The King Is Coming Again Series

The King Is Coming Again

Text: Luke 19:28-40

Introduction

1. Illustration: A little boy was sick on Palm Sunday and stayed home from church with his mother. His father returned from church holding a palm branch.

The little boy was curious and asked, "Why do you have that palm branch, dad?"

"You see, when Jesus came into town, everyone waved Palm Branches to honor him, so we got Palm Branches today."

The little boy replied, " Aw Shucks! The one Sunday I miss is the Sunday that Jesus shows up!"

2. If we were expecting a visit from a Royal head of state there a certain things we would want to do.

a. Make Preparations

b. Plan a Parade

c. Praise His Accomplishments

3. Read Luke 19:28-40

Proposition: We need to get ready for the coming of King Jesus.

Transition: First, we must...

I. Preparation for the King (28-34)

A. The Lord Needs It

1. Up until this point in Jesus ministry, any time that someone tried to force Him into seeking glory, Jesus told them "My time has not yet come."

2. However, He now realizes that His time has come.

a. He is headed toward Jerusalem, and knows what is waiting for Him there.

b. He knows that He will eventually be arrested, beaten, and condemned to death on the cross.

c. He also knows that there are things that must be accomplished before that happens.

3. Therefore, "As they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead."

a. Jesus and the disciples approached Bethphage and Bethany, two towns about one mile apart, situated on the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem.

b. Bethany was the home of his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus whom Jesus had visited before.

c. It is significant that these two town are on the Mount of Olives because it is a prophetic place of the Messiah’s appearance.

d. Zech. 14:4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south (NIV).

4. He told these two disciples to go into the village, and “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

a. You might be saying to yourself, "why a donkey? Shouldn’t a king be riding on a horse?"

b. Not necessarily. A thousand years earlier Solomon rode on a donkey at his coronation (Arrington, Full Life Bible Commentary, 501).

c. We think of the donkey as a lowly animal, but to the Jew it was a beast fit for a king —(Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament).

d. Donkeys and colts were valuable; what the disciples did amounted to coming along and taking someone’s car.

e. Furthermore, it was one that had never been ridden before, and therefore it was suited for spiritual purpose.

f. Again this fulfilled prophecy concerning the Messiah.

g. Zech. 9:9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey.

5. Therefore, the two disciples did as they were told, and everything was just as Jesus had said they would be.

a. The Spirit anointed Jesus uses divine knowledge to instruct his disciples about finding the donkey (Arrington, 501).

b. They found the animal just as He said.

c. The owner questions them and they answer "The Lord needs it," and the owner lets them have it just as He said.

d. All the preparations have been made, just as He said.

B. Watching and Waiting

1. Illustration: A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him in front of the service station. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.

"Reverend," said the young man, "sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip."

The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It’s the same in my business."

2. When Jesus came the first time he road on a donkey, but when He comes a second time He will ride on a white horse.

a. Rev. 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.