“Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
Luke 19:30
Something amazing happens when we place ordinary things in the hands of the One who deserves our "Hosanna." The word "Hosanna" means "save now" or "save, we pray." It's what the crowds shouted as Jesus entered Jerusalem on a borrowed colt. Think about that animal for a moment. Before Jesus requested it, it was just one young donkey among thousands in Judea. Nothing special. But when placed in service of the Savior, this ordinary animal carried the King who came to save us all.
The colt's transformation from ordinary to sacred happened in one simple moment of release. Can you picture it? The disciples untied the rope, and the owner stood nearby, perhaps watching curiously as his animal was led away. "The Lord needs it" was enough explanation for them. There's something beautiful in that simplicity. There were no complications. Just a willing heart that trusted Jesus with something valuable. I need that kind of quick-to-release faith in my own life.
When something leaves our hands and enters the "Hosanna's" hands, it joins a story much bigger than ourselves. That colt didn't just give Jesus a ride. It became part of an ancient prophecy fulfilled. Zechariah had written centuries earlier that the Messiah would come "gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." The owner couldn't have known their animal had been written about in Scripture! Yet, by releasing what Jesus asked for, they became part of God's unfolding salvation story that had been planned for generations.
Things placed in Jesus' hands don't just get used – they get transformed into vehicles of worship. As that humble colt carried Jesus down the road, people laid their cloaks before it. They waved palm branches. They shouted, "Hosanna!" The once-ordinary animal now walked on a carpet of praise. This happens with everything we surrender to Jesus. Our voices become instruments of worship. Our homes become places of ministry. Our skills become tools for kingdom-building. Nothing stays ordinary when placed in the hands of the Hosanna.
Jesus could have commanded the colt to appear, but He asked for someone's willing gift instead. This teaches me something profound about how God works. He doesn't need our things – He could create whatever He needs instantly. Yet He invites us into His work by asking for what we have. It is an invitation to be part of something eternal. What an honor! But do we say "YES" when asked?
The colt that carried the Savior reminds us that value isn't determined by what something is but by who uses it. In the world's eyes, a young donkey was nothing impressive. It wasn't a majestic war horse or royal chariot. Yet Jesus chose it specifically. This challenges how I see my gifts and resources. Maybe you've thought, "My talent isn't spectacular enough" or "My home isn't fancy enough to host a Bible study." But Jesus isn't looking for impressive – He's looking for available. He elevates the ordinary when we place it in His hands.
Behind every "Hosanna" that day was an unnoticed person's quiet "yes" that made the celebration possible. While crowds were praising Jesus, I wondered if the colt's owner was in that throng, watching in amazement as their animal carried the Messiah. No one in the crowd knew to thank them. No spotlight highlighted their contribution. Yet without their willingness to release what Jesus requested, Palm Sunday as we know it couldn't have happened. The most extraordinary kingdom work often starts with a simple, unnoticed "yes."
The things we release to Jesus often carry Him to places and people who need Him most. That colt carried Jesus right into Jerusalem – the center of religious and political power, where His message must be heard most clearly. When we surrender our resources to Jesus, they often become how He enters challenging situations and difficult hearts. The car you lend to a ministry might carry volunteers to serve a struggling community. The home you open might welcome the exact neighbor who needs to experience God's love. That small act of nothingness to the world became the most valuable thing that the family needed to give God praise for.
What we place in Jesus' hands is never diminished—it's multiplied in purpose and impact. Did the owner get their colt back? Scripture doesn't say. But it doesn't remove the fact that it is never the same. When we surrender things to Jesus, we don't ultimately lose them. Their purpose expands, their meaning deepens, and their impact multiplies. A simple and quiet "YES" to God is still a YES! And this YES reverberates in eternity.
Godseekers, Jesus is still looking for ordinary things He can transform when placed in His hands. Right now, there might be something in your life that Jesus is pointing to, saying, "The Lord needs it." It might seem ordinary to you – your time, a skill, a possession, a relationship. But when placed in the hands of the One we praise with "Hosanna," nothing remains ordinary. Everything gets caught up in His greater purpose. The question isn't if you have something valuable enough – it's whether you're willing to give it up when Jesus asks. Your next act of surrender might become someone else's Palm Sunday miracle.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, the One truly worthy of our "Hosannas," thank You for showing me how You can transform ordinary things when placed in Your hands. Give me the simple faith of the colt's owner who released what You requested without hesitation. Help me see everything I have as potential vehicles for carrying Your presence to a world that needs You. When You say, "The Lord needs it," may my immediate response be open hands and a willing heart. Transform whatever I surrender into something that helps others see You clearly and worship You fully. In Your precious name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
- What ordinary possession, talent, or resource in my life might Jesus be asking me to place in His hands right now?
- How have I seen Jesus transform something ordinary I surrendered into something sacred that helped others worship Him?
Step of Faith
Today, I will identify one specific thing I sense Jesus asking for and "untie" it completely, releasing it for His purposes with the simple trust that in His hands, the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
