This is the week before Christs resurrection, the beginning of Holy Week, The Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem, Palm Sunday… No palm leaves in Luke’s Gospel… This may be familiar story to you but I hope you find something deeper in it today. We will see Jesus of Nazareth demonstrates He IS Jesus The Christ! The masses recognize Him as the Messiah, for a minute. To them He might be the Messiah, but is He their messiah? Christ speaks of the Judgement that falls on those who don’t recognize The Messiah. He condemns profiteering by religious authorities and sets up shop in the Temple.
Luke 19:28-48
28 After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. 29 As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. 30 “Go into that village over there,” He told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
- Christ just told the Parable of the Ten Servants (Kingdom Stewardship)
- This is a week before his resurrection
- Jesus gives instructions that demonstrate His authority over ALL things
32 So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. 33 And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?” 34 And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on.
- After 3 years with Christ the disciples are getting used to the supernatural
- Riding a colt Zachariah 9:9
- This is a different kind of kingship / Humble & Gracious; not Overlording.
- Jesus The Christ knows exactly what is going to happen
36 As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. 37 When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. 38 “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”
- A lot of people, a lot of excitement: singing and shouting praises to God
- Many of garments were ‘Prayer Shawls’ Tassels on corners, inscribed collar
- Collar read: ‘Lord of lords and King of kings’, reminder of the coming Messiah
- Laying these garments down was recognition of Jesus’ Messiahship
- V 38 Literal: ‘Blessed is the coming one, the king, the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.’ Psalm 118:26
- End of Psalm: ‘From the house of the Lord we bless you.’ (Hebrew is Plural)
39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” 40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
- Jesus of Nazareth being called ‘Messiah’ made the Religious Elites indignant
- They could not even be open to the idea that Jesus was the Christ
- Jesus says: God ordained the recognition of Him as Christ, one way or another
41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.
- Seeing Jerusalem changed His mood…
- Knowing that the Jewish Establishment would not recognize Him as Christ hurt!
- Of all people… It is so Ironic, yet consistent with Israel’s history
- The die is cast! It is God’s will that the majority of Jews not recognize Christ
- The way to peace with God in Christ is to be hidden from the majority of Jews
43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”
- Jesus predicts what will happen to the Religious Establishment / Temple
- This happens in 70 AD when the Roman destroy Jerusalem and The Temple
- This is God’s Judgement on the corrupt Jewish Religious Establishment
- Was it God’s will? If it happened, it is God’s will.
- God’s Justice is not in our power to judge whether it is fair or not
45 Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
- Then He goes to the center of the cancer, the source of the corruption
- The Temple Rulers were cheating people who were trying to worship God
- Serious offense: Stealing from people by using God!
- 2nd time Jesus has dome this, it’s the 1st thing he does upon entering the city.
47 After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. 48 But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.
- The next four day Jesus The Christ is going to do some serious teaching
- This will drive the religious leaders to get rid of Him
- They realized how popular Jesus was… so they were going to have to play dirty
SUMMARY:
With the colt Christ demonstrates His omniscience and omnipotence.
Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem was intentional fulfillment of prophecy.
For a fleeting moment Jesus was recognized as Messiah / Christ by the masses.
God is grieved when people reject Him. Then & Now.
God’s judgement is based on HIS idea of justice, and can seem unfair to us.
Fighting the corruption of true worship was Jesus’ priority, it should be ours as well.
APPLICATION:
What practices can you build into your life to continually recognize Jesus as Christ?
How do you avoid complacency in your relationship with Christ?
What do you specifically base your ideas and expectations of ‘Justice’ on?
What can you do to keep worship pure here at Midtown?