A Mission to Liberate Specialized Transport

David W Palmer

Jesus’s next supervised mission for two of his trainee leaders is particularly enthralling. We note that in this assignment, they now needed no correction or further training from him in this area; they had finally learned how to work along side Jesus—humbly obeying even his seemingly illogical instructions. This was perfect timing; their graduation was at hand, as this was the beginning of Jesus’s final week of ministry before his arrest and crucifixion. After that, he would take on a different role in their lives.

(Matthew 21:1–3, 6 NKJV) Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, {2} saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. {3} And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” ... {6} So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.

Jesus revealed his assignment to his apprentices; he showed them exactly what to do, and word-for-word what to say. This is the key to this, and to all his other, supervised assignments; do what they did: they went and “did as Jesus commanded them,” and it all worked out perfectly. We don’t see Jesus needing to correct them after this assessment task; they fulfilled it correctly. In truth, their obedience allowed Jesus to accomplish his mission for that day without delay, diversion, temporary change of focus, or even the slightest hitch. It resulted in a citywide move of God: “all the city was moved” (Mat. 21:10 NKJV). This is the type of result our implicit and prompt obedience can precipitate.

We have many lessons to learn as we walk with Jesus through this particular day in his life. First, what he did that day by entering Jerusalem riding on the colt was a fulfillment of ancient prophecy:

(Matthew 21:4–5 NKJV) All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: {5} “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

Jesus must have known that this prophetic word from Zechariah 9:9 was about him. Therefore, he was aware that his entry to Jerusalem wasn’t to be on a warhorse, but on a donkey. From this passage, he could also see that he needed to enter as a King, and that he should do it riding a donkey’s colt. Accordingly, he needed a colt to fulfill his God-given assignment.

This is like any one of us needing transport to go on a mission, or to complete the assignment God is giving us. Maybe you need a car, a flight, some accommodation, or simply a bus fare. No matter what mode of transport we need for completing God’s instruction for us, Jesus demonstrates the way God’s provision comes.

From his own study and meditation on Zechariah’s prophecy—possibly for much of his preparatory life—he must have received a very clear revelation from the Holy Spirit of how to obtain his “ride.” We note here that he didn’t pay for it, negotiate for it, beg for it, or manipulate anyone into giving it to him. He received revelation and spoke it. Yes, that bears repeating: Jesus didn’t work for the donkey or pay for it; he simply received revelation from his Father in heaven, and spoke it audibly to his willing servants: “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

What Scripture has God given you? What prophetic word from the Bible is calling you to your next assignment, mission, or purpose? From Jesus’s example, we see that we can obtain our transportation by simply meditating on that passage until we receive specific revelation from heaven. Revelation like this is the “keys of the kingdom” in operation, it is the “rock” upon which Jesus builds his church, and it imparts the Blessing:

(Matthew 16:17–19 NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. {18} And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. {19} And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

In what he said here, Jesus used the word, “revealed”—meaning revelation from Father in heaven. He used it in the context of building his church, the keys of the kingdom, and the Blessing. This is how the Master operated; he only did what he saw and only said what he heard with his father (See: John 5:19–20, 30, etc.). He acted on, imitated, spoke, and believed only what he received by revelation from heaven.

Because Jesus only did and said what he heard and saw with his Father, it is obvious that what he said to his disciples about getting the donkey came to him by revelation from heaven. He spoke it as he heard it, describing exactly what he saw. Thankfully, his disciples carried it out to the letter. Let’s look at the outcome:

(Matthew 21:6–10 NKJV) So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. {7} They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. {8} And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. {9} Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” {10} And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

Think about this: two disciples received a supernaturally revealed instruction from Jesus. They obeyed it implicitly. Jesus and the Holy Spirit did the rest, and a citywide move of God ensued.

Our part is not at all complex, but it does require humility and faith—possibly great faith. However, before we step out in obedience to the illogical counter-cultural instructions we have heard whispered into our inner man, we can become perturbed by the possibility that what we have heard and seen in our spirit didn’t really come from God. And of course, the devil amplifies this possibility with unrelenting doubt and accusations—all aimed at stopping God’s word from prevailing against his usurped kingdom rule. The enemy always poses the question: “Indeed, has God said?” or, “Did God really say that?” The enemy implies that we didn’t hear from God at all. He adds, “Besides, even if you did hear from God, your weaknesses, your sins, and your inability to hear properly, along with your fear, disqualify you.”

Our only remedy for this is to walk in the spirit—that is, to walk in close, worshipful, surrendered relationship with God, continually. In other words, we need to live permanently in the secret place with Father, abide in Jesus and his word, and love the Holy Spirit and his prompts. This way, deep in our hearts, we can be imminently aware of the Good Shepherd’s voice, and the inner images he impresses on our spirits.

Today, can I encourage you to be a fully dependent, surrendered son or daughter who serves Father’s vision—wanting only God’s will, and ready to allow him to use you to fulfill it?

By meditating on his promise to you in his secret place, you may receive specific instructions about your call: how to go about it, and from where you can obtain the transport, accommodation, and any other resource you need to fulfill it. That is, provided you follow his instructions to the letter, despite how illogical and anti-cultural they may seem.

On the other hand, you may be the “colt” that Jesus needs for what he is destined to do in your city. Maybe he wants to ride on your life, and stir up a citywide move of God (while he is in full manifestation on you.) Then, (without wanting to make it sound like he’s with you one minute and not the next) when he is finished using you in that way, you can return to normal [donkey] type duties: picking people up, dropping them off, carrying other people’s burdens, all while being tethered to a local house (church).