Luke 19:28-44 - The Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday.
Luke 19:28-44 (NKJV) ... 37 Then, as He was
now drawing near 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 they had seen, 38 saying:
"'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the
LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the
highest!"....
COMMENTARY PEARL
Can You Dig It?
If you've ever watched an adventure movie
where the characters look for ancient treasures,
it probably made the life of an archaeologist
look very exciting. They get to wear cool hats,
travel to exotic countries, and uncover amazing
discoveries every day. But the life of most
archaeologists isn't quite as thrilling.
If you want to be an archaeologist, you'd
better like cleaning up because you'll do a lot of
sweeping. Visit any dig site, and you'll find dozens
of brooms. Stiff, black-bristled brooms work
well for removing thin layers of dirt.
Soft-bristled brooms brush away tiny amounts of dust
without damaging a finding. Even paintbrushes are
used for the most delicate work. Not only must
archaeologists discover ancient artifacts, but they also
have to make sure not to damage them. Hand
trowels and small pickaxes dig through harder
surfaces. Shovels and buckets carry away dirt.
Archaeologists have multifaceted jobs, but the most
important one is to carefully dig into history without
sweeping away the truth.
At the beginning of the book of Luke, the
author says he carefully investigated everything so
he could write an orderly account of Jesus'
life. He records details about cities, leaders,
and countries. Luke 3 talks about John the
Baptist and mentions that Lysanias was tetrarch of
Abilene. For years, some scholars pointed to this as
evidence that Luke didn't know what he was talking
about. They said Lysanias was a leader of Chalcis
fifty years earlier. If Luke can't get this fact
right, they suggested, how can anything he wrote be
trusted?
But more recently, archaeologists
discovered an inscription dating between AD 54 and 37
that names Lysanias as tetrarch in Abila near
Damascus. It turned out there were two government
officials named Lysanias, so Luke was correct! A
prominent archaeologist examined Luke's references to
thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, and nine
islands. His conclusion? Luke didn't make a single
mistake.
"Archaeology has not produced anything
that is unequivocally a contradiction to the
Bible," says archeological expert John McRay.
In Luke 19 Jesus triumphantly enters
Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. As his disciples
shout praises, some Pharisees tell Jesus to make
the people be quiet. Jesus answers, "I tell you,
if they were to keep silent, the stones would
cry out!" (HCSB). Today, the stones do cry out.
And they say what we read in the Bible is true.
[Case For Christ For Kids by Les Strobel]
BACKGROUND
The Never-Been-Ridden Donkey Colt
Where I grew up in Ethiopia, domesticated
donkeys were quite common. I would frequently see a
donkey driver with a half-dozen donkeys heavily
loaded with firewood or coal clip-clopping to
market. Occasionally I would see adults riding
donkeys, their feet nearly touching the ground on
each side. The friendly little animals stand a
little more than three feet at the shoulder. Since
their size can vary drastically, however, some
donkeys can be almost the size of small horses at
four and a half feet. With very large ears,
donkeys are good at hearing predators, and the ears
presumably help them keep cool in the hot arid climates
in which they live. Donkeys must have a tough
digestive system, because they can eat almost anything
and are very efficient at extracting water and
nourishment from it. Thus they require relatively little
food and can go long periods without water.
All donkeys have a dark-colored stripe
that runs down the middle of their back. Some
have a dark stripe across the shoulders, giving
them the mark of a cross. They have a
light-colored nose, a light ring around the eye, light fur
inside their ears, and a light underside.
For a time people considered owning them
to be a sign of wealth. However by the time of
Christ the animals were the most likely form of
transportation for poor people. When pregnant with Jesus,
Mary rode to Bethlehem on a donkey. Chances are
that Jesus had ridden donkeys often as a
youngster, so to ride one during His triumphal entry to
Jerusalem was probably not new. His choice of a young
donkey suggests that Jesus was coming in peace.
Warriors rode horses into battle. Though the Jews
were praying for a conquering hero, Jesus was
establishing a different kind of kingdom. The symbolism
is gentle, common, lowly, and peaceful.
