Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Mark chapter 11, Mark 11. I pray that this message comes
out of my mouth as it is in my heart. To my recollection, I've never
spoken on this particular passage of scripture, but I'm very familiar
with it. It's the story about the colt
that the Lord sent two disciples to get and bring to Him. And in this message, I'll just
say that this colt is a beautiful
picture of both Christ and the vessels of God's mercy. It's
a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and His people that He came into
this world to seek and to save. And as we look at and how the
Spirit of God has moved upon Mark to write, I pray that the
message is honoring to the Lord and an encouragement to God's
people. So you'll notice as we go through
this, you'll find pictures of Him, the Lord, and you'll find
pictures of us, God's people, God's sheep. This is an incident that took
place about a week before the Lord was to be crucified and
recorded in three of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and
it's an account that that Matthew, in his account of the gospel,
says that it might be fulfilled which was spoken. This event
of getting this cult was an event that might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the prophet Zechariah. Zechariah 9, 9. Rejoice greatly,
O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem,
behold thy king cometh unto thee, he is just, and having salvation,
lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the fold of
an ass. Now, it was prophesied through
the prophet Zechariah that the Lord would enter into Jerusalem
in the very manner that we're going to behold. He who rules
in heaven and earth, the submissive servant of Jehovah, unto whom
all power has been given over all flesh, that he should give
eternal life to as many as the Father has given him. And these things are surely going
to come to pass in just a few days. Now, like I said, Less
than a week, about a week. And the Lord's going to be crucified.
But in that week before He is taken by wicked hands and crucified
and slain, just a week before He lays down His life for the
sheep, He's going to make a triumphant entry into Jerusalem and it's
going to be openly displayed that he who has been prophesied
to come has come in the way that he comes. But what led up to
that entry into Jerusalem is a marvelous, it's an amazing
display of God's sovereignty and power to move and rule in
the display of Him calling His people, saving His people from
their sin. So let's consider this precious
passage of Scripture, and I pray that the Spirit of God does give
us some understanding. Mark, I'm sorry, chapter 11,
verses 1 and 2. And when they came nigh to Jerusalem,
now He's on His way. He's coming to Jerusalem. When
they came nigh to Jerusalem unto Bethphage, and Bethany at the
Mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith
unto them, go your way into the village over against you, and
as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied,
whereon never man set. Loose him, and bring him." And
here we behold the Lord's omniscience to know He's God. He knows all things. And here
we behold Him that knows that there's going to be a colt tied
at a certain place. It's going to be a colt that's
never been sat on. That's what He said. He said
you're going to find a colt Never man said. Now when I read that,
this message, Pat was prepared this morning. And as I was going
over my notes, that came to the forefront to me. That particular
part that never man said on, recorded in two different gospels. No man ever said on this colt.
And I thought, That wasn't put there for no reason. The Lord
was going to make sure that that was recorded. This is not just
a quote. It's a quote that no man has
ever sat upon. Now, that in itself makes this
quote a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hold your place there. Turn to Numbers 19. Numbers chapter
19. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Numbers 19, I wanna read verses
one to 10. Numbers 19, verse one, and the
Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, this is the ordinance
of the law, which the Lord hath commanded, saying, speak unto
the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer
without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke. And ye shall give her unto Eleazar
the priest, and he may bring her forth without the camp, and
one shall slay her before his face. And Eleazar the priest
shall take of her blood with his finger, sprinkle it of her
blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times,
and one shall burn the heifer in his sight, her skin, her flesh,
her blood with her dung shall he burn. And the priest shall
take cedarwood, hyssop, scarlet, cast it into the midst of the
burning heifer. Then the priest shall wash his
clothes, bathe his flesh in water. Afterward, he shall come into
the camp, and the priest shall be clean until evening. And he
that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, bathe his flesh
in water, shall be unclean until the evening. And a man that is
clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, lay them without
the camp in a clean place. It shall be kept in the congregation
of the children of Israel for a water of separation. It is
a purification for sin. Now, in the Old Testament, there
a heifer was going to be taken. It was going to have to be a
heifer that nobody ever sat on. And this cult, now that significance
goes back to the law. It was a picture of Christ. Nobody ever sat on that colt.
