“Palm Sunday”
Luke 19:28-44
INTRODUCTION: Today is the Sunday before Resurrection Day, which we call “Palm Sunday”. It’s also known as the “Triumphant Entry Of Christ”.
It is believed that Jesus actually entered Jerusalem on 3 different occasions … on Saturday, Sunday, and again on Monday. Let’s take a look at what took place on “Palm Sunday”.
Luke 19:28-44 – all turn
19:28 – “thus spoken” – Jesus had come from Jericho (about 19 miles away), where he healed Blind Bartimeus, and spoke to Zaccheus. He had just spoken the parable of the 10 pounds, an d was on His way to Jerusalem.
19:29 – Jesus probably spent the night in Bethany, at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, where Mary anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped them with her hair. Judas had a fit, at the apparent waste of expensive perfume. John 12:5-7 – “Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? [6] This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. [7] Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.”
“Bethphage” was the adjacent village to Bethany. Jesus sends 2 of His Disciples to Bethphage on a mission.
19:30 – Jesus wanted to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. This was UNUSUAL for Jesus. We always find Him WALKING … never riding an animal.
WHY A DONKEY? There weren’t many HORSES in that area. Only the rich and the nobility rode horses. Horses were associated with WAR. When the conquering King came into a city after a conquest, he would ride on a horse. BUT … when the King came into a city riding on a donkey, it was a symbol of PEACE.
WHY A WILD DONKEY? He specifically asked for a colt that had never been ridden before … not broken for riding. WHY? PERHAPS, it is to show the submission of an unbroken animal to the Master. Jesus could tame a wild animal … BUT … the stubborn hearts of the Jews would not be broken. They wouldn’t submit to Him in their hearts as their King.
19:31 – Jesus didn’t own a donkey … He had to borrow one. The only material goods that He owned and He left behind, were the clothes on His back. AND … the soldiers gambled for them when they crucified Him.
Jesus didn’t attach Himself to this world. We’re just pilgrims here … sojourners … passing through. We shouldn’t let the world have such a grasp on us … AND … we shouldn’t have such a grasp on this world … THAT … we have more treasure here than in Heaven. Corrie Ten Boom once said that the problem with grasping the things of this world too tightly, is that, when God has to pry our hands loose, it hurts!
19:32 – Jesus had apparently made arrangements with the owners of the donkey and the colt on a previous trip to Jerusalem. “The next time I’m in Jerusalem, I’ll need to borrow your donkey and colt I’ll send some men in to get them.”
19:33 – When they got to Bethphage, they saw the donkey & colt, just like Jesus said. The owners of the donkey & colt saw the 2 men untying the 2 animals, and, naturally, asked what they were doing. For all they knew, they were trying to steal the animals.
19:34 – When they said this, the owners knew that it was Jesus who had sent them to get the animals. Apparently, they believed in Jesus as their Messiah, and were glad to offer them to Him.
In reality, everything belongs to Jesus, anyway! It was Jesus, who spoke, and the worlds were created … and everything in it. We are but stewards of all that God has allowed us to keep for Him. Everything we have is to be put to the Master’s use. It’s arrogant to refuse Jesus what is rightfully His in the first place. We shouldn’t be so covetous of our earthly wealth … and withhold it from Jesus.
19:35-36 – The 2 Disciples put their coats on the young colt, for Jesus to use as a saddle. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO MENTION?
In Old Testament times, to show their respect to a King, people would put their clothes down for the King to walk on them. The people did this when Jehu was anointed the new King of Israel. 2 Kings 9:12-13 - ’Thus says the Lord, "I have anointed you king over Israel." [13] Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, "Jehu is king!"
Here, Jesus is coming into Jerusalem as the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
o He is riding in on a donkey, as a King would come in peace.
o He will soon be given a crown … but it will be a crown of thorns.
o A sign will be placed over His head, saying, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”.
Jesus wasn’t the kind of King they were hoping for. They wanted a King to rid them of Roman rule. They wanted a PHYSICAL King … a Messiah who would use His miracles in a revolt against Rome. They wanted a King who would:
o Feed their army, like He fed the 5000, with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.
o Heal the wounded, like He did the lepers, the lame, and the sick.
o Raise the dead Jewish soldiers, like He did Lazarus.
They weren’t interested in a King who came to set up a kingdom in their HEARTS. They didn’t want a “Price of Peace” … they wanted a “Prince of War”. They not only didn’t want to be under the authority of Rome … they also didn’t want to be under the authority of God’s Son.
We still have that problem today. We want a Savior who won’t allow anyone go to Hell. We believe in “justice” … as long as it doesn’t condemn us to Hell. We don’t mind crowning Jesus as the Lord of our lives … as long as we don’t have to submit to His rule and authority in our daily lives. We want a Savior who will take us to Heaven … but we don’t want to live for Him on the way there.
Jesus wasn’t the Savior they expected … or wanted. Maybe we have the wrong expectations of Jesus. Maybe we expect Jesus to be the Easter Bunny, Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy, all rolled into one. Jesus came to RULE YOUR HEART … to take control of your life … to be the Lord of your life. They didn’t want to SUBMIT to that. Neither do many people today.
19:37-38 – Listen to Matthew 21:8 – “Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.” This was the kind of entry given to a conquering King … like the “red carpet” treatment.
Just like they threw their clothes & palm branches at the feet of Jesus, one day EVERY ONE will fall at the feet of Jesus. Romans 14:11 – “For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God." For those who didn’t fall at His feet and submit to Him as their Savior … they will fall at His feet and submit to Him as their Judge. Everybody WILL profess that Jesus is the Savior. Where you will spend eternity depends on WHEN you make this profession … before or after death.
