For some time now, migrant journeys from hostile lands to European and North American countries have been making headlines. Great masses of peoples have left their home countries, many of which are war zones, seeking safety and security. Yet the mass migration of peoples have resulted in riots, security issues, financial burdens and fears.
For the journey of Jesus into Jerusalem, from the outset of His ministry the religious leaders were intimidated by Jesus and quickly came to hate Him. He knew that any kind of open popular acclaim would escalate the leaders’ animosity toward Him and bring about His death prematurely. During the Passover in His final entry into Jerusalem, however, the divinely determined time had come for Him to die, so He accepted such a massive display of popular acclaim (by some estimates, there were one to two million people in Jerusalem and the vicinity for the Passover celebration, and some surmise as many as one hundred thousand may have been involved in the triumphal entry) that the leaders of Israel could not wait any longer to eliminate Him—especially with their fear that Jesus would lead the crowd in a rebellion against the Roman forces and they would all lose their power and position (John 11:47–50). Their plan was to seize Jesus and execute Him after the Passover, when the massive crowds had dispersed. They were afraid doing so during the festival might trigger a riot (Matt. 26:3–5). His arrival at Jerusalem marked the end of the Lord’s journey, not just this final journey to Jerusalem that began in Luke 9:51, but of His life’s journey from Bethlehem to this moment. Here He faced His greatest challenge and completed the salvation work for which He had come. The people, with no thought of Messiah as a sacrifice for sin (in spite of Isaiah 53), were still focused on the earthly kingdom they fervently hoped He would establish. But there could not be exalted glory until there was shame; there could not be a kingdom until there was a cross; there would be no royal crown without a thorny crown. That would happen at the end of the Passion Week.
In the journey of our lives, it is too easy to look at events surrounding us or even in our own lives itself from a mere surface point of view. We see natural disasters, terrorist acts, war, famine, and drought. From our own lives or those close to us, we face sickness, disease, unemployment, hostility and doubt. From the surface it seems like God is absent from these situations and does not care. Examining the facts behind Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem should remind us to look beyond the outward sentiment or hostility to the orchestration by God to fulfill His kingdom plan. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem recorded in Luke 19:28-44 is a story of hope and assurance in a world of suffering, hostility and fear.
The Messiah’s dramatic triumphal entry into Jerusalem helps us understand the Hand of God behind the: 1) The Preparation (Luke 19:28–35), 2) The Adoration (Luke 19:36–38), and 3) The Condemnation (Luke 19:39-44).
1) The Preparation (Luke 19:28–35)
Luke 19:28–35 28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 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. (ESV)
The phrase these things refers to the parable the Lord had told in vv. 11–27. After that instruction, Jesus continued on ahead up the road leading from Jericho up to Jerusalem. About two miles (John 11:18) east of Jerusalem were the small villages according to verse 29, of Bethphage and Bethany, at/near the mount that is called Olivet (the Mount of Olives). Bethany lies on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives two to three miles from Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives lies directly east of Jerusalem 2,660 feet above sea level. To reach Jerusalem one would proceed west down the Mount of Olives, through the Kidron Valley, and into the temple area through the eastern gate, later called the Golden Gate. (Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke (Vol. 24, p. 478). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
The Aramaic behind the name Bethphage means “House of Unripe Figs,” which, along with the name Mount of Olives, suggests that the region was fertile. The name is ironic since Jesus earlier threatened the nation about not becoming an unproductive fig tree (13:6–9). (Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, p. 1553). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.)