This tied colt is not only though a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ
upon whose no man ever sat, no honor to that colt except the
Lord's honor, but it's a picture also of every vessel of God's
mercy. that is bound in sin and rebellion
before the Lord is pleased to call him out of darkness. So
now you have a colt that represents the Lord Jesus, and you have
a colt that represents the vessels of God's mercy. He's tied over
there. The Lord said, I want you to go, and here's a colt. You're going to find a colt back
in Mark 11. You're going to find a colt tied.
No man ever sat on him. You loose him and you bring him
to me. But how amazingly, we see how the Lord has been pleased
to fetch His own from their spiritual captivity. And He's going to
do it through the merit of the one who also the cult pictures. Here's a picture of Christ and
a picture of His people. And how the Lord has been pleased
to deliver us being found in Him. The unity of these two types
bound together. And how is He going to do it?
Well, the scripture says, when He came not, He sendeth forth
His disciples. What He did was, He sent some
messengers. He sent two men. These men were
His disciples and they were preachers. And they were men that were called
and taught and sent of the Lord to bring the message of the gospel. That's what we're going to behold.
How God saves His own. It's not just a story about them
going to get a little colt and bring it. It's more. It's absolutely the picture of
deliverance. And he told these two in verse
2, he said, I want you to go your way into the village over
against you. And they were directed to go
to the very spot that the Lord would send them. And do we not
know that the Lord orders our steps? They knew exactly where
they were going. He's told us, for as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. He
didn't go say, just go find me a colt. Find me a colt. And get your... No, He said,
I want you to go your way in the village over against you,
and as soon as you be entered into it, you'll find a colt.
This is where you're going to find him. You go get him. So,
as He led these disciples to the accomplishment of His will
and purpose, All of God's sheep, all of their steps are ordered
in the accomplishment of His will. All things work together. Perfect harmony for good to them
that love God. To them who are called according
to His purpose and concerning the certainty of their work. Look at verse 2 again. As soon
as ye be entered into it, You shall find a colt tied. He will be there. Nobody's gonna loose him before
you get there. He will be there. You shall find
him. So the Lord knows. Here, that
colt being a picture of God's people. Vessels of his mercy. He knows where his sheep are. He finds them every time. That little colt right there,
a picture of his people, were given him before the foundation
of the world. He said, I know my sheep. I know them. I know where they
are. He's going to redeem them. Then
the scripture says in verse 3, And if any man say unto you,
Why do ye this? Say ye that the Lord hath need
of him, and straightway He will send him hither." Now, these
disciples, they're not left to their own thoughts or methods
concerning the getting of this little coat. Neither are God's
preachers. left to their own imaginations
and methods about how they're going to be the means by which
God's going to call out His sheep. The Lord, in perfect knowledge
of what these disciples were going to be asked, He knew what
they were going to be asked. And He said to them, He said,
now, if any man asks you, why are you doing this? He said,
this is what I want you to say. This is what you say. The Lord
hath need of him. He didn't tell him to explain
anything. He didn't tell him what was going on. He said, this
is what you say. Specific instruction given just
exactly that would get the job done. Now let me ask you this.
What did the Lord tell his disciples before he ascended back to glory? Mark 16, 15. Go ye into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature. He didn't leave it to our own
imaginations or methods. I might have some thoughts that
might get the job done. I might have to, this is the
methods, this is the ways of the world. They've got programs,
and they've got methods, and they've got this, and they've
got that, and they pack the pews, and they'll They've got something
for the kids and they've got something for the young adults
and they've got something for the old adults. You go into all
the world and you preach the gospel. You preach the message
that declares that God Almighty has before the foundation of
the world chosen a people in Christ. That Christ has come
into this world and lived and died for them and redeemed them. and that the Spirit of God will
surely call them out of darkness. And God's going to save His people.
