ANDREW THE FIRST DISCIPLE
33 AD – Enter the King – Jericho Road, Judea

It was a celebratory day. As soon as they went through the gates of Bethany, they were surrounded by a crowd of pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the annual Passover Feast. The people were singing a Psalm.

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
[Psalm 95:1-7]

Andrew recognized it as one of the psalms of Moses traditionally sung by pilgrims.

When many recognized Jesus they began clapping their hands and calling out praise. About a mile from the city, Jesus halted his approach. The people were wondering why he stopped. Some surmised that maybe he may not enter the city after all because they knew the leadership wanted him arrested.

Jesus called Andrew to him.

“Andrew, take a companion and go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” [Matthew 21:2-3]

So, Andrew and Philip went down a track just off the main road. They followed the narrow winding foot path through a grove of olive trees until they came upon a small walled-in village. They spotted the donkey and it’s frolicking colt tied to a tree just outside a shack.

With no hesitation, Andrew started to untie the donkey. He noticed that Philip was fidgeting.

“What is bothering you, Philip?”

“Well… when I saw this donkey and it’s foal, something jumped to mind but I cannot recall exactly what. This is going to drive me crazy.”

“Stop!” called a man who came from behind the shack. “Why are you untying my animals?”

“The Lord needs them,” Andrew said.

The man was about to say something but paused with his mouth still open. Then, he nodded his assent and followed them back to the main road where Jesus waited patiently.

Andrew anticipated what Jesus intended. He unrolled the cloth material that was slung over his shoulder and wrapped around his waist which he usually utilized it as a blanket or veil to protect him from the sun. He then spread it on the back of the donkey. Peter and James also placed their robes on the animal and helped Jesus to get on. They then took the reigns and led the donkey back on the road. The people roared in approval. The men in the crowd took their own robes off and laid them on the road while the women and children tore fronds of palm branches off and waved them at him as he rode by. They called out to him and called him king.

Andrew felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Philip saying excitedly, “Andrew, I now know what this all means. It is prophecy coming to life. I remember now the Scripture that was quoted to be by my Rabbi when I was a boy. It is from the words of Zecharia the prophet. ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” [Zecharia 9:9]

Andrew’s mind raced with the thought that Jesus will, this day, usher in his kingdom and claim kingship. He felt elated, yet still a little apprehensive, but he wasn’t sure why.

It was not long until they crested a ridge and looked upon the city of Jerusalem. Just below was the Kidron Valley where there was a massive encampment. Then they were greeted with an uproar of thousands of voice.

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