The Rejected King
Notes
Transcript
I want to begin this morning by attempting to paint a picture in your mind.
I will put a picture on the screen to help give you a head start.
This is an artist rendition looking across towards Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is alive with sound.
Feet on stone.
Voices in the air.
Pilgrims pressing in from every direction.
Passover always swells the city and this year is no different.
But there is excitement in the air.
Something is stirring.
Something is about to happen.
And then Jesus comes into view.
Not rushing.
Not hiding.
Not slipping in the back way.
For most of His ministry, Jesus has kept a careful distance from moments like this.
When crowds grew too excited, He withdrew.
When people tried to force a crown on His head, He refused.
When His identity came too close to the surface, He told others to be quiet.
But not today.
Today, He does not stop the crowd.
Today, He does not silence the praise.
Today, He does not turn aside.
Instead, He moves forward—deliberately, openly—down a familiar road, toward a familiar city,
in a way that would have been unmistakable to anyone who knew the Scriptures.
The kind of moment that would lodge itself in memory.
The kind of moment that demanded a response.
You look around and notice the excitement of the crowd.
But then are some some who feel unease.
And still a few others you can tell have anger rising.
But all sense, without fully understanding why, that this moment carries far more weight than celebration alone.
Moments like this do not leave people unchanged.
Luke invites us to stand on that road, to hear the sounds, to see the movement, and to feel the tension building.
And without explaining it all at once, he gently presses a question into our hearts as well:
What do we do when Jesus comes near—not quietly, not privately, but openly and unmistakably?
That is the moment we step into this morning.
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.” 41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” 45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” 47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
The King Is Publicly Revealed (vv. 29–38)
The King Is Publicly Revealed (vv. 29–38)
We begin in our text this morning on what we know as Palm Sunday.
If your Bible has section titles in it, this section is likely titles the Triumphal Entry
Before we get to the actual triumphal entry, we find Jesus drawing near to two towns in verse 29.
Bethphage and Bethany.
Bethany was where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived.
This is where Jesus spent a significant amount of time.
The meaning of the name has some significance in that many scholars believe the name to mean House of the poor.
What did Jesus do?
Luke recorded Jesus mission back in chapter 4 when he quoted from Isaiah.
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Bethany was a suburb of Jerusalem.
A place pilgrims would stop on their way to worship at the temple.
The poor part of town.
Bethphage’s name mean house of early or unripe figs.
This has significance as well.
In OT prophetic books, Israel is often pictured as a fig tree—created to bear fruit for God, yet often found unfruitful in moments of testing (Hosea, Joel, and Jeremiah).
So even in the place that the Messiah is entering from, shows that the Jewish people are not ready.
It is a quiet but fitting picture of a nation full of expectation, yet missing what truly brings life.
It is another detail in how Jesus intentionally orchestrates His entry.
Jesus sends two of his disciples into Bethphage
English Standard Version Chapter 19
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.’
This is an odd request but by now, His disciples were likely used to it.
If you think back to how Jesus called Peter, James, and John.
They had been fishing all night when Jesus tells them to
English Standard Version Chapter 5
Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.
Peter’s response
English Standard Version Chapter 5
Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.
By now it is not so unusual for Jesus to make a request like this.
This request though bears more significance though with Jesus being the Messiah/King.
His request for a donkey, though odd to us, is culturally significant.
Donkeys to us are lowly animals.
But donkeys served as royal mounts in the ancient Near East, they were considered vehicles befitting kings.
It was customary for biblical kings to ride donkeys mules.
The donkey carried profound symbolic meaning distinct from other animals.
Donkeys and mules were associated with peace, while horses were associated with war
That’s why Christ at His second coming is pictured as riding a white horse.
In Israel’s history, kings were publicly presented riding animals associated with peace and legitimate authority—Solomon rode David’s mule, and Jesus fulfills that royal pattern by riding a donkey, just as the prophets foretold.
Jesus fulfills
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.
Jesus is set upon this colt of a donkey.
Luke emphasizes as well that this colt is one upon which no one has ever sat.
The unridden colt reflects a Jewish convention that animals designated for sacred or royal purposes should be set apart exclusively for those uses.
An animal designated for sacred purposes should not have been used in an ordinary manner, making the colt fit to function in a sacred capacity, carrying the king into Jerusalem.
Jesus traveling down the Mount of Olives is also theologically significant.