When He visited Jerusalem, Jesus had often stayed in Bethany, the hometown of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (John 11:1). The Lord arrived at Bethany on the preceding Saturday with Passover coming six days later on Thursday evening through Friday sunset (John 12:1). On the next day, Sunday, Jesus attended a dinner in His honor at the home of Simon the leper (Matt. 26:6–13). Also on that day a “large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead” (John 12:9). His entry into Jerusalem took place the following day (John 12:12), Monday of Passion Week, not on “Palm” Sunday as Christians have traditionally believed. This chronology eliminates the problem of the Gospels having no record of Jesus’ activities on Wednesday, which would be the case if the triumphal entry were on Sunday. Since the events of every other day are so carefully accounted for, it would be difficult to explain why there was a day omitted in the account of the most momentous week of Christ’s life. Further evidence that the triumphal entry was on Monday comes from the Law’s requirement that the Passover lambs be selected on the tenth day of the first month (Nisan) and sacrificed on the fourteenth day (Ex. 12:2–6). In the year our Lord was crucified, the tenth of Nisan fell on Monday of Passover week. When He entered Jerusalem on that day, Jesus was fulfilling the role as the Father’s chosen Lamb (John 1:29, 36) in much the same way the Jewish people chose their Passover lambs. Completing the parallel, Christ was killed on Friday, the fourteenth day of Nisan, with all the thousands of other lambs; but as the one true sacrifice for sin. But the chronology of these last days, as of the whole of our Lord’s life, is uncertain. At Bethany He would part from the large caravan of pilgrims in whose company He had been travelling. Most of these would press on to Jerusalem. (Plummer, A. (1896). A critical and exegetical commentary on the Gospel according to S. Luke (p. 445). London: T&T Clark International.)
The momentous entry of the Messiah was set in motion when Jesus sent two of the disciples (possibly Peter and John; cf. Luke 22:8) according to verse 30, saying, “Go into the village in front/ahead of you” (probably Bethphage). The details of what the two would find there provide an undeniable illustration of the Lord’s omniscience (cf. John 1:47–48; 2:25). First, He told them that they would find a donkey (John 12:14; cf. Zech. 9:9) colt (and its mother; Matt. 21:2) tied. Jesus had not been to Bethphage, nor had He sent anyone to arrange for the colt to be available. The detail that the colt was one which no one had ever ridden gives further evidence of His omniscience, as does His knowledge that the disciples would be asked, “Why are you untying it?”
Just as the Lord had omnisciently foreseen, as the disciples in verse 33 were untying the colt, its surprised owners asked the obvious question: “Why are you untying the colt?” As Jesus had instructed them, they replied in verse 34: “The Lord has need of it.” As He also foresaw, when “they spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, [the owners] gave them permission” (Mark 11:6) to take the colt. No further explanation was necessary, since it was widely known that He who had raised Lazarus from the dead and given sight to two blind men in Jericho was staying in Bethany. He chose the donkey because it beautifully portrayed both his position as King and his character as servant. (Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke: that you may know the truth (p. 240). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.)
• If you saw someone taking an animal that belonged to you, you might be inclined to get physical with him or at least ask him what he was up to. The owner of the colt asked before he defended his property, and they responded as they had been told: “The Lord need it.” Nothing more is indicated. No persuasive speech. No arguments. No overcoming reluctance. No lectures from the owner about getting the colt back in reasonable time without damage. The Lord has need of it, and the owner gave it. Such simple obedience and willing response should characterize our relationship with the Lord. If we have it and the Lord has need of it, we should let Him have it (Heer, K. (2007). Luke: A Commentary for Bible Students (p. 260). Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House.)
Please turn to Zechariah 9 (p.796)
Now, verse 35 records that they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks/coats on the colt to provide a makeshift saddle, they set/put Jesus on it. Here, Jesus was specifically fulfilling Old Testament messianic prophecy. According to Matthew 21:4–5, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
Zechariah 9:9–13 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.10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. 13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword. (ESV)
• Five hundred years before the crowd hailed Him as king, Zechariah (9:9; cf. Isa. 62:11) predicted that Jesus would ride a donkey’s colt. He would not come the first time as the conquering hero riding on a white horse; that will happen when He comes again in glory to judge and to reign as King of kings (Rev. 19; 20). The first time He came in humility to give His life a ransom for sinners (Mark 10:45). He did not come in grandeur, but in meekness; not to slay but to save. His coming in incarnation is the time of His humiliation; His second coming in exaltation is the time of His glorification.
Hymn: Thomas Kelly expressed this contrast: “Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious: See the Man of Sorrows now; From the fight returned victorious, Ev’ry knee to him shall bow. Crown him! Crown him! Crowns become the Victor’s brow. Hark! those bursts of acclamation! Hark! those loud triumphant chords! Jesus takes the highest station; O what joy the sight affords! Crown him! Crown him! King of kings and Lord of lords”.
