The Donkey Jesus Rode

A story is told of a donkey born long ago in the province of Galilee. He was born on a farm with much rocky soil. One night a neighbor who had been ordered to travel several days distance in order to pay his taxes came to this farm. He wished to take his wife, who was near delivery of her child and would find it hard to walk, with him on this journey. The poor farmer lent the donkey to Joseph and his wife Mary for their well-known journey to Bethlehem.

The Donkey Farmer from our production of
The Case of the Missing Body

Soon after this journey to Bethlehem, the donkey carried the baby and his mother on another journey to a foreign land to escape the anger of Judea’s cruel king. This child, more than any other, was special to the donkey, who following this time would live a hard life.

The Donkey watched as Jesus was born

The donkey was sold to a caravan, and for years carried loads on journeys to far away places. When her feet gave out and she could not travel as far, she was sold to a farmer near a town she remembered as the birthplace of that special child. The donkey worked for the farmer plowing his fields and carrying his loads to the market … even to the market in the populous city of Jerusalem.

A Donkey Caravan in the Desert

One day in the market with a foal of her own, the donkey heard a voice, and remembered the baby she had met so long ago. She was led to this person, now a man who stooped and petted her mane. He said, “Never fear, little donkey, you have helped me once and you will help me again as we travel this road like a king.”

The Jerusalem Marketplace from our Drama

The road they traveled led to the city gates, where a crowd had gathered to sing praise to God. Palm branches and cloth cushioned the feet of the donkey, who thought her heart would burst with joy.

An old photo of the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem

A week went by, and the farmer’s work was done. He packed his boxes and a remaining load on the back of this donkey that had been so loyal and true. As they left the town, a sinister crowd formed and grew in number. They were jeering and hissing at three criminals, all bearing their own crosses on which they would be crucified for their crimes against God and man, so the world would be a better place to live.

Roman Soldiers at the Cross

But one of the three did not fit the scene. His face was serene and pure. The donkey knew the man because of His purity. This was the baby she had carried into Egypt. And this was the man whom but a week before had ridden this donkey into Jerusalem amid a joyful crowd. But this day was so dark. The donkey knew she couldn’t help him on this day, for his load was to be borne alone. But a shadow fell on the back of the donkey that day; the shadow of the cross which this man carried. And the shadow stuck and will be seen today on all donkeys you see (and those you don’t) – to remember the life of this well-known man who carried the greatest load of all time.

The Audience meets Jesus in
The Case of the Missing body

The man with the cross is Jesus Christ, who came to forgive all our sins. He bore the load for all who accept and receive Him as Savior and Lord.

The Case of the Missing Body is a great read for Easter

This story is an excerpt from the book The Case of the Missing Body: A Walk-Thru Drama for Easter. The book contains an Easter drama, and much more. There is Biblical information about each person in the scenes of this play (including the Donkey) and there are stories to help the cast get into character (like the one in this blog). Well worth the one dollar cost on Amazon.com

These books are available at Amazon.com

I have produced several other books with stories from Bible times including Israel: Stories for Your Journey (more than 250 stories written to help tourists understand Israel, but interesting reading for anyone); Spring: Connecting With God (a book about how Passover has been celebrated through the years. The chapter on Jesus contains stories from four of the Passovers he observed as written about in the Gospels); A Christian Passover in the Jewish Tradition (a home Passover observance with a full explanation of each part and leader instructions); Advent Journeys (What Joseph, Zacharias, the Shepherds, the Magi and the Maccabees would have blogged during their journeys to Bethlehem and beyond). If you enjoy stories you can read these books on Amazon Prime for free or purchase them on Kindle or in print.