Jesus’s descent from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem brought to mind images of Zechariah’s prophecy in chapter 14 of the Lord’s fighting against the nations with his feet on the Mount of Olives and liberating Jerusalem
You have to remember that the Jewish people were waiting and looking for this to happen.
Especially with all of the hype that surrounded Jesus.
It is no wonder that they begin to quote Psalm 118, which is a messianic coronation psalm.
English Standard Version Chapter 19
Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!
This is not a spontaneous parade.
It is a deliberate royal presentation.
Jesus had forbidden his disciples to publicize the fact that he was Messiah;
but now the time had arrived for him to present himself formally to the nation
Jesus claims kingship without force
He comes as the promised King, but not the expected one
Jesus does not sneak into Jerusalem.
This public revelation forces a response.
And although the crowds respond favorably -
The King Is Immediately Opposed (vv. 39–40)
The King Is Immediately Opposed (vv. 39–40)
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.”
This deliberate royal presentation is precisely why the Pharisees in crowd say to him Teacher, rebuke your disciples.
And Jesus tells them it is impossible.
English Standard Version Chapter 19
I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.
The Pharisees object, not because the claims are unclear, but because they are too clear.
John writes
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
The people who should have been the most excited, were the most adamantly opposed.
Jesus affirms that praise is unavoidable—creation itself would testify.
Neutrality toward Jesus is impossible.
Refusing to acknowledge the King does not diminish His authority—it only reveals hardened hearts.
Yet the greatest rejection does not come from the Pharisees alone, but from the city itself.
Jesus is not sitting on the colt reveling in the moment.
He knows what is coming.
As he draws near to Jerusalem, he wept over the city.
The King Weeps Over Rejected Peace (vv. 41–44)
The King Weeps Over Rejected Peace (vv. 41–44)
Jesus weeps, not in frustration, but in sorrow.
42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
Jesus has not entered Jerusalem yet, this is still on the way in.
Luke tells us that as Jesus drew near and saw the city, He wept over it.
This is not a single shed tear.
This is on par with the wailing of a parent who has lost their only child.
The word Luke uses describes deep, visible grief—the kind of weeping that cannot be hidden.
And this is in the middle of the celebratory parade.
The crowd is still celebrating.
Praise is still ringing in the air.
Palm branches are still waving.
Yet Jesus is already weeping.
Why?
Because Jesus sees what the crowd does not.
They see a moment of excitement; He sees the end of the road.
They see possibility; He sees impending loss.
They are caught up in what they hope He will do; He knows what they will refuse to receive.
Jesus says, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!”
Peace was available.
Peace was not unclear.
Peace had a name and a face—and He was standing right in front of them.
But that peace was hidden from their eyes, not because God concealed it, but because they closed themselves to it.
Jerusalem missed “the time of your visitation.”
While saddened, the knowledge of their rejection does not stop the King from exercising His authority.
The King Cleanses His House (vv. 45–48)
The King Cleanses His House (vv. 45–48)
In our final verses for this morning we see Jesus entering the temple.
45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” 47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
The King who weeps over rejected peace now acts with authority.
Luke tells us that Jesus “entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold.”
This was not uncontrolled anger or a momentary outburst.
It was a deliberate act of judgment and restoration.
Jesus identifies the problem clearly: the place meant for prayer had been distorted into a place of profit.
To understand this fully, we need to understand the temple a bit more.
People would travel long distances to offer sacrifices, rather than bringing an animal, most would bring money.
That money would have to be exchanged for the local currency - hence the money changers.
So there was a large economy set up around changing money and selling animals for sacrifices.
It was not wrong to come come and buy and animal for sacrifice rather than traveling a long distance, what Jesus took issue with was the location.
An inscription has been found that states essentially that any non-Jewish person found within the temple will be responsible for their own death.
The only place that a gentile believer could come to be close to God was the outer courtyard.
And that had been filled with vendors and money changers.
People had lost access to God because of this.
That made Jesus angry, and rightfully so.
Not all anger is bad.
If you want a book to read to dive into the subject of anger for yourself some more I would recommend
Good and Angry by David Powlison
We all struggle with anger to some degree.
The problem is that much of our anger is in fact sinful.
Jesus though did not sin.
Jesus drives the vendors and moneychangers out of the temple and begins to use the space for God’s purpose.
By quoting Scripture—“My house shall be a house of prayer”—Jesus declares God’s original design.
By adding—“but you have made it a den of robbers”—He exposes how far the temple had drifted from its purpose.
