Jesus was within a week of the end of His life. The King of Heaven was coming to the heart of the worshipping community in Jerusalem to face a hostile welcome and be rejected as an imposter (John 1:10-11). Jesus was not heading for a military confrontation though, but simply demonstrating what had already been prophesied in Zechariah 9:9. He was the King but instead of a fine horse, He chose an unbroken donkey.
 
The disciples were sent off to find it. Of course, Jesus knew exactly where it was, and that it would accept His weight without complaint. Jesus anticipated the owner's protest at the apparent theft and told the disciples what to say. Nothing was left to chance. Jesus was about to fulfil prophecy, not because it was a slavish religious duty but because the Holy Spirit had told the prophet, hundreds of years in advance, exactly what Jesus would do.
 
This action showed His character as He went to the cross: humble and gentle, so that not even the animal felt any distress. But what if the disciples had refused to bring the donkey or its owner refused? In that case, the message of the character of Jesus (the same character that the church was to wear) would not have been remembered by the trainee apostles or transmitted to the church. But it was! (Philippians 2:1-11).
 
Mary, the mother of Jesus, said at the wedding feast at Cana, "Do whatever He tells you." (John 2:5). We may not understand why He asks us to do things which apparently make no sense to us; but that is not a reason to refuse to obey. He has the plan and He knows how it all fits together, and where we fit into it. All He asks of us is to do the next thing He tells us. That is the challenge for today and this week (and the whole of the rest of life)! If you know what He has said, and see how He is guiding - do it! It is as simple as that. We are responsible for doing what we are told; He is responsible for fitting it all into His plan. We cannot do His job and He will not do our job for us. So, just do it!