THE DAY OF VISITATION
Text: Luke 19:28-44
In his book Strengthening Your Grip, Charles Swindoll made an interesting observation that is probably not so easily perceived very often---the difference between discipleship and prophecy. He said,"Christians all around the world will line up to listen to somebody talk on prophecy. Our curiosity knows no future bounds when it comes to future events. But instruction on discipleship---on giving up my goals and desires if God so leads---well that will empty the room fast!" (New York: Bantam Books, 1986, p. 94). It is sad to say, but his observation is correct. Why? Swindoll's answers were that we have "hang ups" in 1) personal relationships (Luke 14:26), 2) personal goals and desires and 3) on personal possessions (Luke 14:33), (pp. 92 -98). Jesus was telling the people that there was both something futuristic and contemporary in His message.
The display that they gave Jesus in His triumphal entry proved to be superficial over the next few days. They praised Him at the beginning of the week and voted for His crucifixion on Friday of that same week.
THE PRINCE OF PEACE
The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace even before He began His earthly ministry. When we look at the teachings of Jesus we can see His ways of peace.
> Love your enemies and pray for them
> Turn the other cheek
> Go the extra mile
> Forgive as God forgives you
> Love your neighbor as you love yourself
> Love God with all of your heart and soul
> Be a good Samaritan
All of these things involved humility. They were also principles that were designed to bring forth an inward change in the hearts of humanity so that they were evident in our discipleship in our witness by our actions. Jesus was teaching us to do the things that makes for man’s highest good which in Hebrew is the definition of shalom. Shalom in English means peace. Jesus was teaching and modeling the way of peace.
As Jesus began His ministry, He began to establish a kingdom of peace. His ministry was also a ministry that was often misunderstood. The people in the crowd that day on Palm Sunday saw Jesus as a hero, a leader, a catalyst for change. They saw Jesus as someone who would overthrow the system. They saw Jesus as the one who would make things happen. Indeed, Jesus did make things happen. But, His method of change was not the same as their expectation.
The expectations of the people in the crowd was delusional. A delusion is something that is false such as a belief or opinion.
There is a story that I once read when I was in my freshman year of college. There was a man in a mental institution that had the delusion that he was dead. His counselor got sick of the ongoing routine of this man's delusion. "Eureka," he thought to himself of the solution to cure this patient of his delusion after several failing attempts. He thought that he would prick the finger of this delusional patient and prove to him that he was alive. During his next session with this patient, he pricked his finger in much the same way they do in the field of medicine when they need a small sample of blood for the purpose of running tests. After he pricked the finger of this patient, he thought he might possibly be cured of his delusion as he exclaimed something like "look at there, you are not dead because you can still bleed". To his surprise, the patient responded, "That only proves that dead people can bleed." It is sad that there are many who cannot be cured of the delusions of false beliefs or opinions any more than this man.
Incarnate, Jesus came to establish God’s kingdom here on earth. Jesus came to bring order out of chaos. They thought He came to lead a mob. It was as if Jesus came flying in a shuttle flight, when they expected a fighter plane. They anticipated combat. Jesus came to bring peace. They wanted a conquest. Jesus came to bring reconciliation. They wanted to retaliate and destroy their enemies. Jesus came teaching, turn the other cheek, love you enemies and pray for them. They wanted a physical kingdom. Jesus came to establish a spiritual kingdom that would tear down their walls and build bridges.
Before there can be peace without, there must first be peace within which begins in the heart. Jesus came not only to make peace and good will possible between men and God, men between men, but also the kind of peace between each individual and how we are sometimes at war with ourselves. Jesus knew that we live based upon how we feel in our hearts between God, others and ourselves. Jesus knew forgiveness and reconciliation made necessary changes possible.
THE PROPHECY FULFILLED
Zechariah 9:9 -10 was the prophecy that was being fulfilled before their eyes. Zechariah 9:9 –10 says, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots of Epraim and the war horses of Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (NIV).
There is symbolism in Jesus’ triumphant entry. Jesus was greeted as a king and honored with branches from palm trees. It was ironic that the crowds were shouting Hosanna which means “save now”. But, they wanted salvation on their terms. Jesus’ terms involved peace. Their terms involved the desire to overthrow the Romans and make them the oppressed. The entrance that Jesus made should have gotten their attention because horses were a symbol of war whereas donkeys were a symbol of peace.
Prior to the age of modern warfare, soldiers would often ride into battle on horses. The military outfits who did so were known as the cavalry. Today, in the modern age of warfare, the cavalry would include motorized armored vehicles (like tanks). In fact, in the military, they even have a patch with the picture of a horse’s head that signifies and distinguishes the infantry (foot soldiers) form the cavalry.
