Jesus Prepares For His Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem (21:1-7).
An essential part of any coronation among the Jews was an ass on which the King would ride to the crowning ceremony. This tradition commenced when Solomon rode to the River Gihon on the king's mule to be crowned in opposition to Adonijah (1 Kings 1:33; 1 Kings 1:38), for the mule was the regular royal means of transport (2 Samuel 13:29), and to the Jews was seen as a noble creature. Later it became the sign by which the coming King would be identified as he entered Jerusalem in lowliness, on an asses colt, presumably in the process of approaching the Temple where he would be presented before God (Zechariah 9:9).
The initial impression given here (and in Mark and Luke) is that Jesus' entry follows immediately on His ascent from Jericho, but, as with all Matthew's abbreviated narratives, such connections must be treated as rough links, and not be too literally applied, and the same is true of Mark and Luke. Thus all that is being said here is that at some stage after the ascent from Jericho Jesus prepared to enter Jerusalem for a special purpose, having first spent time in Bethphage and Bethany (on the borders of Jerusalem) where He and His disciples had a lodging, a purpose for which He needed an ass. We learn in John's Gospel that this in fact took place after the raising of Lazarus (John 12:17), an event which was probably His first action on reaching Bethany (John 11:1; John 11:18). Thus it may well have been in anticipation of the people's reaction to this, combined with the fact of the already gathering sightseers around Bethphage and Bethany attracted by the rumours of what had happened, that Jesus took the opportunity of preparing for His entry on an ass. He would thus be entering as a recognised giver of life and at a moment of high expectation.
Many a time the prophets in the past, wanting to get over an important message to the people, had acted out a drama for them which made them ask themselves, why is he doing this? John had done it with his baptism which had depicted the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Now Jesus would do it by a triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Analysis.
a And when they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, to the mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “You go into the village that is just by you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her. Loose them, and bring them to me” (Matthew 21:1-2).
b “And if any one says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them', and immediately he will send them” (Matthew 21:3).
c Now this is come about, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,'
“Tell you the daughter of Zion,
Behold, your King comes to you,
Meek, and riding on an ass,
And on a colt the foal of an ass.” (Matthew 21:4-5)
b And the disciples went, and did even as Jesus appointed them (Matthew 21:6).
a And they brought the ass, and the colt, and spread their robes on them on them, and he sat on them (Matthew 21:7).
Note than in ‘a' they are to bring an ass and colt, and in the parallel they bring an ass and colt. In ‘b' they were to go and use a password, and in the parallel they went and did as Jesus had appointed them. Central in ‘c' is the Scripture that this was fulfilling.