And He's not going to leave salvation to the impotent will of a man
that can't do anything for himself. He's not going to leave it to
His people to obey the law, for by the deeds of the law shall
no flesh be justified in His sight. You go and preach the
gospel and you tell them what I've done. and you wait on me."
And he said, you go get this colt, and if any man says to
you, why do ye this? Say ye, the Lord hath need. And with his instruction as to
what they were to say, the disciples having The promise of Christ
concerning their success, his will would be done. The Lord
says, you tell them what I tell you to tell them, and straightway
he will send him hither. He will. He will. Do we not have
the promise of the Lord when we preach the gospel? We preach
the gospel to all men. We preach it to men and women.
We tell everybody, come to Christ. Cast yourself upon the mercy
of God. Come to the Lord. Do we not have this? All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. They're coming. They will come. If a man, if
a woman, by the grace of God is brought by the Spirit of God
taking an old stony heart out and giving him a new heart of
flesh, and gives him a new mind, a new will, and he's brought
to say, you know what? Everything I ever trusted on,
trusted in, I trusted in my church membership, I trusted in my free
will, I trusted in walking down an aisle, I trusted in my baptism,
and all of that's dung. That's dung. If a man or a woman
is brought by the grace of God to do this, it's because God
Almighty everlastingly loved him and chose him in Christ.
And He's coming. He will come. So here's this
beautiful picture, type of the Lord and His people. You go get
Him. If you're asked, why are you
doing this? This is what I want you to say. You say exactly what
I tell you to say. They will come. He'll let them
come. So here's this colt. The Lord said, if any man say,
why do you do this? Well, obviously, the colt belonged
to someone. In fact, Luke's account of this
declares, and as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof
said unto him, why loose ye the colt? So this colt belonged to
somebody. They gave the answer that the
Lord had said. And here's that colt. Now again, I want you to consider
this colt also as being a beautiful picture of the Lord's, the Lord
and his obedience to the law of God, the submissive servant.
The law was perfectly obeyed. Now, when they came, that coat
belonged to somebody. Luke's gospel, of course, the
earth is the Lord's. Everything we've got is loaned
to us. But this coat actually, earthly speaking, belonged to
somebody. The owners said to it. And the beautiful picture
of this is how the Lord is set forth, is being the obedient
servant of Jehovah to the law of God. The Lord did not send
his disciples there to just take that colt without the consent
of the owners. He sent forth his disciples and
they were asked, why are you taking the colt? Why are you
loosing the colt? And they expressed the Lord's
need of the colt. The Lord hath need. And these
owners gave their consent. They let him go. What happened
there? The Lord's word. The Lord's word
was with power. The Lord hath need of him. And
the Spirit of God moved on those owners. Take him. The Lord has need of
him. Take him. Jeremiah 23, 29 says, Is not
my word like a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that
breaketh the rock in pieces? Almighty God is able. He subdues. He speaks, and it
is. And when the word of the Lord
is proclaimed and spoken, According to His will and purpose it goes
forth accomplishing that which He wills. The purpose for which
it was sent. It's not going to return unto
Him void. You'd think, you go get this
colt. He's tied, you go get him and
bring him to me. What if we get over there and
they won't let him go? What if we can't do what You go get him,
and they ask you, you say this, and they'll let him go. That's
so liberating to me, I think. That's so wonderful how the Lord
says, and it is. He speaks, and it is. In the beginning, God created
that little harper. Came up to me last Sunday, Fred's
little boy. And he asked me, he said, how
did God make this world? And I thought, well, he just
spoke. And it is. It's just brought
into being. The Lord says you go, you go
get him and he'll let him go. Look at verse 4. And they went
their way and found the coat tied by the door without in a
place where two ways met, and they loosed him. Now, the scripture
says concerning they went their way and found the colt. God's
people are obedient. They're obedient. My sheep hear
my voice, I know them, and they follow me. They went where the
Lord said, they went exactly where the Lord told them that
the coat would be, and there he was, where two ways meet. Now that phrase again intrigued
me. I don't know any other way to
say it. And actually what it means is,
when you look at the definition, it means in a winding and open
space. That's what it actually means.
