The Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ

Luke 19:28-40

L/W:

Discussed the centrality and preeminence of Jesus Christ found in Hebrews 1:1-3; how

Christ is the final, glorious, wonderful means and message of God’s redemptive plan to save man from their sin.

Christ is the express image of and character of God’s holy and divine nature

Christ now sits at the right hand of the Majesty on High—having completed the purpose for which He came

T/W:

We will discuss Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and His claim to be King:

Why Jerusalem?

Jerusalem is comprised of two words, “Jeru” and “salem;”; put together and translated out, the name means “Possession of Peace,” or “Foundation of the God of (Shalom)Peace.”

God was to establish His covenant of peace b/t Himself and man, through Christ, in the city of Jerusalem.

What’s significant about Jesus’ manner of entry into Jerusalem

In Matthew and Mark’s account, takes place after He heals blind Bartimaeues (and a second man in Matthew’s account)

In Luke’s account takes place after the Parable of the Minas

In John’s account takes place after His anointing at Bethany

What’s significant about each of these accounts, is that the Bible teaches either through His teaching or His healing, (1) Jesus’ true purpose in coming for man and (2) how the world and the culture have missed Him

The account of Bartimaues show us man’s deepest problem (sin/spiritual blindness) and our deepest need (God’s mercy); while in the crowd we are shown man’s and our capacity to miss and misunderstand this

The account of the Parable of the Minas teaches us—at a broad stroke—that God’s Kingdom is still to come—that Christ came to save man from their sin in the now, but His eternal Kingdom is yet to come—something the religionists, culture, and people of that time (and today) have missed.

The account of the Anointing of Bethany teaches us that Christ did not come to makes us religious (seen in Martha) but to make us children of God, born again into a relationship (seen in Mary).

If you cannot see Jesus Christ (1) as the only begotten Son of God and (2) know/recognize the true purpose for which He came, you risk missing Him as your Savior!

(READ LUKE 19:28-40)

Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem began the last week of His life; it is what we refer to as “Holy Week,” or “Palm Sunday.”

This account is dramatic, as Jesus was unquestionable claiming to be King. This claim to be King, was unique and different, because His claim as King was different from what men usually thought of or conceived. He was claiming to be the King of Peace, the King who’s kingdom is not of this earth:

John 18:36 “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.””

Whether you are looking back at the message last week in Hebrews 1; whether you have or are reading through the four gospels; wherever you are reading in the Bible, having the right understanding of Jesus Christ will/should help you to better understand the significance of this week’s passage:

We cannot/must not see Christ through the wrong lens:

If you see Jesus as someone who brought salvation through religion/religiousness, you are missing Him and are not seeing Him the way He desires you to see Him

If you see Jesus as someone who brought salvation through morality, you are missing Him and not seeing Him the way He desires you to see Him

If you see Jesus as someone who brought salvation through the false doctrine of cheap grace, you are missing Him and not seeing Him the way He desires to see Him (we’ll learn what this means in a few)

We must see Christ through the right lens: we must

See Jesus as the One who brought salvation to us, through both His death and resurrection.

See Jesus as the One who brought salvation to us through His perfect, sacrificial, and atoning sacrifice of His blood.

See Jesus as someone who brought salvation to us through the doctrine of costly grace.

Seeing Jesus through the right lens, will help you (help us) better understand what God is saying through Luke’s gospel:

--------

I (v.28) Jesus’ constraint to go to Jerusalem: He was to suffer and die there

Luke 19:28 “When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.”

(CONTEXT)

Jesus just finished teaching, “The Parable of the Pounds/Minas”

Briefly, this parable dealt with the truth that God’s Kingdom was not of this world and was to come at a later time (of the Father’s knowing), &

Believers should be diligent to use the gifts and the time God has given to advance the kingdom

Jesus felt the driving constraint to go to Jerusalem , for it was Jerusalem where climax of His purpose--His suffering and dying for man’s sin(s)--was to take place

Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.””

Jesus was compelled with an “iron” determination to complete and fulfill His purpose—He was set to perfect obedience to the Father in full humility

Philippians 2:7-8 “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Jesus was driven to die for man, for He knew the will of the Father

Isaiah 50:7 ““For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.”

