THE CALLING OF THE COLT

By Rune B. Hansen

​”...and He said to them, ‘Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it’” (Mark 11:2; NKJV).

In the gospel of Mark chapter 11 verse 1, we read that Jesus came to Bethphage and Bethania at the mount of Olives, together with His disciples. From there He sends out two disciples to loosen a colt, the foal of a donkey.

After this has happened, He makes His entry into Jerusalem on this said colt. (A side note: it’s interesting to note that on the previous day, Jesus has just cursed a fig tree that had not produced ripe fruits yet. Bethphage, the village that is mentioned in Mark 11:1, does indeed seem to mean “the house of unripe figs”).

Now about the colt. The interesting thing about this colt was that it was tied up, and that no man had sat upon it yet. Yet the Lord had said: Loose it. After having been loosened, it was used to carry the Lord to His “exit” in Jerusalem, where a few days later, He was crucified.

I suppose that there are many ‘colts’ among believers today. Many might feel tied up, and only desire to step into the ministry the Lord has for them. At the decided point in time, the Lord chose to have the colt released of its ropes and brought to Him. He had a special assignment in mind for it, and now it was the designated time.

The colt might not have had much experience, but that did not matter so much to the Lord. He had a plan. And the colt’s assignment was neither small nor unimportant. It also had its share in pointing to Him as the Son of David, the lowly King that comes to His people (see Zechariah 9:9).

As they rode into the city of Jerusalem, all focus was on the Lord – and rightly so. The colt was not the focal point of praise, but rather, Him who sat upon it. The experience must have been rewarding for the colt, too, though.  A King was ‘lifted up,’ and the colt had become the vehicle of the King of Kings.
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Many people then took branches of palm trees to celebrate His coming, and shouts of joy and praise were heard all around, both “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (John 12:13; NKJV).
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The Lord also wishes to loosen us from all things that bind. He wants to bring us close to Him, and to use us in ways that honor Him, regardless of our experience. That lift Him up, and welcomes Him in, as we do so together with many disciples.