THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
A Palm Sunday Message
Rev. John W. Gerald
I. THE PROCESSION BEGINS AT THE MOUNT OF OLIVES
Luke. 19: 29 And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
The Mount of Olives, situated East of Jerusalem, is about a mile long, and 2600 feet above sea level. It is 250 feet above the Temple mount, and it is the most prominent rise near Jerusalem.
This mount figures very prominently in the life and ministry of Jesus. He passed over this major access to Jerusalem frequently. He viewed Jerusalem from one of its four peaks as he made the dire pronouncements about its fate later in this message. He went there for the heart rending prayers of the night of His trial. He will descend upon this mount when He returns to take up his kingdom.
II. THE UNBROKEN COLT
Lu 19:30 Saying, Go ye into the village over against [you]; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring [him hither].
The village could have been Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. It was located on the south east of Jerusalem. Jesus’ ascension was probably near Bethany. It is sure that most of the people of this little city knew Jesus by reputation, at least. His procession of triumph appropriately started
here!
III. INSTRUCTIONS TO OBTAIN THE COLT
Lu 19:31 And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose [him]? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
The owners would certainly protest unless there were some explanation! Jesus knew that this explanation would suffice.
Lu 19:32 And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.
This is another proof that Jesus was divine, and knew all things.
Lu 19:33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owner thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?
The objection arose, as was expected, but Jesus had prepared his disciples with the right response. Would we give Jesus carte blanche control over all that we possess?
Lu 19:34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him.
Did the owners know who the "Lord" was? I believe that they certainly did. They did not protest the taking of the donkey. They seemed to understand.
IV. ONE CAN ONLY SERVE WHEN HE IS FREED
Lu 19:35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
Jesus was given access to the services of the donkey, once he was freed from his hitching-post. We must be freed from the hitching-post of Satan if we would serve Jesus.
V. THE HONOR OF A KING
Lu 19:36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
The disciples first put their garments upon the colt for Jesus to sit upon. Then the crowd placed their garments in the path for the colt to walk upon. This was an act of respect, or honor, given to a conquering hero, or a king.
Joh 12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed [is] the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Jesus was here publicly declared a king, both by the acts and shouts of the multitude. This proclamation was fitting only for the Messiah, the King of Israel. It was not for a civil ruler, but for the hope of Israel, the LORD and Messiah.
VI. SPONTANEOUS PRAISE
Lu 19:37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
There was a great valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. The procession went through this valley, and ascended the hill upon which the temple sat, but the shouts of praise, giving honor to Christ as the divine king, greatly offended the Jewish
leaders.
VII. PRAISES DUE ONLY TO THE MESSIAH
Lu 19:38 Saying, Blessed [be] the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
The "King that cometh in the name of the Lord" could only be the Messiah. The multitude praised Jesus as Messiah.
VIII. OPPOSITION FROM THE WORLDLY MINDED
Lu 19:39 And some of the
Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, lawyers and elders were often in the crowds accompanying Jesus. They were there to find some objection to his teachings and ministry. They witnessed his miracles, nevertheless. Master means teacher. They accepted the fact that he was a teacher, but they would not accept him as the Messiah!
IX. HEAVEN HAD DETERMINED HIS PRAISES
Lu 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
It was his time of praise! Nothing could stop it. If the people accompanying him should stop praising him, then the stones would start it. Doesn’t all of nature praise him? Can his praises ever be stopped? This was a special time of praise.
X. THE HEARTBREAK OF JERUSALEM
Lu 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Two times the scriptures record that Jesus wept. What was the problem that made Jesus so heavy hearted over the city? Their rejection of Him, and his nowledge of their doom! It is not the will of God that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. This was an unrepentant city, as so many are even today. An unrepentant heart will not be saved.
Lu 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things [which belong] unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
This was their day! Why could they not know? Jesus’ teachings and miracles; his preaching of the Kingdom, his miraculous life and birth should have convinced them of the truth of his message, but they were hardened, and could not perceive the truth of His divinity. They would not accept his kingship over them.
XI. DIRE PREDICTIONS OF DISASTER
Lu 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
Jesus foresaw the doom of the city! It was heartbreaking! He knew that the city would not survive. It would be a day of desolation.
Lu 19:44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
All of this devastation would come because they had rejected their redeemer and Messiah. The innocent would suffer with the guilty. God had visited them with salvation, but they had rejected it. The Romans searched every crevice and crack between the stones of the temple for the gold that they knew was found there. That was a fulfillment of Jesus’ words: not one stone upon another was left unto them. How sad to forfeit one’s only hope of salvation! We could be left in the same condition!
XII. THE SORRY CONDITION OF THE TEMPLE
Lu 19:45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
The condition, or state, of the church will play a major role in the condition, or state, of the nation. Their religious leaders had fallen into such a state of apostasy and corruption that there was little hope for the people. Only a very few recognized, or accepted, Jesus as the Son of God, the Redeemer-Messiah of Israel. The important leadership of the people failed to accept it.
Lu 19:46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Church battles and divisions are caused by a faulty understanding of what the house of the LORD should be. There are too many battles for position, place and power! It is today just as it was in Jesus’ day.
XIII. CONSPIRACY TO CRUCIFY
Lu 19:47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,
Jesus’ ministry exposed him constantly to their attacks. His good deeds did not impress them. They could not hear his message for seeking fault with it. They were occupied with schemes for his destruction instead of trying to get the truth of his words.
XIV. THE FINAL TRIUMPH
Re 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
The palms on the road to Jerusalem raised in His praise, were symbolic of the palms which would be waved in heaven to honor the triumphant LORD. This would be a glad, and free, hallelujah before the throne. I want to be among that number, don’t you?!
