Rejoicing And Rejection On The Way To Jerusalem Series

Good morning! Please open your Bibles to Luke 19.

My nephew got married several years ago in New Orleans. Since he and his bride both grew up there, they had a traditional “second line” parade.

Do we have any Louisianians who already know what that is?

Alright—then let me explain it for the rest of us.

A second line is a wedding parade through the French Quarter. After the couple is pronounced husband and wife, they lead a procession from the church to the reception.

The bride and groom are out front, holding decorated umbrellas. Behind them is the Grand Marshal—basically a hype man—getting everyone into the spirit of the parade. There’s a live brass band playing jazz, and all the wedding guests are waving handkerchiefs.

And the best part is this—the Grand Marshal invites everyone along the street to join in.

As we made our way through the Quarter, I looked behind me… and I was amazed at how many people had fallen in behind us.

(New Orleans natives don’t need much of an excuse to join a party.)

Tourists lined the streets clapping and cheering as we passed by.

Now I’m sure there were a few folks who were annoyed at the noise and the traffic—but honestly, they were drowned out by the music, the dancing, and the excitement.

But here’s what struck me…

With the exception of our family and invited guests, most of those people celebrating didn’t know the bride or the groom.

And by the next day, they probably wouldn’t have recognized them if they passed them on the street.

When I think about Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, I picture something a lot like that.

That day—which we celebrate as Palm Sunday—there was a parade.

People cheered.

They waved palm branches.

They spread their cloaks on the road.

They shouted, “Hosanna!”

But when the parade passed…

they went back to whatever they had been doing.

And I can’t help but wonder—

how many of them had no idea who Jesus really was?

And in less than a week…how many of them were lining the streets for a very different kind of parade?

We’ve been following Jesus on His way to Jerusalem for the past several weeks, and it’s worth taking a moment to look back at where we’ve been.

We began with Costly Commitment—that following Jesus comes at a high cost.

Then we talked about Ultimate Urgency—that the cost of rejecting Jesus is even higher.

We looked at three of Jesus’ parables that show how God invites everyone to the party.

And last week, we saw the ten lepers who were healed—and learned that not everyone responds to that invitation.

So today, on Palm Sunday, we come to Rejoicing and Rejection on the Way to Jerusalem.

Let’s see how Luke tells it. Please stand to honor the reading of God’s Word.

[Luke 19:28–44 ESV]

This is God’s Word. Let’s pray

1. The King Who Comes

Right from the jump, Luke shows us that none of this was random. Jesus is choreographing every element of this scene. He sends two disciples ahead with very specific instructions:

“Go into the village… you’ll find a colt… untie it… bring it to me.”

And He even tells them what to say if someone questions them: “The Lord has need of it.”

And it happens exactly the way He said it would.

That’s not coincidence. That’s control. Jesus is consciously, deliberately fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9, which foretold the Messiah would enter Jerusalem on a donkey.

Now, I want to say just a quick word to any skeptics who might be here or watching online—who may be thinking,

“Well, isn’t this just Jesus arranging things so people would think He’s the Messiah?”

If that’s you, I’m really glad you’re here. I want to honor that question.

But let me gently point out—this is just one of hundreds of prophecies fulfilled by Jesus.

Many of them—like being born in Bethlehem…

or being betrayed for thirty pieces of silver…

or rising again on the third day—

are not things anyone could stage or manipulate.

And there’s something else going on about the donkey that is easy to miss: This is’t the first time a king of Israel has entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Back in 1 Kings 1, when David is preparing for his son Solomon to take the throne, he gives very specific instructions.

He says, “Put Solomon on my own mule… and bring him into the city” And they anoint him as king… and all the people begin to celebrate.

What’s more, Solomon, who’s name is related to the Hebrew word shalom, which means peace, is arguably the only king of Israel whose reign was marked by peace and stability instead of war and conflict.

So when Jesus comes riding in like Solomon… He’s not just claiming to be a king.