old Testament, Zechariah 9:9 prophesied that the Messiah would ride a humble donkey: “Lo, your King comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem riding a lowly colt, the symbol of service, humility, suffering and peace.
Jesus asked for a donkey, and not a horse, because his kingship did not originate in conquering with power and might. His power came from God, a much higher authority than any army. He did not need a large display of strength to prove who he was, for his strength was in his humility. --The Son of God came to serve rather than to be served. Here was something about the lowly donkey that connected Jesus with the everyday lives of the people. The Messiah rode on a simple animal, lived, and walked among His people, and became just like one of them, except for sin. Right away, Jesus won the hearts of the people. They were drawn to this difference of choosing to enter in a humble and inconspicuous way, riding, being carried from the countryside into the heart of the city, symbolically, from being on the fringes to the very center of their structure and fabric of life.
The moment that Jesus sat on the donkey, all eyes centered on him. Instead of watching from a distance, or running to seek shelter out of his way, the simple people and the children ran to the trees to pluck branches with leaves which they laid down in his path. Some even offered their cloaks to pave his way. Surrounded by attention and adoration, Jesus made his way toward the center of the city to be declared a new king. The people spontaneously ran in front, alongside, and behind him, and shouted to make way, recognizing Jesus as the “prophet from Nazareth, Galilee'' (Matthew 21:11), revered for his goodness and greatness. They cried out with joy: “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Unlike “Hallelujah,” which is an expression that carries pure joy and praise to God, “Hosanna” is a way of praising God and crying for divine help. (1) It originates from Psalm 118:25, translated as “save us, we beseech you, O Lord!” This expression signifies that the public put their entire hope and trust in Jesus. They recognized him as King and Lord, and they beseeched him to deliver them.
This point in the Gospel Reading represents the fulfillment of Jesus’ ministry on Earth. What the crowd fails to understand is that in obedience to the will of the Father, the way to redemption is through the cross. Jesus is indeed worthy of praise and thanksgiving, for he is set to seal a new alliance between heaven and earth. He is on his way of conquering the last and greatest enemy: sin and death.
Indeed, the ways of God are higher than the reasons people understand. In this higher dimension, it is possible to reconcile that suffering and death are the source of a new life. Jesus, who goes on, and leads the way from the center of the city to the Mount of Olives, the center again, followed by the Calvary and Golgotha, through the darkest hours, illuminates the nature of the cross, the sign of the new covenant. --From the dreadful, springs new life. From the pain arises a new dawn. As the Psalmist expressed, “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.” As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him…the steadfast Love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments” (Psalm 103: 11-18). –The Lord’s love triumphs over all evil and for eternity.
Reflecting on the universality of suffering as part of the human experience, Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist, and survivor of the concentration camps, stated that “If there is meaning to life, it is unconditional meaning, and neither suffering nor death can detract from its meaningfulness” (Viktor Frankl’s Avenues to Meaning. Havenga Coetzer, 2003; p. 93). He was referring to meaning in the context of Ultimate Meaning, from which perspective even the way we carry our cross can remain something of lasting value.
Psalm 34:18 assures us that “The Lord is near the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Isaiah confirms, “Surely, he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted for him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Therefore, it is right to cry out: – “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and Earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” (3)
Sources:
Palmer, P. (2023). What Does “Hosanna in the Highest” Mean? Bible Study Tools. www.biblestudytools.com
Havenga-Coetzer, P. (2003). Viktor Frankl’s Avenues to Meaning. A Compendium of Concepts, Phrases & terms in Logotherapy. Johannesburg, South Africa. Print 24.com Page 93.
Mongeau, G. (2024, Ed.) Liturgy of the Word. Living with Christ. Vol. 30(3:16). NOVALIS, Canada.