“Jesus rode a donkey to show he was humble and wanted something simple. Many people remembered his miracles, so they put their cloaks and palm branches to honor him and they shouted 'Hosanna! ' ” says Sofia, 8.
Jesus then rode the donkey into Jerusalem, with the three synoptic gospels stating that the disciples had first put their cloaks on it. Matthew 21:7 maintains that the disciples laid their cloaks on both the donkey and its colt.
In the New Testament (Mark 11:1–11) it is told that as Jesus approached the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples to a nearby village to fetch him a donkey, or exactly an Onager or wild donkey. Upon their return, Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem, where he was met by cheering crowds.
By identifying Jesus as both “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and “the Lamb who was slain,” Revelation directs our attention back to earlier scripture and establishes his identity firmly in the Old Testament prophecies.
Why is Jesus called Lion of the tribe of Judah? Jesus is often referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah by those that follow the Christian religion because it is believed that he is a great leader and he will come back a second time to gather his followers.
The Christ-lion, the Lion of Judah, is a beacon of light, courage, bravery, agility and dignity. And he is a fighter, symbolic of the line of David and of Kings. Jesus descended from the tribe of Judah and is mentioned as being the Lion of Judah in Revelation. The role of the Lion of Judah links to the destiny of man.
"Say to the Daughter of Zion, `See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. '"
Donkeys (or asses) are mentioned many times in the Bible, beginning in the first book and continuing through both Old and New Testaments, so they became part of Judeo-Christian tradition.
Hired to curse Israel, Balaam's journey is thwarted by God's angel who can be seen first only by Balaam's donkey. The donkey is given speech to awaken BalaamA soothsayer who blessed Israel at the end of the wilderness wanderings.
The accounts are recorded in Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, and John 1 (Matthew 3:16 (Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32)) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.
Having dealt with Christ's adult life and death in his first two books, the pope tackles the birth of the son of God and puts paid to some myths surrounding the newly born Jesus's spell in a stable with Mary and Joseph. "In the gospels there is no mention of animals," the pope states.
Most Western representations of Jesus' birth show donkeys, oxen, cows, and sheep watching over the Holy Family and occasionally, a camel or two arriving with the Three Kings.
This past weekend, a team of researchers in Jerusalem announced the unearthing of archeological evidence which complicated Pope Francis' recent statement that having pets instead of children is “selfish”. The discovery, the remains of Jesus' rumored pet, a rose-ringed parakeet, throw the Pope's comments into question.
In Revelation 4:6–8, four living beings (Greek: ζῷον, zōion) are seen in John's vision. These appear as a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, much as in Ezekiel but in a different order.
The cow, a revered animal in Hinduism
In the Hindu religion, the cow has acquired a sacred status. It used to be sacrificed like other animals and offered to the gods and its meat was eaten.
“Solomon rode on a mule (1Ki 1:38) because his father David told Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah to “cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule” (v 33).
The story of Lokael: The Donkey Who Carried Jesus is also the story of Jesus, His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His fulfilling of scripture, and His resurrection - told through the eyes of Loshem, a lowly donkey, and her colt, Katen – whom later Jesus names Lokael.
— Exodus 13:13
According to Jewish law, the donkey was an unclean animal. Through Moses, God said that if an owner wanted to keep and use his firstborn donkey, he would need to redeem it. He would need to sacrifice a lamb rather than kill his donkey. If he refused to redeem his donkey, he must kill it.
Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me!
Tribe of Judah - Wikipedia.
The most common, and easily recognisable, Christian symbol is the cross. This refers to the Christian belief that Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross to save mankind.
But in the ancient Middle East, the writers of the Hebrew Bible forbade tattooing. Per Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves.”