A Strange Sort of King (Luke 19:28-40)

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

Reading #2, main text:

Luke 19:28–40 ESV

28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

How did we get here? It’s a question to ask—for a journey passage, a travel passage of Jesus. How did we get here?

And we’re seeing in the passage a very particular road that Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem. (Luke 19:1, with Zacchaeus, places a geographical point in Jericho.)

So Jericho to Jerusalem—and it’s via Bethphage and Bethany.

John the Baptist has been beheaded. That’s the starting-point to Jesus’ public ministry and his race to Jerusalem and the cross.

Luke 9:51 “51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” --- And Jesus goes in the opposite way one would normally travel to Jericho and Jerusalem! Luke 10, he sends out the wide multitude of disciples, and Jesus travels by way of Samaria…where he’s rejected! Where he’s despised!

Then Luke 10—the parable of the Good Samaritan (in that aftermath, still giving a Samaritan the place of hero in a story!). “A man was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.”

Luke 10:34 ESV

34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

I think it’s no mistake. “He set him on his own animal” (his own colt, his own donkey).

Then another time, Luke 13—Pharisees come to Jesus on his travels and try to change his course away from going to Jerusalem. (Don’t go, Jesus. Good things don’t wait. Don’t go.) Luke 13:35 “35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ””

(The very passage that the crowd quotes of Psalm 118 at the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem!)

It’s a very particular choice, and plan, of road.

II.

Luke 19:29–31 ESV

29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ”

There are already some things we’re learning here about our Jesus:

He’s humble, he’s lowly. And here he’s declarative: he sends these apostles, and they go. He’s declarative, and he’s authoritative.

He speaks, and disciples listen.

And a third thing: his authority is also requisitional. He says, “There’s a colt. You’ll find it, tied. Loose it, and take it. If anyone asks you why, say “The Lord has need of it.””

Application: so what would you ask for?

KIDS, what are you asking for, for Christmas?

As kids, we used to play the game, “Three wishes.” And we’d ask for: a million dollars, a new car…and then we’d break the game. We’d ask for infinite wishes.

JESUS, humble and lowly, asks for purity rather than power. A colt that’s “never been sat on.” And this is language that comes straight from the levitical law, the OT law of Moses. “Never been sat on.” Never been used, never been broken in.

Offering for purification. An animal, never been sat on, is taken, slain, and offered for the purification of the people. (Num. 19:2)

Offering for an unsolved murder. When the death of a man is brought into the land—an animal, never sat on, is taken, slain, and offered for the death of the murdered man.

This is Jesus’ desire, his demand. A pure animal: never used, never broken in.

And he sends them to Bethphage on their route, an out-of-the-way place, a “one horse town” according to one commentator. (It’s not Jerusalem he sends them to, not to Herod’s courts. He doesn’t want Herod’s stallion, Herod’s horse.)

He sends them to an out-of-the-way town, and points them to a colt. It’s tied. “Take it, and tell them “The Lord has need of it.””

III.

Things begin happening just as Jesus says they should...

Luke 19:32–36 ESV

32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.

Notes from Queen Elizabeth’s coronation (1953):

Started the day in a tiara of 1,333 diamonds and 169 pearls in it.

At the cathedral, she switched into a crown made of solid gold.

She had a special dress that she only would wear six times, entwined with gold and silver thread.

12 seamstresses spent 3,500 hours (148 days if they worked straight through) making the purple train she would wear.

The coach, the carriage—weighed 4 tons in solid gold. 8 horses, 4 drivers. It originally cost $1.9 million in 1760 to make.

And all in all, the tradition especially of the coach was forced on the Queen. She hated it, she didn’t want it, and she told the BBC that the ride to the church was “horrible.”

We see Jesus is simpler, he is far less flashy and far less showy. And we learn something more about Jesus:

—He’s predictive. He says it, “and they found it just as he said.”

—Then he’s authoritative. The disciples are questioned as Jesus says they would be, and they tell the colt’s owners, “Its Lord has need of it.” --- And the owners don’t balk, they don’t throw up defenses or their guard. Instead, the disciples say its Lord has need of it…and the animal’s owners YIELD. They GIVE WAY.

He’s humble, but authoritative and people yield.

—And then what are the cloaks? I think it’s more than just keeping the dust off Jesus or keeping the road clean. 2 Kings 9:13.

Israel is in uproar. The kingdom is divided, the people are in havoc. Jehu and his men are hobbled together in a side room. And Elisha comes in, and he pulls Jehu aside to tell him, “The LORD has anointed you king over Israel.”

And Jehu goes back into the room, where he’s asked by his men what Elisha told him, and he tries waving them off and diverting them. “You know how he talks. You know how he talks.” But they press him, what did Elisha tell you? And he responds, “The LORD has anointed me king.”

And right away, in this room, these men take off their cloaks. And they put them in front of Jehu, the anointed king over Israel.

