Our Compassionate King - Palm Sunday

Luke was the only Gentile author in the New Testament. He wrote in a way that a non-Jew could understand what had happened in those days. Because of this Luke is for many the easiest gospel to read. This gospel clearly shows us Jesus, a compassionate Savior, King who has come for all mankind, Jews and Gentile. It is a writing where all people are valued. Samaritan, leper, woman caught in adultery, poor, etc. That “all mankind will see God’s salvation.” (Luke 3:6)

It is through his perspective that we see the original Palm Sunday. To get a fuller understanding of this compassionate King we can look at the chapter that precedes it. In Luke 18 Jesus is approaching the city of Jericho on his way to Jerusalem, where he knew he would face suffering and death. He was traveling through crowds with his disciples. A blind man who was begging by the roadside heard the crowd and asked what was happening. When he was told that it was Jesus of Nazareth he cried out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those around him immediately rebuked him and told him to be quiet.

At this time in history it was thought that those who were disabled or poor must have offended God, so they must be sinful people. But this was not Christ’s opinion of him. Even though Christ was focused on Jerusalem and the cross that laid before him he still took time to meet the needs of this man who was an outcast of society. Jesus had the man brought to him and healed him. We see in this story our compassionate king.

In Luke 19, starting in verse one, we see Christ’s compassion again. He was entering Jericho and the crowds were continuing to follow Him. Scriptures tell of a man named Zacchaeus who wanted to see Jesus. He was one of the chief tax collectors in Jericho. He collected taxes from his own people for the Romans. He was allowed to charge whatever he wanted and keep the extra for himself. Because of this he was seen as a traitor, a thief, and the worst of sinners.

He was a short man so he climbed up in a tree so he could see Jesus over the crowd. As Jesus walked by he saw Zacchaeus in the tree. Jesus stopped, looked at Zacchaeus and told him to come down. He was going to his house to visit him. Many were surprised that a “holy” man would spend time with this “sinner.” By the end of their time together Zacchaeus repented of his sin and committed to repay all he had taken from people unjustly. Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house. . . for the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Once again the compassionate King had stooped down to the level of man and met them in their point of need.

In Luke 19:28-44, through Jesus’ triumphal entry we see His proclamation that He has come as our compassionate King.

At times in scripture God instructed his prophets to speak his instructions to God’s people. At other times God instructed his prophet to present an object lesson or living example of the idea that God was trying to communicate to his people, especially when the people were slow to listen to the words of God. We find an example of a living example in Luke 19:28-44.

At this point Jesus had been ministering to the people for almost three years. The time of His death was drawing near and most of the Jews still were choosing not to believe. So Jesus presents them with a picture, where the lesson, His claims of being the Christ, would be unmistakable. It was the time of year to celebrate the Jewish Passover and thousands upon thousands of Jewish pilgrims had already gathered in Jerusalem. Religious fervor and passion was high.

Scripture tells how Jesus was approaching the Mount of Olives riding on a donkey that had never been ridden before. The Mount of Olives was just east of the city of Jerusalem. It was a place with sacred importance. In the book of Ezekiel God had given the prophet a vision of God and His glory leaving and returning to Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives, the mountain to the east of Jerusalem. The location of this story being the Mount of Olives was significant to the people of Jesus’ day.

As we continue to observe the culture of that day and the scriptures of the Old Testament we can begin to understand much more about this story. An unused animal was often used for sacred purposes. On example can be found in Numb. 19:2 where God gives instruction concerning an animal that was to be sacrificed. “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.” Christ riding on an unused colt was another message to the people about the sacredness and importance of who Christ was.