John 12:14,15

“ Jesus, having found a young ass, sat thereon, according as it is written, 15. Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, thy king cometh seated on an ass's colt. ”

The conduct of Jesus is ordered by the nature of things. Since He wishes to-day to accept this homage, He cannot remain mingled with the multitude. On the one hand, He must in some sort put Himself on the scene; but, on the other, He wishes to do it only in the most humble way and in the way most appropriate to the spiritual nature of His royalty. In the ancient times, the ass does not seem to have been in Israel a despised animal; comp. Judges 5:9-10; Judges 10:4; 2 Samuel 17:23. Later, the horse and the mule were preferred to it; comp. Sirach, xxxiii. (xxxvi.) 25 (24). The prophet Zechariah himself indicates the meaning which he here attaches to this symbol, when he says (John 9:9): “ Behold thy king cometh unto thee just, having salvation and humble. ” The young ass represents for him the humility of the Messiah and consequently the peaceful nature of His kingdom: “ I will cut off the chariots of war...and the king shall speak peace unto the nations ” (Zec 9:10).

The two ideas of humility and of peace are closely connected, as, on the other hand, are those of wealth and military power. The expression εὑρών, having found, seems at the first glance incompatible with the narrative of the Synoptics, according to which Jesus sends two of His disciples with the express order to bring Him the young ass. But εὑρών does not signify: having found without seeking; witness the εὕρηκα of Archimedes! This word may be translated by: having procured for Himself, as in the expressions εὑρίσκων δόξαν, κέρδος, βίον, to procure glory, gain, subsistence for oneself (see Passow). Nothing, therefore, can be inferred from this term as to the how of this finding, and it is natural to suppose that John, in this summary expression, sums up the narrative of the Synoptics, which was sufficiently well-known in the Church. He also abridges the quotation of Zechariah; for it concerns him only to establish the general relation between the prophecy and its accomplishment. The expression daughter of Zion designates the population of the city personified. John substitutes: Fear not, for the Rejoice of the prophecy; it is the same sentiment, but somewhat less strongly expressed: “Fear not; a king who comes thus cannot be a tyrant.” If Jesus had never entered into Jerusalem in this way, this prophecy would nevertheless have been realized. His entire ministry in Israel was the fulfillment of it. But, by realizing to the very letter the figure employed by the prophet, Jesus desired to render more sensible the spiritual and true accomplishment of the prophecy. Everything, however, occurred so simply, so naturally, that, at the moment, the disciples did not think of the prophecy and did not grasp its relation to that which had just taken place.