Though donkeys seem oblivious to it, what
an honor to their kind to be selected to carry
the Creator of our world on not one but two
momentous events"first to His impending birth, and
then again on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem,
shortly before His crucifixion.
Lord, even if ridiculed for being one of
Your followers, I choose to carry Your love in my
heart and Your Word on my tongue as I live a
gentle and peaceful life for You today. [God of
Wonders by David Steen re Mark 11:7]
INTRODUCTION
As the procession is about to descend the
Mount of Olives, it is intercepted by the rulers.
They inquire who and what is the cause of all
this tumultuous rejoicing. As they, with much
authority, repeat their question,--Who is this? the
disciples, filled with a spirit of inspiration, are
heard above all the noise of the crowd, repeating
in eloquent strains the prophecies which
answered this question. Adam will tell you, It is the
seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent's
head. Ask Abraham, he will tell you, It is
Melchisedek, King of Salem, King of Peace. Jacob will
tell you, He is Shiloh of the tribe of Judah.
Isaiah will tell you, Immanuel, Wonderful,
Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the
Prince of Peace. Jeremiah will tell you, The Branch
of David, the Lord, our righteousness. Daniel
will tell you, He is the Messiah. Hosea will tell
you, He is the Lord God of Hosts, the Lord is his
memorial. John the Baptist will tell you, He is the
Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world.
The great Jehovah has proclaimed from his
throne, This is my beloved Son. We, his disciples,
declare, This is Jesus, the Messiah, the Prince of
Life, the Redeemer of the world. And even the
Prince of the powers of darkness acknowledges him,
saying, "I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of
God." {2SP 395.2}
COMMENTARY
Palm Sunday
Hindsight is always 20/20. Yet while we
are in a particular situation, we tend to make
things out to be what they arent and infer wrong
meanings. We kick ourselves, thinking, If only I had
known then what I know now!
Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem
must have been one of those moments for His
disciples. It had appeared to be such a wonderful day
for them - and it was, but for different reasons
than they realized. They thought the Messiah had
come to reestablish Israels power in the
world. But God had something else in mind.
The disciples werent the only ones who
had misconceptions about the Messiah. Many Jews
of the day expected Him to be an earthly king.
When the crowds heard Jesus was coming to
Jerusalem, they cheered, Hosanna! which means,
Save now! They saw Him as their new King, come
to bring salvation from political and societal
oppression. He raised the dead - no doubt he could also
restore the kingdom of David and free them from
Roman rule.
Seated upon a donkey, Jesus resembled a
ruler returning to his city in peacetime, loyal
subjects lining his path with coats and palm fronds.
Even the Pharisees were there watching in
indignation, saying, Look, the world has gone after
Him (John 12:19).
This week, think back to those times when
circumstances looked one way but turned out to be
something else entirely. Remember when you realized
God was different than you imagined and saw His
will unfold in surprising ways. Look for an
opportunity to share your insight with a friend or loved
one. [In Touch Daily Devotional by Charles
Stanley at www.intouch.org re Luke 19:28-44]
God Walking Among Us
This weekend we celebrate Palm Sunday.
This was the day Jesus rode a donkey into
Jerusalem while the crowds laid down palm branches in
the road and shouted, Hosanna! Blessed is He
who comes in the name of the Lord! (Mark 11:9
NKJV).
There was an air of expectancy in
Jerusalem. The name of Jesus was on everyones lips.
In fact, Lukes gospel tells us, The crowd
was listening to everything Jesus said. And
because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a
story to correct the impression that the Kingdom
of God would begin right away (Luke 19:11
NLT).
In other words, they thought this was it.
They thought Jesus would establish His kingdom
then and there. The Jewish people had been
conquered by the Roman Empire, and they were under
Roman control. They expected Jesus the Messiah to
overthrow the power of Rome.
But they failed to understand the
prophecies that said before the Messiah would come and
rule the Earth, He would die for the sins of the
world. Before He would sit on the throne, He would
go to the cross.
Jesus wasnt coming to overthrow Rome;
He was coming to establish His kingdom in the
hearts of men and women by dying for them on the
cross. Theres never been a man who walked the
earth like Jesus. He was fully God and fully man.