As glorious as it was to see Jesus on the first Palm Sunday, it will be infinitely more glorious to see him go up to take his eternal throne in the city of the new Jerusalem—the heavenly procession of God’s once and forever King. Everyone who trusts in Jesus for salvation will be part of the cheering crowd on that great day, straining to see the King. When you get your first glimpse of Jesus in that parade, your heart will leap to the praise that you were born to give, and you will shout, “Oh, the King, the King! It is Jesus, my King! Hallelujah! Hosanna! Hail to the King! (Ryken, P. G. (2009). Luke. (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (Vol. 2, pp. 336–337). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.)”
2) The Adoration (Luke 19:36–38)
Luke 19:36–38 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!”(ESV)
When He was still approaching the city, adoration of Jesus began as the people were spreading their cloaks/coats on the road ahead of Him. By doing so they were expressing their eager submission to Him (cf. 2 Kings 9:13), symbolically placing themselves under His feet as their king. His acceptance of the delirious crowd’s adoration and worship was appropriate, for as the Son of God, He was worthy of all praise. The disciples did not fully grasp the significance of what was happening. As John would later write, “These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him” (John 12:16). Luke does not mention the spreading of palm branches, probably because this Jewish detail was beyond his audience (Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, p. 1557). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.).
The little donkey bearing Jesus picked its way through the piles of coats on the road toward the crest, from where Jerusalem would come in view. In verse 37, when the crowd saw that Jesus was already on the way/approaching, down/near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples, their fervor inflamed by the sight of the great city, began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works/miracles they had seen. Those mighty works/miracles included the raising of Lazarus and the healing of the two blind men at Jericho, as well as the rest of the miracles Jesus had performed throughout His ministry.
Other people came out from Jerusalem to meet Jesus and those who accompanied Him from Bethany (John 12:12–13). The two great tides of people joined to make one huge throng, some behind Jesus, others in front of Him (Matt. 21:9). While some threw their coats in front of the Lord, others cut palm branches and threw them on the road. Palm branches symbolized victory, joy, and celebration. The crowd’s messianic hopes reached an apex and the people began, as verse 38 indicates, saying/shouting, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (cf. Ps. 118:26), thus acknowledging that Jesus was the promised Messiah King who came with the full authority of God. Matthew notes that the crowd also shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David.… Hosanna in the highest!” (Mt. 21:9). “Hosanna” means “save now,” while “Son of David” is a title for the Messiah (Matt. 12:23; Mark 12:35). The crowd was not pleading for salvation from sin, but from the oppression of Rome and for the establishment of the promises related to Messiah’s reign. That hope led them to cry, “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David” (Mark 11:10), which they fully expected to appear. They are quoting Psalm 118 In this regal figure, God is reconciling himself to humanity and reasserting his rule. The king is entering the city to the people’s cries of joy, cries that within a week will become wails of pain and disappointment. As Jesus enters the city he presents himself as the king who brings the nation’s eschatological hope. A week later he will be taken outside the city, for in the eyes of the nation he is a messianic imposter who must be stopped. The nation will say no—just as Jesus predicted. A donkey now bears him as king; soon he will bear his own cross. (Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, pp. 1558–1559). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.)
Please turn to Psalm 118 (p.511)
Psalm 118, quoted in v 38, was used in preexilic Israel as a hymn of royal entry on the occasion of an annual ritual of reenthronement. Later, it was used in the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths), when palm branches would have been used celebratively in preparation for the building of booths. (Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke (p. 686). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Psalm 118:5-26 5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. 10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 12 They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. 14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. 15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,16 the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.18 The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. (ESV)
• In their distress under Roman captivity they called out unto the Lord for deliverance, not understanding that the freedom of verse 5, is salvific and not political. The triumph of verse 7 is love over hate and not force over government. The Help that the Lord offers of verse 13 is deliverance from the captivity of sin and not military captivity. The Salvation of v. 15 is from the wrath of God and not Roman tyranny. As Christ entered into Jerusalem through the gates, as pictured in v. 18, he portrayed entering into relationship with the Father through Him. The cry of v. 25 “save us” is the word Hosanna. They quoted v. 26 as Christ entered through the gates. Yet, in rejecting Him as the cornerstone of salvation, they will be like the builders of v.22. He will be a stone of Judgement.
