“What do ye, loosing the colt?”
The full verse · Mark 11:5 · KJV
certain of that unto , do , the ?
Asked by
Bystanders: "certain of them that stood there" where the colt was tied, in the village near Bethphage and Bethany (Mark 11:4-5)
Asked to
Disciples: "two of his disciples" (Mark 11:1), the two unnamed followers Jesus sent for the colt; as they loosed it, "certain of them that stood there" asked them, and they answered "even as Jesus had commanded" (Mark 11:5-6).
The Scene
The two disciples find the colt tied by a door outside, in a place where two ways met, and begin to loose it (Mark 11:4).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionTwo strangers were untying a colt that did not belong to them, so the people standing there asked what they were doing. Gill describes the askers as people "either standing hard by, or walking about the place, being inhabitants of it," and says they were "either the owners of the colt, or their servants, or both." Luke says plainly that "the owners thereof" asked (Luke 19:33).
It was a fair question. It was also the very question Jesus had said would come (Mark 11:3).
The Response
What Scripture recordsThe disciples "said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go" (Mark 11:6). Luke records the words they used: "The Lord hath need of him" (Luke 19:34). The disciples brought the colt to Jesus and cast their garments on him, and Jesus sat upon him (Mark 11:7). Then many spread their garments and branches in the way and cried, "Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Mark 11:8-9).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe colt was tied "by the door without in a place where two ways met" (Mark 11:4). Gill explains this as a crossing of roads "to go into and out of the village."
Matthew mentions both "an ass tied, and a colt with her" (Matthew 21:2), while Mark and Luke mention only the colt that no man had ever sat on (Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30). Gill says of Matthew's and Mark's accounts, "both no doubt true."
Gill describes the owners' response after hearing the disciples' answer: they "were satisfied and contented" and let the disciples go, and the colt with them, "very freely."
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyEvery detail came about exactly as Jesus had said: the village, the tied colt, the question, and the permission (Mark 11:2-6). Luke puts it simply: they "found even as he had said unto them" (Luke 19:32). Jesus was not swept into Jerusalem by events. He was directing them.
This small exchange opens the way for His public entry as the crowds cry, "Blessed be the kingdom of our father David" (Mark 11:10). Matthew Henry writes, "Christ's coming into Jerusalem thus remarkably, shows that he was not afraid of the power and malice of his enemies."
Look Closer
How closely did events match what Jesus had said in Mark 11:2-3?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord, You knew every detail before Your disciples arrived; where do I need to trust that You have already gone ahead of me?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The bystanders asked a fair question. How do you respond when someone questions what you are doing in obedience to God?
- Tell about a time when you found things "even as he had said," and it strengthened your trust in Jesus.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Not every question is opposition. The people by the colt had every right to ask, and the disciples answered simply and honestly with the words Jesus gave them. When people ask about your faith or your choices, a short, true answer is often enough.
You can also take courage from how the scene unfolded. The disciples walked into a situation that could have gone badly, and found it exactly as Jesus had said. Following Him does not remove every awkward moment, but He is never surprised by what you meet on the way.
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