The crowds lay their cloaks on the road again. This time, it’s Jesus on his way to Jerusalem.

IV.

Luke 19:37–38 ESV

37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

(Hear the angels’ song echoed there from Luke 2:14—with the obvious change though: “peace in heaven.”)

And here’s what’s happening as Jesus approaches the Jerusalem gates:

He’s on a particular road: Jerusalem > Bethphage, Bethany.

He goes over the Mount of Olives, then which means descending the Kidron Valley.

Where is he coming to??? Where does this road lead???

It’s not to Herod’s courts, or Herod’s palace.

It’s also not to Rome’s fortress, the Praetorium, “Fort Antonia,” that overlooks this trade route.

He’s NOT coming to overtake Herod — he’s NOT coming to clear out the Romans.

Instead he’s coming to a very particular place — on the pilgrim road that this is, he’s coming to the Temple. And the gate that greets travelers on this side of Jerusalem is the SHEEP GATE. The place for the spotless lambs. The place for the animals that will be offered as the sacrifice and the purification of the land and its people...

This strange, this crazy king.

Entering in to his place…where the lambs are slaughtered, and where the offering is marked to be slain.

And this is where Jesus set his face to go.

And Pharisees come again to divert Jesus and change him.

Luke 19:39–40 ESV

39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

The crowds recognize something special in crying out—they say “Blessed be the King,” praise be to the king. — And the Pharisees want to scold a teacher.

And all that’s been predicted of Jesus comes true. Psalm 118:26 blesses the one who comes in the name of the Lord. --- And the crowds change this: they say “blessed is the King who comes.”

He’s such a strange King who comes to this place, a weird King.

This is who we come to worship and who we come to reflect on in this Advent season. Oh! he is strange! And we are strange subjects for a King.

He comes and takes the tax collectors and sinners to himself. He takes on the sick, the weak, the lame, the lepers, the children.

In places of influence, this King says give up those chairs and take the lowly chairs at the foot of the table instead.

A strange king!

And if you share Jesus these days, you know. He remains strange! He’s crazy! He’s a weirdo! And he is King nonethless.

And, friends, Jesus came as the one in the cradle…so that he would face the cross. SINCLAIR FERGUSON SERMON TITLE: “From Cradle to GRAVE.” The reason for the season…Jesus came to face the crowds. He came to face the cross. He came to face the grave. And he came to rise again. To live again. To conquer, and rule, and reign from his heavenly throne forevermore!

It wasn’t Herod he came for, nor was it the Romans. But he came for the cross. And he goes to the place outside the city, outside the gates. The trash heap, the place of the refuse. The place of the garbage on Calvary and Golgotha.

And he dies, and rises again, and at the Ascension he goes up to his heavenly throne.

And there we will be one day with him. Gathered around the throne-room and around the throne, with saints across time and place. Revelation 7, gathered there with the nations and waving palms.

With no more tears, no more sorrows, no more pain, “for God has wiped away every tear.”

Its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb.

And this morning he rules—as prophet, as priest, and as King.

What are you asking for, this morning? So many this morning may be looking for peace in a family. Boil it down, and they’re looking for a denser bank account, new clothes, behaved children, peace of mind. What do you ask for?

R.C. Sproul: “If God is the Creator of the entire universe, then it must follow that he is Lord of the whole universe. And that means that no part of my life must be outside of his lordship.”

He is Savior this morning, and he must also be Lord. Lord of our lives. We can’t be saved but then stay in the driver’s seat. He must be our Lord and our King. He must push us out of that chair and take control.

But he will do it humbly. He’ll do it gently. He’ll do it lowly.

And he will be our King.

So praise his name.

Amen.

Translation/notes:

28. And saying these things, he went ahead, ascending to Jerusalem.

29. And as he was coming near to Bethphage and Bethany near the mountain being called Olives, he sent away two of his disciples,

30. Saying, “Depart into the opposite village, upon which entering y’all will find a foal being tied, upon which no man has ever sat. Loosing it, bring (lead) it.

31. “And if someone should ask y’all, ‘For what are y’all loosing?,’ y’all shall say, ‘Its lord/master has need/business’.”

32. Then going on, those having been sent away found it, just as he said to them.

33. With them loosing the foal, its masters said to them, “Why are you loosing the foal?”

34. So they said, “Its master has need.”

35. And they brought it to Jesus and, throwing their cloaks on the foal, they set Jesus (on it).

36. So with him going, they were spreading their cloaks (under him) on the road.

37. And with him approaching the descent of the Mount of Olives, all the number of disciples were beginning to rejoice, praising God with a great voice for all the powerful things which they had seen,

38. Saying, “Praise be to the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the heights.”

39. And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, punish/reprove your disciples.”

40. And answering he said, “I say to y’all that if they kept silent, the rocks would scream out.”

Related Media

Related Sermons