Finally, they also shouted, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” because they could not believe that God’s heart could be at peace as long as Jerusalem was not. Not until Messiah came and brought peace and glory to Jerusalem, they believed, could there ever be peace in heaven and glory in the highest. It should be noted again that they have no idea of Messiah as the suffering sacrifice for sin as that yet future generation of Jews will who look on the One they pierced, mourn for Him (Zech. 12:10). Peace is not freedom from turmoil on earth. It is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. There is “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”. Luke alone has the words “peace” and “glory.” He does not have “Hosanna,” which his Gentile readers might not have understood (Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Lk 19:38). Nashville: T. Nelson.).
The irony of all this is that the name of the city has “peace” as part of its meaning (Hebrews 7:2), but the people of the city did not know what would bring them peace. The “city of peace” was blind to the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). If the people had known on this day what was truly happening and had recognized it for what it was, they could have found peace. But the Jewish leaders had rejected their Messiah (19:39, 47); they had refused God’s offer of salvation in Jesus Christ when they were visited by God himself. Now the truth would be hidden, and soon their nation would suffer. (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., Taylor, L. C., & Osborne, G. R. (1997). Luke (p. 443). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Illustration: 3856 Peace, Perfect Peace
One morning in 1875 Canon Gibbon of Harrogate preached from the text: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” The Hebrew is “peace, peace” instead of “perfect peace.” Bishop Bickersteth wrote the hymn, putting each first line in the form of a question and giving the answer in each second line: “Peace, perfect peace—in this dark world of sin? The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.” (Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 894). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.)
3) The Condemnation (Luke 19:39–44)
Luke 19:39–44 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.” (ESV)
Not everyone shared in the joyous excitement, however. Outraged at the crowd’s enthusiastic adulation and adoration of Jesus and His acceptance of it, some of the Pharisees in the crowd, who considered it all blasphemy, said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” Even collectively they knew they were powerless to stop the outpouring of enthusiasm from the huge crowd, so they appealed to Jesus to stop it. It is fitting that in this final mention in Luke of the Pharisees, they manifested the same hostility toward the Lord that had marked them throughout His ministry. His reply to the exasperated Pharisees’ request for Jesus to quiet and disperse the crowd marks the dramatic turning point of the event. Does this mean, then, that Jesus approved of that which was taking place? He approved of it only to the extent to which one great truth was being proclaimed, namely, that of his messiahship. But he was terribly displeased with the people’s inexcusable misunderstanding of that messiahship ( Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke (Vol. 11, p. 877). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.)
That is why Jesus’ response reveals the striking difference between the people’s expectation of Him and His condemnation of them. The contrast between what the people anticipated and what they would receive is extreme; the contrast between the attitude of the people, one of joy, and the attitude of Jesus, one of sorrow, could not be more opposite. The scene moves from joy to horror. The crowd speaks of peace, Jesus speaks of destruction; they pronounce on Him glory, He pronounces on them doom. The Lord’s condemnation manifests His deity both in His authority to pronounce judgment (John 5:22), and in His omniscient knowledge of the precise details of that future judgment. The full judgment on the world of sinners will come at His return in glory, but unbelieving Israel will have a preview very soon. The statement in verse 40: I tell you emphasizes the serious nature of what Jesus was about to say to the Pharisees. The phrase if these were/become silent should be understood not as something that may possibly happen, but as something that will inevitably happen. After the events of Monday, Jesus would receive no more accolades from the crowd. Startlingly, the next time the crowd would be heard from is on Friday, when they would scream for Jesus to be crucified (Luke 23:18–23). Though many Jews have come to salvation in Him and become part of His redeemed church, the nation of Israel offers no praise to Jesus. Their silence is unbroken for two thousand years.