Two ways met where two roads came together, is what it is,
and it was just like an intersection. That's what it is. It was an
intersection. They found that coat tied and bound in actually
an open street. It's where they found him. Exposed
to the elements. He had no cover, no protection,
no comfort. And the scripture says, and they
loosed him. They found him and they loosed
him. as a picture of God's sheep. Where did the Lord find us? Well, the definition is in that
wide, open, winding place. In an open place. Hold your place
there. Turn to Ezekiel 16. Ezekiel 16. This is where the Lord finds
his sheep. That coat was just out there
tied A place where two ways met, uncovered, really a place of
no protection. Ezekiel 16 verses 1-6, Again
the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, cause
Jerusalem to know her abominations, and say, Thus saith the Lord
God unto Jerusalem, Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land
of Canaan. Thy father was an Amorite, thy
mother a Hittite. As for thy nativity in the day
thou was born, thy navel was not cut, neither was thou washed
in water to supple thee. Thou was not salted at all, nor
swaddled at all. None I pitied thee to do any
of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee. But thou was cast
out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the
day that thou was born. And when I passed by, When I
passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto
thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live. Yea, I said unto thee,
when thou wast in thy blood, live. Now, here's a picture.
Where was that colt tied? He was tied where two ways met,
in an open and winding place. road, place is what it means.
But again, did not our Lord Himself come into this world and associate
Himself with us, His people? Was He not made to be like unto
His brethren, tempted in all points like as we are, yet without
sin? And did He not associate Himself
And was He not tied lovingly, tied in covenant mercy to come
into this place? Here was a little colt that was
tied there in an open place, bound, picture of us, bound in
trespasses and sin. But our Lord tied Himself, bound
Himself according to the good pleasure of Jehovah, covenant
grace, bound Himself. Oh, the comfort! knowing our
unity with Him and our being loosed by His power who bound
Himself to answer for us and rescued us as we're being eternally
being hidden in Him, the city of refuge, the rock Himself,
the haven of rest. And they came back in Mark chapter
11 The scripture says, and certain of them that stood there said
unto them, here they are to get the colt. And it says to them,
what do ye loosing the colt? Now here they're gonna actually
experience the confrontation, as you will. In this world you
will have tribulation. But the victory was sure. Look
at verse six. And they said unto them, even
as Jesus had commanded, And they let them go. They witnessed the
absolute surety of the Lord's Word. And how wonderfully we
behold the grace of God and the calling out of God's sheep, just
as the Lord has promised that they would be brought. But the
amazing thing is that when the colt... Now, here's a colt no
man's ever sat on. No man's ever yoked. never been
ridden. A colt that was unbroken by nature. No man had ever ridden him, sat
on him, a colt that would run the first chance he got. He went
with them. They weren't pulling him like
a goat that would fight against
him, sit down, you'd have to jerk and pull. The scripture
says, when they said as the Lord had commanded them, they let
him go. He went, and the scripture says
in verse 7, they brought the colt to Jesus. They brought it
to the Lord. And here, that colt coming willingly,
You know where I'm going with this. You know what I'm going
to say. Here was that colt that by nature would have fought him. No man ever got on that colt.
