I have thought it worth while, to stop the reader in this place, in order to make an observation or two on the condescension of the Lord Jesus, respecting his use of this animal, in the unequalled humility of our Lord's character. We read (Matthew 21:2, etc.) that the Lord Jesus, to fulfil the prophecy of one of his servants the prophets, made his entry into Jerusalem on an ass. But there seems to be a general mistake in respect to the humbleness of Christ, in what it consisted. Not, I apprehend, in riding on the ass, but in the person of the rider. White asses were among very noble animals in the estimation of the people of the East. Witness? what Deborah said of them in her song of triumph, (Judges 5:10) "Speak ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment." (Judges 12:14) And Jacob, in his prophecy concerning Judah evidently had an eye to Christ: "Binding his foal" (said Jacob) "unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes." (Genesis 49:11) The humbleness of Christ, on this occasion, was the meekness and lowliness of his person, not from the noble beast he rode on.
But I will beg to detain the reader with another thought upon the subject, which hath not, as far as I have ever read or heard, been noticed; and yet may be after all, for aught I know, the chief circumstance for which the prophet predicted, and Jesus fulfilled, the prophecy. (Zechariah 9:9) The ass, though a noble animal, was deemed by the Levitical law, unclean, for it chewed not the cud. (Leviticus 11:26) And the same law declared, that whosoever touched such, should be deemed unclean. It was on this beast the Lord Jesus was pleased to make his entrance into Jerusalem. And was it not meant [I do not decide the point, but merely ask the question] to shew, that he came to take away the defilements and uncleanness of his people? If Christ became both a sin and a curse for his people, (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13) might there not be somewhat significant and typical in thus riding upon a beast deemed by the law unclean? I leave the reader to his own determination on the point, under the grace of God.