Introduction
Dr Warren Wiersbe, once minister of the Moody Church in Chicago and the Director of Back to the Bible organisation based in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, in his With the Word Commentary, divides Luke 19 into three main sections: The day of salvation, the day of evaluation and the day of visitation. Without leaving the impression that I necessarily agree with Dr Wiersbe in all he writes, I believe this division is helpful to understand the structure of chapter 19 of the Gospel of Luke.
The day of salvation (1–10). Verse 10 is illustrated in the experience of Zacchaeus: Jesus came to him, sought him, and saved him.
The day of evaluation (11–27). This deals with the parable of the minas. Those who received the minas are called to appear the king to give account.
The day of visitation (28–43). What a tragedy that the Jewish nation did not know their own King when He came to them! Our Lord wept, for He saw the terrible judgment that was coming to the city and the people.
So, the first part of chapter 19 leads into the section we will look at tonight.
Two opposite reactions
In the preceding parables of chapter 19 there are two responses to the ministry of Jesus: First, there was the crowd around Zacchaeus, the ostensibly “righteous” people, those who saw themselves as the earners of grace, so different from the sinner tax-collector. They muttered and grumbled about the fact the Jesus actually dined with a sinner. And then of course there was Zacchaeus who expected nothing but got it all. He was counted as a real son of Abraham.
Then there were those who didn’t want Jesus to be their King, whilst others considered it as a great privilege to be counted as workers in the kingdom of the King.
This sets the framework for the third group of people of the verses between Luke 19:28-44. This group is also marked by two opposite reactions to the ministry of Jesus. But most important is the action of Jesus. So, let us now first turn to the Prophet-King, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The Prophet-King
I deliberately chose this title for Jesus. Not only is Christ the fulfilment of the prophecies of the Old Testament; He is also the prophet who prophesied about God’s judgment upon those who reject Him as prophet and King.
His vehicle
His Kingdom is not of this world, and He does not meet the expectations of those who expected a political king. He is the servant-king who chose not a brilliant white stallion to enter the city. Coming on a donkey was a sign of peace. If Jesus had ridden in on a horse, it would have signified a conquering king coming to take over. Jesus was coming not to take, but to give his life in order to make peace between men and God.
It certainly wasn’t your typical arrival of a new king that day as Jesus approached Jerusalem. Bethphage and Bethany are about a mile apart, on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, which sits next to Jerusalem. Bethany, of course, was the home town to Mary, Martha and Lazarus. There our Master wept over the effect of sin as he raised his friend from the dead.
So Jesus sends two of His disciples to get the transport ready. They are sent to take a young donkey. The Lord told them what to say. Studying the text one gets the impression that the owners of the colt were also disciples of Jesus. The colt was not bought, it was only loosed. They not argue the point. The phrase “The Lord needs it” and their reaction to it, gives the impression that this family understood that the time of their Lord had come.
So here is Jesus, the king of Kings, riding in on a colt. It had never been ridden before. The Law stated you couldn’t use an ordinary animal for sacred purposes. Also it spoke of the way Jesus approached His city.
Let us quote from Zechariah 9:9:
"Say to the daughter of Zion, ’Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’"
He is the King! He is a humble King! He therefore receives praises as his disciples draped their cloaks on the colt; they then sat Him on the colt. They also spread their cloaks on the road. He accepts their praise even as the disciples now started quoting from the Holy Scriptures to ascribe glory to Him.
Can I just take you for one moment to the last book of the Bible, Revelation 19:9-10. God revealed to John an amazing array of visions. Then, after the vision of the wedding feast of the Lamb, the angel followed with a benediction: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.” And he added: “These are the true words of God.” One cannot blame John to at that point falling on his knees to worship this magnificent creature with his extraordinary message. But the angel, as it were, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and picked him up, exhorting him: “I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit (essence) of prophecy.” Don’t worship me; only God may be worshipped!
This episode in Revelation is so much different from the one in chapter one. In verse 17 John fell at the feet of the Lord, described in his majesty and splendour. It was on the Lord’s Day (1:10). Here Jesus declared “I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
When our Lord rode on a donkey into the city his true disciples saw it as a fulfilment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. He was indeed the King who came in the Name of the Lord. He allowed them to worship Him, because He was God! He was indeed the one whom the angels sang about at his birth in Bethlehem: Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. Thus are the praises fit for a heavenly King. And if they did not do it, the stones that are but the mere handiwork of God, and as such in God’s service, would have shouted out his praises. Did not God create the world for Christ and through Christ?
His prophetic message
This eternal King entered into the city of King David. And He wept as he did at the graveside of Lazarus. He wept because the city not only rejected his message of peace, but they rejected Him. “If only you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace!”