This was a moment when Jesus had the applause of the crowd. Not everybody likes a crowd. Perhaps, one of the few times when people will tolerate great numbers of people that might otherwise avoid is during a parade. The one thing that is more fun that watching a parade is being one who participates. On this day, Jesus was not just participating, He was the main attraction and the only attraction.
At the funeral of Louis XIV, the cathedral was filled with mourners who had come to pay their final tribute to the King, whom they all considered to be great. The room was dark, save for one lone candle illuminating the gold casket which held the mortal remains of the monarch. At the appointed time, the Court preacher stood to address the citizens. As he rose he reached from his pulpit and snuffed out the one candle which had been put their alone to symbolize the greatness of the King. Then from the darkness came just four words, “God only is great”. (Emerson Colaw. Beliefs Of A United Methodist Christian. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 1987, pp. 23-24).
Somebody might say, “Well, now, wait a minute. You are missing the fact that they were honoring Jesus in this parade”. Yes, indeed they were. The problem is that they were honoring Jesus as if He were a great General and war hero like Patton or Eisenhower. They were overlooking the fact that Jesus came through riding on a donkey---a symbol of peace.
THE DAY OF VISITATION
The Greek word for visitation translates as a pastor, a shepherd looking after his flock. The people in the crowd had high hopes and big dreams. Unfortunately, they missed the point. Jesus had come to show the way, the truth and the life, yet many of the people that He came to save could not let go of their view of the way things ought to be. They were trying to rewrite the script, when the script had already been written. The only difference was they had a choice as to the kind of ending the story would have. Like the mighty Titanic that they claimed with a spirit overconfidence was unsinkable, the people in this crowd were overconfident claiming that their way---their desire for a conquest was what made them strong. Jesus had come sowing seeds of peace and they were ready to reap seeds of revolt. They had truly missed the point.
When the Russian leader Nikita Kruschev came to the U.S. in September of 1959, he said that he and Jesus had a lot in common. He said that he even agreed with much of what Jesus said. However, when it came to sacrificial love, Kruschev said that Jesus was wrong. Jesus said if a man hits you on one cheek, turn to him the other (Matthew 5:39). Kruschev said: “If a man strikes me on one cheek, I’ll hit him back on the other one and knock his head off! (Wallace T. Viets. Seven Days That Changed The World. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962, pp. 21-22). Like the people in the crowd that day on the very first Palm Sunday, he missed the point. He agreed with Jesus only as long as it was convenient to his views and values.
What we have in Luke 19 is a picture of two kingdoms in conflict. They were waiting for their D-Day in terms of war. Jesus came in peace. It is some two thousand years later and these two kingdoms are still in conflict. If we agree with views like that of Kruschev, then we are in agreement with the world’s kingdom. If we are in agreement with Jesus, then we are in agreement of the terms of peace that will bring deliverance.
The day of visitation had come, but they failed to see it. Jesus had come to make their hope for their D-Day a reality. When they missed the message of peace that Jesus came to bring, He wept over the city over Jerusalem. He even prophesied as to what would happen later. Jesus said that their enemies would later surround and conquer them. Forty years later, Jesus’ prophesy for the city of Jerusalem was fulfilled.
I read about a soldier who was rescued by a missionary. “A certain mountain in West Africa was held by a tribe of cannibals as their stronghold. Troops had tried to cross the mountain, but they failed. One day a missionary went alone into the enemy’s country, calmly climbed the mountain, and reached the other side. Later, he met the captain of the troops. “Do you mean to tell me you got through untouched?” he said. “How did you do it?” The missionary said, “You went as men of war; I went as a man of peace.” Walter B. Knight. Knight’s Master Book Of New Illustrations. Grand Rapids, Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1956, p. 464). Much like the missionary, Jesus came to deliver them on terms of peace, but unlike the captain, they refused to alter their course.
Jesus the Great Shepherd was trying to save as many as He could. Many of the same people in the crowd that day and even in the crowd today that He came to save as they cheered Him on would later on that week cry, “crucify Him”.
> Build on the foundation of His teaching and not the sands of the world’s philosophy
> Put the kingdom of God first and His righteousness and He will take care of you
> Serve and love others so that they will know that we are His disciples
> Let your light shine so that others will praise God for it
> Enter the narrow gate and avoid the broad path of worldliness that leads to destruction
> Repent or perish
> Have a pure heart
> Have the faith of a mustard seed
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