Hebrews 12:2 “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

1 John 2:1-2 “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

(CONNECTION)—Again, people then and people now miss this irreplaceable truth of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ didn’t come to give man religion, rather Jesus Christ came to give man a relationship, to give man true and abundant life, to give man liberty/freedom from the bondage of sin—something religion can never accomplish.

II (v.29-35) Dramatic and Detailed Demonstration of His Claim to be King

Luke 19:29-35 “And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ” So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.”

(CONTEXT—FOUR THINGS TO SEE HERE)

Jesus sent His disciples in to the city to secure a colt

What about the colt? The colt symbolized

Peace

Service

Sacredness

In ancient days the colt, or donkey:

Was a noble animal

Was a beast of service to carry the burdens of men

Was used by Kings and their emissaries when they entered a city in peace—to symbolize their peaceful intentions

Was in stark contrast to a king coming as a conqueror—when they would ride a stallion

What was Jesus demonstrating here? (two things):

He was not coming as people expected,

As a king who was coming to conquer

A political conqueror--In pomp and ceremony

A military conqueror with an army to kill, injure, and overthrow

He was unquestionably the promised King and Savior of the people, and in Him riding a colt/donkey, people needed to change their concept of the Messiah—b/c Jesus was coming as

The Savior of Peace

Jesus was bringing peace between God and man

This peace is the peace man desperately needs

This peace is different from man’s idea of peace

In the absence of a relationship with Jesus Christ, man is

At odds with God

An enemy of God

Not at peace with God

James 4:4 “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

But within the confines of a redeemed relationship with God, a person is

At peace with God

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

No longer under condemnation

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Born again as a new creation

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

The Savior of man, not as the one who would condemn

Contrary to what many others think (maybe you or someone you know), God’s heart is that

Everyone would come under repentance

2 Peter 3:8-9 “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

No one would be condemned, rather they would be saved

John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

The Savior showing and displaying God’s love towards man

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

The Savior with the message of God’s redemption and reconciliation

Colossian 1:13-14 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

Does your concept of the Messiah need changing?

Jesus used the title, “the Lord,” in laying claim upon men and their property

“the Lord” (o kurious)—strong expression which is

The same as saying Jehovah

The same as saying the Great I am

The same as saying the Savior, Deliverer, and Redeemer

(NOTE THIS) Jesus came as Savior, yes; but He also came as Lord—Jesus must both be your Savior and your Lord,

To say you only want Jesus to be your Savior and not your Lord is cheap grace and cheap grace is a false-doctrine

Cheap grace preaches:

You want your sin justified, but not you as a sinner (meaning, grace does everything, so everything can stay the same)

You want forgiveness without repentance

You want communion apart from confession

You want grace apart from discipleship

You want grace apart from the cross

Jesus is OK to be your Savior, but not OK to be your Lord..and ultimately cheap grace is,

What you assign to yourself

For Jesus to be both your Lord and Savior, you must understand the truth of costly grace; costly grace is (as per Dietrich Bonhoeffer):

“The treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has.”

“Costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it call us to follow Jesus Christ.

“Costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.”

Luke 9:23-24 “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”

“Costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner.”

“Above all, costly, because it cost God the life of His Son.”

1 Corinthians 6:20 “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Provided to those, by God, who would confess Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord

How many want Jesus to be their Savior but not their Lord?

How many want Jesus to be both their Lord and Savior?

Jesus’ instructions were followed carefully

No task—no work for the Lord--is/was too small to see Christ exalted; if the work is going to see Christ exalted—it’s not too small

Jesus accepted the recognition of the disciples

The disciples knew exactly what Jesus was doing: Their actions demonstrated it:

They obeyed what He commanded

They used their own garments as a saddle

They sat Jesus on the colt

NOTE: It was here that Jesus accepted their homage/honor—and thereby claimed to be the Messiah

III (v.36-38) The People’s Proclamation of Him to be King

Luke 19:36-38 “And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!””