Why the repeat “you, even you”? One might paraphrase it this way: You, you who are the chosen city of God – if only you could understand that this day your King is visiting you would bring you real peace. The implication is of course that they did not. It was hidden from their eyes. Like the mob gathered under the sycamore fig tree muttered when Jesus dined with a sinner, and like those who rejected the king by despising his investment in them, they were now facing eternal destruction. No peace anymore. The Prophet-King prophesied about the end of the city:
They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19:44)
The word recognise in this sentence, can also mean know or understand. They were blind to the purpose of God’s grace. The fact that this verse talks about God’s coming to them, underscores the fact of Jesus’ eternal existence with the Father. He was indeed God, and through Him God was coming to his people. They rejected not only a man, they rejected God. To reject God is to call judgment upon yourself. It is a terrible thing to fall in the hands of the living God.
Verse 42 uses the word “day” as an expression for time. Is refers to the wondrous day of the entrance of God’s Son into the city of David to fulfil the Scriptures. In verse 44 however the word used by the NIV for time is the Greek word which describes a critical moment; it is a moment of decision. What happened before it and what happed after it is now separated by this momentous appearance of the King of all kings, coming to them on a colt.
Josephus, the historian, wrote down the terrible events leading up to the destruction of the city and at last days of the temple. That was the great tribulation, a time of great pain and sorrow for the once privileged people who then faced the judgment of God for rejecting his mercy, his Prophet-King, yes Himself.
The reaction in the crowd
Now we once again turn to the two different reactions of the people in the presence of Jesus.
The disciples of Jesus
There are a few contextual markers in the paragraph. The term disciple functions very clearly in this paragraph. Then there is the term they, clearly referring to them, the disciples. We need to understand that all followers of Jesus were known as disciples. Distinct from them were those who would later be called apostles.
The two disciples whom Jesus sent to get the colt open the story. Then there were the owners of the colt. These people were too happy to do the bidding of their Prophet-King. He sends them, they go. He demands of them, they give. They do more: they give of their own possessions to glory Him as their King. They were a group described as the crowd of disciples (verse 37). When in verse 36 the NIV translates people spreading their cloaks on the road, other trustworthy translations, following the Greek text, just refer back to the disciples by translating they. The NIV is not correct here and it gives rise to a complete wrong understanding of what happened there. It was the disciples of Jesus who spread their cloaks on both the donkey and the road. It was the disciples of Jesus, who in contrast with the Pharisees, really understood the impact of the occasion, who understood all about the fulfilment of the Scriptures in Jesus Christ. They understood that peace was only possible in and through Him. They understood that Christ was indeed the one to be glorified in the highest of heaven. He is God, the Prophet-King sent by the Father.
The spiritually blind
Undoubtedly, as this procession of joy approached the city of Jerusalem, others joined in. They were taken by the enthusiasm and joyful worship of Jesus. Some did not understand what it was all about. They plucked palm leaves and shouted Hosannas.
There are those still the likes of these in the midst of the crowd of believers. They love the throng, the festivities, the music and the song. They love the candle lights and the carols; they love the angels and the presents; they love to hear the story of the resurrection, and they love to be associated with the church when it is needed. They pack the church with baptisms and funerals and days of prayer for rain, and they even sing along the old trusted melodies of hymns sung over many centuries. But some of them are spiritually blind, and deaf and indifferent to do the bidding of the Master. That’s why it is understandable that they can join the chorus of the enemy of the Cross to get rid of the Saviour of mankind.
In the midst of the happy crowd of people who started out as a real desire to sing the praises of Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, who did all the miracles in the midst of the people, were the ever-present enemy: the Pharisees who thought is blasphemy when the crowd ascribed glory to Jesus Christ with “glory in the highest.” “Teacher, reign in your disciples. They are going a bit too far here.” But Jesus didn’t; He let them do it, because it was fitting that they should.
And when Jesus entered Jerusalem and wept over the city because they had no knowledge of the peace in Him, He went straight to the problem. He entered the temple area where everyone was doing good business. The problem for their spiritual corruptness and bankruptcy was their wrong relationship with God. That was the heart of their problem. There was no revelation of God by faithful teaching of the Scriptures. They still had a form of godliness, but they denied its power.
Let us learn from them. What is religion without Christ? What is worship if one does not come in the Name of the One who is our righteousness before God?
The Pharisees did not like this approach of Jesus and as He taught in the temple they tried to kill him. This of course takes us back to the words of verse 14: “We don’t want this man to be our king.” In the end they did kill Him by nailing Him to the cross.
When He died on the cross, He willingly laid down his life for his sheep. He did not die because the Pharisees had their way; He died because God had his way.
Conclusion
Two opposite reactions in the crowds around Jesus: there were those who willingly subjected to his authority as their Prophet-King, the Saviour sent by God: they worshipped Him. And there were those who rejected Him: they wanted Him dead and out of the way. Who has the last say? I believe it is God.
But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me. (Luke 19:27)
On the other hand there are these words:
Well done, my good servant! his master replied. Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities. (Luke 19:17)
I wonder what it is that you will hear from the Master on that day of his return. It will be a glorious day on which the peace of God will burst forth upon his elect as He ushers them into the eternal city not built by hands. But it will also be the critical moment of judgment for those who rejected Him. Life after that moment will never be the same.
