Luke 19:28-40 - The Triumphal Entry
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
On May 6, 2023, a large assembly was gathered to view the coronation of Charles III and Camilla as king and queen of the United Kingdom. This was the first coronation in the UK in nearly 70 years! This event reached global proportions with an estimated audience of around 2 billion people across 125 countries tuning in to see this broadcast on television!
However, those who were physically present for the coronation were among the who’s who in politics and power. This was an invite only event which consisted of heads of state, prime ministers, monarchs, and other government officials. The exclusive 2,200 guests also included the royal family and representatives from the Church of England and other prominent church leaders.
Compared with this extravagant event that highlighted the most powerful people in the world, we come to appreciate a stark contrast with the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem. Christ comes not dressed in royal attire. He comes surrounded by a band of followers who are mostly in poverty. Like His humble birth, His entry is seen and appreciated by those of humble circumstances. He is largely ignored by the elites of His day.
His humble entry into the world and His humble entry into Jerusalem remind us that our Savior came to earth the first time to save the world. Although His entry might have seemed triumphant at first, He had already spoken of the ensuing death that He would endure in the coming days.
Let’s read today’s Scripture and watch Christ enter into Jerusalem…
Read Full Scripture:
And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples,
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.
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ”
So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them.
And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
And they said, “The Lord has need of it.”
And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.
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,
saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Prayer
Before diving in, it is important for us to know that this amazing account is in all four of the Gospels. Each of the Gospel writers saw the incredible importance and significance of this event.
With that said…
Today we will see three requirements in connection with Christ’s ultimate triumph. The first is…
I. Christ’s Triumph Required Fulfilled Prophecy (28-34)
I. Christ’s Triumph Required Fulfilled Prophecy (28-34)
And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
Jesus has now left Jericho and is taking the 17 mile journey toward Jerusalem.
Luke has used this term ‘went’ - which in Greek is poreuomai (poor-rev-oh-meh) multiple times throughout his Gospel. In fact, he actually uses it some 51 times - more times than all of the other Gospel writers combined! The word can mean go or went and refers to one going on a journey. The theme of Luke’s Gospel has been the journey of Christ to the cross which culminates with the main point of the entire Gospel which is summarized in Luke 19:10:
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
We are now entering the final week of Christ’s earthly life. Most church historians believe that Jesus enters Jerusalem on a Sunday. Hence, the celebration of Palm Sunday the week before Resurrection Sunday, or Easter. Our last few months in Luke will all take place during this final week in the life of Jesus. I have included the traditional calendar in your handout of the events occuring during Jesus’s last week of ministry on earth.
Jesus’s Last Week of Ministry on Earth:
Sunday—Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Monday—Cleansing the temple
Tuesday—Controversies with the Jewish leaders
Wednesday—Apparently a day of rest
Thursday—Preparation for Passover
Friday—Trial and Crucifixion
Saturday—Jesus rests in the tomb
Sunday—Jesus raised from the dead
Keep in mind that the Jewish day went from sundown to sundown, so that our Thursday evening would be their Friday, the Day of Passover.
(Courtesy of Warren Wiersbe’s Bible Exposition Commentary, 1996. Pg 254)
We will reference this calendar of events again as we continue along Christ’s journey to the cross.
When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 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.
Up until now the majority of this 17 mile journey has been traveled on foot. However, Jesus now arrives at Bethany which is around two miles east of Jerusalem.
In the map shown, we see the months-long methodical journey to Jerusalem from Capernaum. Luke has been recording this journey since Luke 9:51. Jesus has done many miracles and signs and wonders during this journey that has had a significant time spent in Perea. This could have been a much quicker journey, but Jesus had work to do all along the way. However, He is nearing the completion of this difficult journey.
Reaching the final leg of His trip, we see that traveling from Jericho would lead one to going through Bethany which was at the mount called Olivet.
Bethphage is thought to have been a suburb of Jerusalem when coming from Bethany. So stopping in Bethany, Jesus sends out two of His disciples who remain unnamed in all of the Gospels. Most theologians believe that the unnamed disciples were sent to Bethphage (referred to as the village in front of you in verse 30) to find the colt mentioned here.
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.”
The disciples are obedient to the command of the Lord. We can learn a lot from them in this.
Many of us fail to see the wonderful working of God in our lives because we aren’t obedient. Obedience to Christ’s commands, even when they seem difficult, opens up the door for us to see Christ working in and through us. It gives us a first-hand view of Christ working on earth.
These two disciples do not question this unique command. Yet, in their obedience, they are able to see the miraculous and sovereign work of God. Everything is as the Lord said it would be. The colt of a donkey is right where Jesus said it would be. The owners respond with amazing understanding and approval.