He begins to teach daily with the time He has left.
The truth of the matters is that only someone with true authority could do this.
If some random guy walked in and started turning tables and tossing people out, he would have been arrested.
But Jesus acted with authority.
Jesus acts as Lord of the temple.
In Jewish understanding, the temple belonged to God alone.
By cleansing it, Jesus is unmistakably claiming divine authority.
This moment directly escalates the conflict.
Luke notes that the religious leaders now seek to destroy Him—
not because they misunderstood Him, but because they understood Him perfectly.
The temple was the center of worship, sacrifice, and God’s dwelling among His people.
But the New Testament teaches that under the new covenant, God’s dwelling is no longer confined to a building.
We are now His dwelling place.
This means the cleansing of the temple is not merely historical—it is deeply personal.
Jesus is not only concerned with outward worship, but with what fills the inner life of His people.
Just as commerce and corruption had crowded out prayer, sin can quietly crowd out true devotion in our hearts.
We might ask ourselves as we look at Jesus asserting His kingly authority here, what about my own life/temple?
Are there things I have allowed into my life that do not belong in the presence of the King?
They are likely not obvious rebellion—but subtle replacements:
Busy lives that leave no room for prayer
Comfort that dulls spiritual hunger
Sin that is tolerated rather than confessed
Jesus’ cleansing is not destructive—it is restorative.
He removes what does not belong so that true worship can flourish.
That is why he begins teaching in the temple daily after this.
He drives out the not good, and brings in the good.
To submit to Jesus as King means more than welcoming Him with praise—
it means giving Him rightful authority over every part of life.
True worship is not merely singing or gathering.
It is a life increasingly shaped by His holiness.
When the King cleanses His house, He is inviting His people into freedom, not condemnation.
He is calling us to live as those who belong to Him.
This act seals His fate. The King’s authority threatens those who benefit from empty religion.
From this moment on, the path to the cross is unavoidable.
And yet, even this confrontation is part of His saving work.
The King cleanses His house because He intends to give Himself for His people.
Conclusion: The King Who Is Rejected to Save
Conclusion: The King Who Is Rejected to Save
There is one more detail in this moment that brings everything we have seen today into focus.
On this very day—when Jesus enters Jerusalem openly, receiving the praise of the crowds and accepting the title of King—
I mentioned earlier, this was also the day when Jewish families were selecting their Passover lamb.
Lambs were being brought into the city, examined, and set apart for sacrifice.
Do you see the beauty of what God is doing?
The King proclaimed enters His city.
The Lamb, chosen by God, approaches His altar.
Jesus does not stumble into this moment.
He walks into it knowingly.
The King comes to claim His people, and the Lamb comes to give His life for them.
Over the coming days, He will be examined and questioned, and no fault will be found in Him.
Yet He will be rejected—not because He failed, but because this was the plan of God for our salvation.
This is why He wept.
This is why He cleansed the temple.
This is why He pressed forward toward the cross.
The throne would come—but first, the sacrifice.
My prayer for each of us is that we not miss the King because He does not meet our expectations.
That we do not reject the peace He offers because it comes through surrender.
Transition to the Lord’s Supper
In just a few days from this moment, Jesus would sit with His disciples and take the Passover meal—
I wanted to take the time as we close our service today to remember that.
The very passover feast they shared, Jesus gave it new meaning.
He would take the bread and say, “This is my body, given for you.”
He would take the cup and say, “This is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many.”
Today, as we come to the Lord’s Table, we remember both truths:
Jesus is our King
Jesus is our Lamb
And we do not come merely to observe a ritual, but to remember a sacrifice and to renew our allegiance.
Invitation to Reflection
Before we share in the Lord’s supper together, let us take a moment to examine our hearts.
Have we welcomed Jesus with our words, but resisted His reign in our lives?
Are there places where we have closed ourselves off to the peace He offers?
Is there anything the King is calling us to surrender as we remember the Lamb who was slain for us?
The table is not for the perfect, but for the repentant.
Not for those who have it all together, but for those who trust in Christ alone.
14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Pass
Pray
Eat
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Pass
Pray
Drink
As we have taken the bread and the cup together, let us remember:
The King entered the world for us.
The Lamb gave His life for us.
And through Him, peace with God has been made.
Let us leave here today with grateful hearts, surrendered lives, and renewed faith in Jesus Christ, our King and our Passover Lamb.