NOTICE who was shouting this … the “disciples”. This wasn’t just the 12 Disciples, but the crowds who had followed Jesus throughout His ministry. They believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and that He was coming to set up the Millennial Kingdom that God had promised them. They had heard of the raising of Lazarus from the dead … and perhaps saw him there in the crowd.
Matthew says that they also shouted, (Matthew 21:9) - "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!" “Hosanna” means ‘save now’. Just like we shout “Come, Lord Jesus” as we wait for the rapture and His second coming. “Lord, save us from this world of sin, and take us home to be with you.” They were as anxious for the Millennial Kingdom, as we are for the rapture of the Church.
Jesus had ANOTHER kingdom to set up first. First, He must rule and reign in the hearts of those who would trust Him as their Savior. When Jesus comes at the rapture, He will take His followers of this kingdom with Him, and then return to set up the Millennial Kingdom that God promised the Jews.
There were all kinds of people in the crowd that day.
o Some were the “disciples”, who were proclaiming Jesus as their Messiah.
o Some were silently watching … not saying a word … uncommitted.
o Some were caught up in the moment … joining the band-wagon … going along with the crowd. These would in just a few days be shouting “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
o Some were watching … but not silently … like the Pharisees.
19:39 – Why was this so important … that Jesus put a stop to this demonstration? The Pharisees expected to see Roman soldiers any time now. After all, these people were calling Jesus their KING! The Romans said that Caesar was their King. The Pharisees expected to see soldiers coming to break up the demonstration with force … and a riot to ensue.
The Pharisees were intimidated by Jesus. They were jealous of His following. They were angry at His rebuke of them. Later, when Jesus was brought before Pilate, listen to the crowds NOW - John 19:14-15 – “Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And (Pilate) said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!" [15] They therefore cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."
19:40 – The Pharisees would soon silence the crowd … BUT … Jesus WILL BE praised! Isaiah 55:12 -
"For you will go out with joy, And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
When Jesus was crucified, Matthew tells us that the rocks DID cry out. Matthew 27:51 – “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split,”
Jesus goes on to tell what the rocks will have to say in a few years.
19:41 – As Jesus passed over the Mount of Olives, He had a full view of the city. He begins to weep. WHY? Because He knew what was ahead for them … because they would reject Him and crucify Him.
It is only reported 2 times that Jesus wept. He cried just before He raised Lazarus from the dead. WHY? Because He saw the unbelief and hurt in the hearts of Mary & Martha. NOW … He sees the unbelief in the hearts of the Jews. He knows what will happen because of the hardness of their hearts.
19:42-44 – The stones WILL cry out … as Jerusalem will be destroyed in 70 AD when Titus comes and levels the city, slaughtering the inhabitants without mercy.
Jesus came to bring them “peace” (19:42). BUT … they didn’t know that the Son of God had visited them as “Jesus”.
CONCLUSION: The Bible has lots to say about “tears”. I believe that Jesus weeps today … as He sees those who continue to reject Him. Jesus will one day tell those who rejected Him (Luke 13:27-28) -
“I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.’ [28] "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out.”
For those who trust Him as Savior, (Rev. 21:4) – “and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
Jesus wants to make a “Triumphant Entry” into your heart this morning. When you stand before Him one day, He will either say, “”Depart from Me, I never knew you” … OR … “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy Lord.”
That day can be either TRIUMPH … or TRAGEDY. Tears of SORROW, or tears of JOY. If you’ve never trusted Jesus as YOUR Savior … do so today.
STAND – PRAY
HYMN - #178 – “Out Of My Bondage, Sorrow, and Night”
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“Palm Sunday”
Luke 19:28-44
19:28 – Jesus had just come from Jericho.
19:29 – Jesus spent the night in Bethany – John 12:5-7
19:30 – A King would ride on a donkey to symbolize PEACE.
- The WILD donkey colt showed the submission of an unbroken animal to the Master … unlike the Jewish people.
19:31 – Jesus didn’t attach Himself to worldly things.
- Store your treasures in Heaven, not on the earth.
19:32 – Arrangements had been made for the use of the colt.
19:33 – The owners didn’t know the 2 Disciples.
19:34 – Everything really belongs to Jesus anyhow!
- We are just stewards of that which the Creator has let us manage … don’t be covetous of that which isn’t yours.
19:35-36 – A sign of respect for a King – 2 Kings 9:12-13
- Jesus wasn’t the kind of king they had hoped for.
- Jesus wanted to rule their HEARTS, not their LAND.
- Today, people want a Savior to take them to Heaven, without submitting to Him as Lord of their lives.
19:37-38 – Matthew 21:8 – A “red carpet” treatment.
- One day, EVERYONE will fall at His feet – Romans 14:11
- Matthew 21:9 – “Hosanna” = ‘Save now!’
- They were as anxious for the Millennial Kingdom as we are for the RAPTURE of the Church.
19:39 – Rome would put a stop to someone allowing themselves to be called the “King” of the Jews.
- Later, they would declare that they have only one King, Caesar – John 19:14-15
19:40 – Jesus WILL be praised – Isaiah 55:12
- The rocks DID cry out at His crucifixion – Matthew 27:51
19:41 – Jesus wept over their unbelief and coming heartache.
19:42-44 – The stones from the city of Jerusalem will cry out, as the city is destroyed in 70 AD by the Roman ruler Titus.
CONCLUSION:
- Jesus wants to make a “triumphant entry” into your heart today.
- Jesus will one day tell you, “Depart” … or … “Enter”.