He was God walking among us.
He still had human emotions and felt
physical pain. He felt hunger and thirst like human
beings do. In fact, the Bible says of Him, For
we do not have a High Priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points
tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15
NKJV).
This reminds us that Jesus knows what
were going through right now. He understands, He
cares, and He wants us to give our burdens to Him.
[Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com re Hebrews 4:15]
What Breaks Gods Heart
As Jesus made His triumphal entry into
Jerusalem, the crowds were celebrating. They were
laughing. They were cheering. They were having a great
time. And what was Jesus doing? He saw the city,
and He wept over it. Here was the crowd, whipped
into a frenzy, and Jesus was weeping. The crowd
was rejoicing, and Christ was sobbing.
Why did Jesus weep when He saw Jerusalem?
Being God and having omniscience, Jesus knew these
fickle people who were crying out, Hosanna!
would soon be shouting, Crucify Him! He knew
that one of His handpicked disciples, Judas,
would betray Him. He knew that another disciple,
Peter, would deny Him. He knew that Caiaphas, the
high priest, would conspire with Pilate, the
Roman governor, to bring about His death. And, He
knew the future of Jerusalem. Looking ahead 40
years, He saw the destruction that would come upon
the city at the hands of the Emperor Titus and
his Roman legions.
Jesus also wept because His ministry was
almost over. Time was short. He had healed their
sick. He had raised their dead. He had cleansed
their lepers. He had fed their hungry. He had
forgiven their sins. Yet for the most part, He had
been rejected. John 1:11 says, He came to His
own, and His own did not receive Him. And so
He wept. This broke His heart, and it still
does.
Unbelief and rejection breaks Gods
heart, because He knows the consequences. But when
the door of the human heart is shut, He refuses
to enter forcibly. He will only knock, wanting
to gain admittance. He has given us the ability
to choose. But when we choose the wrong thing,
He knows the repercussions that will follow -
in this life and the one to come. And His heart
is broken. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
The Jewish people had waited for a king,
the Messiah. God had given them a sign to
identify him when he came. "Look, your king is coming
to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he
is humble, riding on a donkey - riding on a
donkey's colt" (Zechariah 9: 9).
Jesus' entering Jerusalem on a donkey was
that sign. Jesus was announcing to everyone that
he was the Messiah.
The people lined the road, waved palm
branches, and praised God for fulfilling his promise.
But they misunderstood the kind of king Jesus
would be. They expected him to free them from Rome
and restore them to their former glory. Later,
it became apparent that Jesus was not going to
fulfill their expectations, so many turned against
him.
We too have expectations about God's
promises. We may have expectations for marriage, work,
or children. We may be expecting God to resolve
our financial struggles or the cancer our family
is facing. We may trust God to mend a
relationship or to bless our faithful obedience. But what
if God doesnt fulfill our expectations? Will
we hold onto our expectations and turn against
him? Or will we go with him to the cross and die
to ourselves? [One Year NLT SB re vv. 35-38]
When Jesus entered Jerusalem four days
before His crucifixion and saw the joyous crowds
worshiping Him, He knew very well what they were
thinking. They expected an earthly king who would
overthrow Rome and bring in the good life. In
response, Jesus began to weep. Why did He weep? Pastor
Ed Underwood notes that the Lord could see
through their shallow praise. He knew their hearts
and their real and desperate need. In that
moment they didn't need a Conqueror; they needed a
Savior. They needed liberation from the penalty and
power of sin. By dying on the cross for them, He
would give them what they needed, not what they
wanted. In a similar way, we might ask God to change
our circumstances. That's what we want. But God
knows what we need, and He may use those same
circumstances to change our hearts, leading us into a
deeper dependence on Him.
Lord, I know I'm sometimes like those
fickle crowds in Jerusalem that broke Your heart. I
want my life to be less troublesome, less
challenging, happier, smoother, and easier to manage.
Thats what I want. But that may not be what I
need. What I need most, Lord Jesus, is more of You
in my life. [A Spectacle of Glory by Joni
Eareckson Tada and Larry Libby]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Luke 19:41 - Jesus Wept.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190928-1020.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