Commentators are divided on how Jesus was able to plan this out. Some assert that Christ had set this up beforehand. This seems unlikely in the fact that Jesus had been quite a distance away for months. In asserting that the Lord needed the colt, there is an awareness of the deity and power of Christ. The extended discussion and astounding attention to detail by Luke in regards to all of the aspects of this wonderful interchange lends more likely to a supernatural explanation. What sort of supernatural explanation would only be conjecture, but one could imagine an angelic appearance or a dream or vision that might have prepared the owners for the encounter to come. We see supernatural interventions throughout the Scriptures such as multiple occurrences throughout the birth narrative of Jesus in Luke 1 and Luke 2 as well as the vision of preparation of Ananias in relation to Paul as seen in Acts 9:10-19.
Most importantly, however, we see that Jesus sovereignly orchestrated this event in one way or another. It was an event that needed to happen. Frankly, it had to happen. It was spoken of by the prophet Zechariah over 500 years earlier in Zechariah 9:9:
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
This prophecy came to fruition during the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. By arranging this entry on the foal of a donkey, Jesus was identifying Himself as the Messiah. He left no doubt of Who He was with this entrance.
However, note the unique aspects of this King. Jesus has been letting the people know that the kingdom of God had come but would not be consummated until He went to the cross and returned. The signs of this humble entrance point to the fact that Jesus was going to His demise and not to rule on earth.
There are three facts about this prophecy and its fulfillment that were missed by the onlookers:
1. He came on the foal of a donkey. This was an animal of peace and humility.
When Jesus returns, He will return on a white horse which symbolizes power and rule and warring (Revelation 19:11-21). However, this entrance was one of peace and not political takeover.
2. By coming on a donkey, Jesus showed that He was ready to take on the burdens of mankind.
A donkey is an animal of burden. Donkeys would be used to bear all kinds of burdens in the ancient world. Jesus was coming to take on the wrath of God on the cross. He was about to have the burden of sin laid upon His shoulders.
3. Lastly, by coming on a donkey that had never been ridden before, He came as a sacrificial offering.
We find in Numbers 19:2, Deuteronomy 21:3, and 1 Samuel 6:7, that sacrifices offered to God were to be firstfruits. They were not to be secondhand. Jesus came on this animal as a consecrated sacrifice, ready to be offered for the sins of mankind. One interesting aspect of this final requirement - that the donkey had never been ridden before - shows the sovereign power of Jesus over all of creation as well. Like horses, donkeys take much work to prepare them for riding. Yet, Jesus rides this donkey smoothly the first time. All of creation responds to the Creator.
So far we have seen that Christ’s triumph required fulfilled prophecy. Moving forward, we see that…
Scripture References: Luke 19:10, Luke 9:51, Luke 1, Luke 2, Acts 9:10-19, Zechariah 9:9, Revelation 19:11-21, Numbers 19:2, Deuteronomy 21:3, 1 Samuel 6:7
II. Christ’s Triumph Requires Faithful Praise (35-38)
II. Christ’s Triumph Requires Faithful Praise (35-38)
And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.
See the response of the disciples and other followers. The place their cloaks on the colt and then spread their cloaks on the ground along the road. This is a sign of respect and submission to Jesus. They are honoring of the King of Kings. It is similar to placing out a red carpet today. They wanted to honor His entry into Jerusalem.
There seems to be somewhat of a foreshadowing of this event with the honoring of the newly anointed King Jehu in 2 Kings 9:13:
Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”
This was obviously an expression of honor and devotion to Jesus.
Some of you who are familiar with this event might wonder where the palms are in Luke’s Gospel. This is where the name for ‘Palm Sunday’ originated.
The other three Gospel writers also mention branches that are waved and thrown along the path as well. Listen to John 12:13:
John 12:13a (ESV)
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him...
Palm branches were symbolic of joy, victory, and celebration. The atmosphere continues to become more and more intense as Jesus continues His journey to Jerusalem.
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, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
The anticipation of Jesus reigning on earth is at its climax right now. People are glorifying God and praising King Jesus. They are claiming peace because the King has arrived.
It would be really hard to imagine the excitement at this time. The disciples and those others that are following Jesus have seen many mighty works done by Jesus Christ. They have been waiting for the Messiah to come and rule and reign. They have heard the teaching about the coming Messiah since they were little children and longed for the day when He would come. They have waited for deliverance from the oppressive Roman army. Their King has finally arrived at last.
They are quoting the Psalms and praising God.
First we see that they said, ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.’ This comes directly from Psalm 118:26.
This praise recognized Christ as the promised Messiah King who came with God’s authority. Matthew and Mark both mention the Davidic line of the Messiah as well. The crowd recognizes the legitimacy of Christ’s Kingship (Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:10).
Second, we see in the other Gospel parallels of this passage, the crowd also shouts hosanna. (Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:9, John 11:13)
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Hosanna literally means ‘please save us’ or ‘please deliver us.’ It is a plea for salvation.
Their shouts of praise and acclamation were sadly misplaced, however. They were not shouting hosanna - or ‘please save us ’ - because they wished to be saved from their sins. Instead, their shouts of joy were in the hope and expectation that Christ would liberate them from the Roman rule and reign and take His rightful throne on earth.
They were not looking for a Savior for their sins - they were looking for a Savior for their earthly lives. This brings us to an important question… Friends…
Who is it that you are looking for?