(CONTEXT) Note three (3) things

The people praised God for all the mighty works they had seen

Palm Leaves represented:

Independence to the Jewish people (their coins bore the image of palm trees and in times of Roman oppression, they would wave them

Jewish people’s hope that the Messiah was in the city, taking control, throwing off bondage, setting them free: but note they were missing and misunderstanding the Messiah’s message of freedom:

The people were under the thinking the hour that Jesus was ushering in the Kingdom of God was at hand (happening now/then), that God was going to

Free all the nations of the earth from Roman dominion

Set up the throne of Jesus in Jerusalem from which the rule and reign of righteousness would be executed

Establish Israel as the leading nation of the earth

In other words, the Israelites were of the thinking that Jesus’ rule and reign was to be worldly, to be just as any other ruler before Him—to sit on a man-made, earthly throne—which is not where He belonged (belongs)

Luke helps us with this: Luke 19:11 “Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.”

The people failed to realize a number of things;

They failed to see Christ riding a colt—and what this symbolized

Romans 14:17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

They failed to see Christ riding the animal of burdens—coming as the King who wished to bear the burdens of men

Hebrews 2:17-18 “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

Jesus did not come to take you from circumstances—He came to lift the burden and yoke of sin off of man, so that in Him you can

Fight from a place of victory

Encounter/endure the circumstances from an eternal perspective—not a worldly one

Trust in Him, your faithful and great High Priest, who’s gone before you

Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

They failed to see Christ riding the animal that symbolized sacredness—coming for the sole purpose of saving man spiritually

They failed to see Christ riding the animal that symbolized meekness—coming as the King of meekness

(CONNECTION)

All the works Christ accomplished, prior to the cross:

Were to point and direct people to Himself and the cross

Were to point and direct people to true salvation—that of the cross of Calvary

God’s kingdom is not earthly—His kingdom is not of this world—His kingdom did not include His Son sitting on an earthly throne, rather His kingdom is yet to come and His Son sits on a Heavenly throne

If you fail to see Jesus as the only begotten Son of God the Father, fail to see Him as the One who stepped out of heaven in full humility and deity, fail to see Him as both God and man, fail to see Him as God desires you to see Him—you stand to miss out of the joy of salvation and being counted a child of God.

IV (v.39-40) The Insistent Claim of Jesus: He was to be Proclaimed King by the people

Luke 19:39-40 “And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.””

(CONTEXT)-What’s to see here:

The religionists were hostile, having already been given the word to hunt down and arrest Jesus

Despite this, Jesus publicly and triumphantly entered Jerusalem

The weight, necessity, and obedience to His mission were to great to abandon

Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.””

Luke 5:31-32 “Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.””

John 18:37 “Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.””

WORSHIP TEAM--

How do you see Jesus? What do you think about when you hear the name Jesus Christ?

Some people see Jesus as someone confined only in the pages of Scripture—that He was a great teacher, a great man—but in the end, just another martyr for what He believed and spoke about

Some people see Jesus as a genie, who grants wishes to some, but not to others

Some people see Jesus through the lens of their pocket—only needed at the convenience of themselves (i.e., when things “get hard”)

Some people see Jesus through the lens of religion; and religion will always be at odds with Jesus, because religion teaches that salvation and acceptance are found in religious activity, things which merely “cleanse the outside of the cup;” such as

Rules

Good works

Morality

Baptism

Baptism is the not the act that brings salvation,

Baptism is the obedience that is rooted in salvation

Attendance

Tithing/serving

The danger of religion was/is the driving force behind Jesus’ “Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees,” in Matthew 23:25 ““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.”

Religion’s focus is on the exterior, while Jesus’ mission is the interior

Religion does NOTHING to rid a person of the stain of sin, does NOTHING to atone for a man’s sin

Some people see Jesus through the lens of cheap grace—which

Accepts the justification for sin, but not for the sinner;

Accepts the forgiveness God offers, but not the repentance He requires

Accepts the benefits of grace, but not the absolution grace demands

These examples (and there are more) are how much of the world, by choice or in deceit, see and understand Jesus

But to ask the question again, “Who do you say Jesus is?”

Do you believe Him to be God’s only begotten Son?

Do you believe Him to be the Incarnate Word of God?

Do you believe Him to be fully God and fully man?

Do you believe Him to be the promised Messiah of both the world and you?

Do you believe Him to be both the message and messenger of God’s redemption?

Do you believe Him to be both the means and mode of salvation?

Is He both your Savior AND your Lord? (He must be both)