Di King Wey Ride Donkey

Hosanna! Di shout dey roll down di hillside like wave. Cloth dey fly land for road. Branches dey wave for air. And for di middle of everything, one man dey ride slowly on top of donkey.

Na around March or April, and di Passover festival don near. Every road wey enter Jerusalem busy with pilgrims, whole families dey waka come from di villages to celebrate how God set im people free from Egypt long time ago. Jesus and im disciples don dey waka too, all di way from Galilee, through Jericho, and up di long climb wey go di city. Now dem reach di small village of Bethphage, for di Mount of Olives. From here, Jerusalem dey just across di valley, im temple dey shine for sun.

Jesus stop and send two of im disciples go front. Go di village wey dey your front. Immediately you go see one donkey wey dem tie, and im small one dey with am. Loose dem and bring dem come meet me. If anybody ask wetin una dey do, just talk say, Di Lord need dem, and e go send dem immediately. Di two disciples go. And everything be exactly as Jesus talk. Dem bring di donkey and di small one, throw dem cloth on top of dem, and Jesus sit down on top.

Matthew want make we notice something. Hundreds of years before, di prophet Zechariah don write about dis moment. Tell di daughter of Zion, Look, your king dey come meet you, e gentle, e ride donkey, di small one, di pikin of donkey. Kings dey usually ride enter city on top of big war horse, with soldiers dey march for dem back. No be dis king. Jesus come with humility, on top of ordinary animal wey dey work. E be king, but king of peace.

And joy burst for di crowd. One very big crowd spread dem cloth for road for im front, like carpet for king. Others cut branches from di trees and lay dem down. Di Gospel of John tell us say some na palm branches. People dey waka for im front and dey follow for im back, and all of dem dey shout. Hosanna to di Son of David! Blessed is di One wey dey come for di name of di Lord! Hosanna for di highest place! Di donkey legs dey knock knock on top of di cloth and di leaves, down di hill and go di city gate.

When Jesus enter Jerusalem, di whole city shake. Matthew use one word wey mean shake, like say earthquake happen. People dey bend comot for doors, dey push through di streets. Everybody dey ask, Who be dis? And di crowds answer, Dis na di prophet Jesus, from Nazareth for Galilee. Dem correct small, but no be di whole matter. For few days, dis same city go see who Jesus really be, for one way wey none of dem expect.

Di words of di crowd no be wetin dem just form for there. Dem come from Psalm 118: Save us now, we beg you, O Lord. Blessed is di One wey dey come for di name of di Lord. Hosanna come from di Hebrew wey mean, abeg save us. Psalm 118 na di last for one group of psalms, 113 to 118, wey dem dey call di Hallel, wey mean praise. Di Mishnah, one collection of Jewish teaching wey dem write down around di year two hundred, describe how dem dey sing di Hallel for Passover. So dese pilgrims dey sing dem festival songs, and dem dey turn dem to Jesus.

Di King wey ride donkey. You go find am for Matthew chapter twenty-one, verse one to eleven. Di whole city ask, Who be dis? E still be di most important question wey anybody fit ask. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who you talk say Jesus be?