Nobody put a rope on him, I mean a yoke on him to make him work. But what a picture of God's people
in the day of God's power made willing to come. Made willing
to love, made willing to obey. And the beauty of this, look
what happens next. Verse 7, they brought the coat
to Jesus and cast their garments on Him. And He sat upon Him. When I read that, I could not
read that without, there's a picture of the submissive servant of
Jehovah. That coat. humility, meekness,
humble himself. I mean, can you imagine? You're
saying, are you saying that you're making an illustration of that
little colt right there? You're making a picture of our
Lord like that? He did back in the Old Testament
in the law. The Lord said, you take the colt
no man ever sat on. And that's going to be the atonement. That's going to be the one that
I'm going to set forth for the sins of the people. Yes. Here's a picture of what he's
going to ride into Jerusalem. Just moments. And this is how
he's going to make his entry. as that colt being a picture,
but also that colt being a picture of us in our association with
Him. Look what did they do? They cast
their garments on Him. What kind of garments do we have
by nature? What kind of righteousness do
we have by nature? Filthy rags? All of our righteousness is filthy,
unclean. Unclean. And what did they do?
They cast their garments on Him. Now, can we read that passage
of Scripture as a picture of us, the needy sinner, and Him
being the sufficient Savior who humbled Himself? And can we not
behold the glory of the Father, having taken and cast our guilt
upon Him? and made Him to be sin for us
who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Him? That cult that by nature would
resist any attempt to be subdued and He bowed to the will of Almighty
God just as the Lord makes His people bowed as He bowed to the
Father's will? What are we like by nature? Psalm
73, 22, here's what David said under the inspiration of God's
Spirit. So foolish was I and ignorant, he said I was a beast
before thee. But when the Lord is pleased
to turn his people, what do they do? They turn. That's what Jeremiah said. He
said, Lord, you turned me and I turned. This little quote comes
in, a picture of the needy sinner to the sufficient Savior who
humbled Himself. And when the Spirit of God comes
in regenerating grace, that little meek now, colt, that little humbled,
willing colt, just go with him, brought him to the Lord. The
Scripture says forth, when God comes in regenerating grace,
There's an evidence of that grace that's been bestowed. Just like
that man who had the legion of devils that was cast out. And
the scripture says, after the Lord cast that legion of devils
out, that man that was cutting himself, you know, running up
and down, you know, no clothes, just, you know, wild, wild man,
you know, set among the tombs and stuff, and after the Lord
met him, people of the village came out,
and this is how they saw him, sitting at the feet of Jesus,
clothed, and in his right mind. Almighty God brings his people
to himself willingly. And after that coat was brought
to the Lord, the garments of his disciples were cast upon
him, verses 8 to 10, and we'll close right here. And it says,
many spread their garments in the way, and others cut down
branches off the trees and strawed them in the way. And they that
went before and they that followed cried saying, Hosanna, blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Blessed be the kingdom
of our father David that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna
in the highest. Oh, what a glorious display. of the submissiveness and humility,
again, of the Lord. Here's the King of Kings. This is the Lord of Lords. According to the Scriptures,
that has said that all the world hated Him. He said, they hated
me for they hated you. But in that moment, right there,
Almighty God moved that these people were going to give honor
to Him. All of them. Now, without a doubt, there's
many right here that just in less than a week, they're going
to be screaming and crying, crucifying, crucifying. But they're going
to give honor unto Him. And they cry forth, and they
cry the glorious praise unto Him. Now, listen to this. In
that 10th verse, it said, blessed be the kingdom of our father
David. He cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. You know what Hosanna means?
Save now. Save now. Oh, that glorious praise unto
Him that's declaring Him to be the Savior. Now whether they
knew what they were saying, I don't know, but I can tell you what
Hosanna means. Lord, save now, or save, oh, save. It's from a Hebrew word that
means safe, free, rescued, preserved, and victorious. And even now,
by faith, God's people. God's people, regenerated by
the grace of God, they cry forth in their heart unto the Lord
of glory that which He is, that which He's done, that which He
shall do for His people. Lord, save me now. Save me. Lord, don't leave me. Lord, You
who humbled Yourself, made Yourself of no reputation, came to this
world, submissive to the will of Your Father, to save a sinner
like me, bound in trespasses and sin. Save me now. For your
glory, my good.