If you are looking for a Savior who makes your life comfortable and does whatever you want Him to do… this is not Jesus. He comes according to the will and plan of the Father.
Jesus has come to save you from your sins - not from hard work or even from earthly suffering and struggle. Yet, His salvation is eternal. It doesn’t end with some earthly comfort. It ends with eternal joy and peace with God in heaven.
I pray that you have trusted in Christ according to Who He is and not Who you might want Him to be.
Third, we see that crowd said, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” (There is possibly a loose reference here to Psalm 148:1)
Warren Wiersbe notes an important shift in Luke’s narrative with this statement. Luke 2:14 contained the multitude of angels pronouncing to the shepherds peace on earth. Now this theme is peace in heaven. The King of Kings would soon be rejected and there would be no peace on earth until His return. Instead, the battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of evil would continue to rage until Christ’s return. However, despite the lack of peace on earth, we may have peace with God in heaven through Jesus Christ. Listen to Paul in Colossians…
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Christ has made a way of peace for us with God because of His sacrificial death on the cross. This wonderful gift deserves and requires praise to God. Christ did not come the first time to triumph over human governments and to rule the world. He came the first time to triumph over sin and death. And He did what He came to do!
I pray that everyone here has peace with God! I pray that we are all praising and glorifying God for the amazing deliverance that we have been given from sin and death. If not, may you place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ - the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - and repent of your sins - so that you too may have peace with God and be reconciled to Him.
Christ’s triumph required fulfilled prophecy and requires faithful praise from all who would follow Him. We do not praise Him for Who we desire Him to be - we praise Him for Who He is. Which brings us to our last point…
Scripture References: 2 Kings 9:13, John 12:13a, Psalm 118:26, Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:10, Mark 11:9, John 11:13, Psalm 148:1, Luke 2:14, Colossians 1:20
III. Christ’s Triumph Requires Fervent Proclamation (39-40)
III. Christ’s Triumph Requires Fervent Proclamation (39-40)
And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
The Pharisees see what is going on and are furious. They see Jesus accepting praise and glorification from people. Only God is to be glorified. They admonish Him and urge Him to rebuke the disciples.
There are some false religions - namely cults - that try to claim that they are Christian. Yet, they deny that Jesus was and is God-made-flesh. They deny that He is one with the Father. Here is yet another encounter showing that Jesus accepts worship.
See Christ’s response in verse 40. If everyone was silent, then even the very stones would cry out.
This scene has been a beautiful scene of the entry of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords into Jerusalem.
However, there is something dark lurking in the shadows.
Matthew informs us that the religious leaders gathered and had planned to to arrest Jesus by stealh and kill him. Their plan was to wait until after the Passover as seen in Matthew 26:3-5. But…
Despite the religious leaders hope to arrest Jesus after the Passover, the sovereign hand of the Lord would prevail.
Christ forced their hand by all of His public ministry during this final week. Christ would die as the Passover Lamb.
As 1 Corinthians 5:7 states:
1 Corinthians 5:7b (ESV)
… For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
He would not go to the cross on man’s timetable. He would go at the predetermined time that God had set before the foundation of the world. Neither the religious leaders nor the Roman government had any power to determine Christ’s time of death. He did:
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
The prophetic and planned timeline would be fulfilled just as it was written. Christ was on His way to the cross.
Looking back at verse 40, there is an important teaching here.
He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
At the time of His death on the cross, the world remained silent. His Disciples were dispersed, no one was praising Him. The theologian of old, Matthew Henry, reminds us that it was at this time that the earth cried out in praise to God…
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
The earth lifted up praise and glory to God. And it mourned the death of the Savior.
We praise God that this is not where it ended though. Christ did raise from the dead. And Christ did send the Holy Spirit to indwell believers like us so that we can boldly and fervently proclaim the Gospel to a lost and dying world. Christ did triumph at His first coming. He triumphed over sin and death. But we look forward to His second coming. That triumphal entry will be like no other in the history of the world.
However, for those who are not in Christ, that will be a time of great fear and trepidation. May we be fervently proclaiming the Gospel to a lost world so that they also can look forward to the final triumph of Christ.
Scripture References: Matthew 26:3-5, 1 Corinthians 5:7, John 10:17-18, Matthew 27:51
Conclusion:
Today we have seen the amazing fulfillment of prophecy regarding the Triumphal Entry of Christ written by the prophet Zechariah over 500 years before it occured. We have seen the need to bring faithful praise to God. Not praise to the God we want Him to be - but praise for the God that He is. Many in our world try to project upon Christ who they want Him to be. May we learn from the errors of the crowd in this encounter. We can only be faithful by knowing the Word of God that describes our glorious Savior as He is.
And we can only be fervent in our proclamation if we know Him personally as our Lord and Savior. The only way that our proclamation of the Gospel will be blessed is if the Holy Spirit is working in and through us to share with others. May we be filled with the Spirit as we remain faithful and fervent in serving our triumphant King - awaiting His final return in glory and honor.