“Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will ...” (Matthew 21:2-3)

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." (Matthew 21:1-3)

Who is 'the Lord' that Jesus refers to?

Most assume that Jesus was referring to himself when he said “the Lord.” And certainly, many of Jesus' followers did greet Jesus as “lord.

But would Jesus have referred to himself in that manner? Would he have instructed his disciples to refer to him as “the Lord.”?

Both uses of this word, "Lord" or "lord" come from the same Greek word κύριος (kyrios). According to Thayer's lexicon, this Greek word can refer both to "a title of honor expressive of respect and reverence, with which servants greet their master;" as well as a "title given to God."

Jesus never proclaimed to be “the Lord.”. Nor did he ever refer to himself as "Lord." He referred to God with the term "Lord":
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10)

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’" (Mark 12:30)

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18)

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." (Luke 10:2)
Yes, we do find instances where followers of Jesus referred to Jesus as "lord." Not Jesus. Jesus never referred to himself as Lord.

So we find there is no evidence that Jesus would have instructed his followers to refer to himself as "the Lord." Yet he knew that because he was doing the work of God, he could tell them that the donkey was for "the Lord." This is because Jesus saw himself as the servant of the Lord God.

Did Jesus see himself as a servant or a 'lord'?

Multiple times, Jesus proclaimed himself to be a loving servant (υἱός) of “the Lord” God. He also prayed to the Lord God asking to do God's will, and taught that we should do God's will:
“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42)

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36)


"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me." (John 6:38)

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:49-50)

"By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me." (John 5:30)
Thus God was ultimately Jesus' Lord, as God is Lord to every prophet in the Old Testament, and Lord to each of us.

Thus it would be correct to interpret that Jesus was going to be using the donkey to serve his Lord God. And those he instructed to get the donkey were also serving God by following Jesus' instructions.

Why is this important? It is important because this is how the loving servant of God engages his followers in the service of God.

Is God a person?

This is also important because the Supreme Being is not some vague force or void. God is a Person. Only a person can have a will, and be served and pleased. A vague force or cloud cannot have a will. A vague force or cloud cannot be pleased with someone's service.

Jesus taught and showed with his life that God is a Person we can love and serve, and care for. God is a lovable, beautiful, and compassionate Person. He is the Perfect Person we are continuously looking for. He is the Person who will never abuse us or take us for granted.

In addition, the Supreme Being is the Person we can always count on. He is the Person we are looking for when we expect others to be good. He is the Person we are looking for when we are disappointed in others. He is the Person we are looking for when we are heartbroken by a former girlfriend, boyfriend, or spouse. He is the Person we are looking for when we seek the admiration and respect from others. He is the Person we are looking for when we are lonely.

What does 'comes in the name of the Lord' mean?

It is notable to mention also that as Jesus went through the streets of Jerusalem, his followers were shouting:
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9)
In all four Gospels we find that Jesus' followers referred to God as "Lord" as they praised Jesus:
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matt. 23:39, Mark 11:9, Luke 12:35, John 12:13)
Yes this indicates that 'Lord' in this context is referring to God. But this praise also indicates that Jesus' followers recognized that one of Jesus’ central missions was to teach the power of the Name of God. Otherwise, why would people be shouting that verse drawn from David's Psalm 118?
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. (Psalm 118:26)
Jesus also taught the importance of glorifying God's Holy Names:
“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name ... ' " (Matthew 6:9)
And consider this text about Jesus and his disciples:
When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:30)
So we know from this that Jesus, regularly led his students in singing hymns. And what is a hymn? A hymn is the praising of God and His Names, as exemplified by David's Psalms:
“Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His Holy Name.” (Psalms 97:12)
and
“In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His Holy Name.” (Psalms 33:21)