Please turn to Habakkuk 2 (p.786)
Jesus was saying in effect “if these become silent—and they will—at that point the very stones would/will cry out!” Cry out translates the future tense form of the verb krazo, which could also be translated “scream.” The stones will not cry out in joyful praise to God, but in affirmation of God’s judgment on Israel’s wickedness.
This was the Woe oracle prophesied to the Chaldeans
Habakkuk 2:6–12 6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own—for how long?— and loads himself with pledges!”7Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them.8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them.9 “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! 10 You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. 11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.12 “Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! (ESV)
• The stones were plundered from other nations’ buildings or purchased with plundered goods and would serve as a witness against Babylon. As Matthew 21:42-46: declares: 42 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. (ESV)
• There are those in the crowd who will accept the Lordship of Christ, and he will be the cornerstone of their faith. For the others, this stone, like the woe oracle to the Chaldeans in Habakkuk 2, will be a stone of Judgement, as the Romans will destroy the temple in 70 AD.
That inevitable prospect filled the Lord with a deep sense of sorrow, so, as verse 41 notes: when He drew near/approached Jerusalem, and saw the city, he wept over it. The word translated wept is the strongest word in the Greek language for weeping. It denotes Jesus’ agonized sobbing over their superficiality, hypocrisy, shallowness, and rejection of Him—and the inevitable divine wrath that would follow. His clear desire, specified in verse 42 would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! The peace of which the Lord spoke was not political peace with enemies, or social peace in Israel, but peace with God. The things that make for that peace are repentance, faith in Christ, and believing the message of salvation that He had preached throughout His ministry. This day refers not to that Monday, but to the entire time of His presence among them. Unbelief had blinded them all through His ministry. Most of the people chose to be hard-hearted, self-righteous rejecters of Christ and rebuffed all of His invitations, thereby forfeiting peace with God. Despite the crowd’s superficial and short-lived celebration, Jesus, as He had done earlier (Luke 13:34–35), pronounced judgment on them. The truth (Luke 8:10) would be hidden from their eyes. Willful human blindness would become judicial divine blindness. Again, Israel as a nation will not believe until they “look on [the one] whom they have pierced; and they … mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they … weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn” (Zech. 12:10). Then comes the grace of national salvation (Zech. 13:1).
The phrase in verse 43 the days will come upon you is an Old Testament expression of coming judgment (cf. Isa. 39:6; Hos. 9:7; Amos 4:2). The judgment of which Jesus spoke would fall four decades later in A.D. 70 when the Roman military crushed the Jewish revolt and destroyed Jerusalem. Revealing His omniscience, the Lord gave five specific features of that judgment: Israel’s enemies (the Romans) would set/throw up a barricade around/against Jerusalem, they would surround the city, they would hem it in on every side. Finally in verse 44, they would tear you down/level it to the ground, along with its inhabitants, and they would not leave one stone upon another. This would include the temple (Luke 21:6) and with it their religious system. Those stones lying in the rubble would be the ones that cried out in judgment on the unbelieving nation. All that horrific judgment would come about because Israel refused to know/recognize the time of her visitation, when the Lord Jesus Christ, God incarnate, offered them salvation and redemption. “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, [but] the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:10–11). Most did not recognize the time of God’s coming to them. But God did not turn away from the Jewish people who obeyed him. He continues to offer salvation to both Jews and Gentiles (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., Taylor, L. C., & Osborne, G. R. (1997). Luke (p. 444). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
All of this is not just Israel's history. Can I make it very practical for you? Rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord is catastrophic for you, too. It's no less catastrophic for you than it was for them. What about your day of opportunity? What about the time when you've heard the gospel, when the gospel's been presented to you? The time when you've been told how you can be reconciled to God? What have you done with your visitation? Have you recognized the time of your spiritual opportunity or is the end going to be as catastrophic for you as it was for them? What are you doing about God's gracious visitation in your life with the truth of the gospel? That's the question you have to answer. It's history. But it's a monumental lesson to the catastrophe of rejecting Christ. Don't follow that path. Become one of His. Embrace Him as your Savior. (https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/42-242/jesus-humble-coronation-part-2)
(Format note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. (2014). Luke 18–24 (pp. 88–99). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.)
