Bible Materials

Luke 19:28-48 (2011)

by Paul Choi   11/20/2011   Luke 19:28~48

Message


THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

Luke 19:28-48

Key Verse:19:38  “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

  Last Sunday we studied about the parable of the Ten Minas. A king called his servants and gave them ten minas and said, “Put this money to work until I come back.”  Then, the king went to a distant country to receive his kingship.  When the king returned and found out what the servants had gained with each mina, the first one came and said, “Sir, your mina has earned ten more.” The king replied, “Well done, my good servant! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.” Another servant who gained five more also received the same compliment from the king. However, the third one came and said, “Sir, here is your mina. I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth….” This servant did not work with his mina. He did not obey the king’s word. He only defended himself with many excuses. The king was furious and said, “I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! ...” Then, the king took the mina of the wicked servant and gave it to the one who has ten minas.

  Through this parable, Jesus taught us how we should live on this earth. A mina is compared to each person’s life. A life was given equally to each person. Some people work hard and gain ten minas. Others five, and still others two. But, some bring to God only himself or herself. God wants us to work hard and bear fruits, fruits of life inwardly and outwardly. God wants us to put our heart, soul and strength to love God and to love others and be a blessing. May God bless those who understand God’s words and obey Him.  Amen.

  Today’s passage is about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. We call it, “the triumphal entry”. Let’s study why people call it “the triumphal entry” and what kind of kingship Jesus has.

First, The Lord needs it (28-34). Look at verses 28. “After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.” The author Luke repeatedly mentions about Jesus’ trip to Jerusalem as if something very significant might occur to Jesus in Jerusalem. Indeed, arrest, trail, crucifixion and resurrection were waiting for Jesus who had resolutely decided to obey God’s will to die for the sins of the world. The resolution of Jesus toward Jerusalem was immovable.  He was not afraid of the coming death. He did not go behind the disciples, but went on ahead of them like a valiant and fearless general who goes ahead of his soldiers to fight a good fight.

Look at verses 29-31. “As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’” As Jesus approached to Jerusalem, he sent two of his disciples to the village ahead to bring a colt for ride. Why did Jesus need a colt to enter Jerusalem? Some may think that Jesus was tired of walking on foot. Not really! Jesus needed a colt, a foal of donkey in order to fulfill God’s prophecy. Zechariah 9:9 says, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Jesus wanted to ride on a donkey just because he wanted to obey God’s will by fulfilling the prophecy. Matthew also saw it with God’s perspective saying, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet…” (Mt 21:4,5)

How did Jesus help his disciples to bring the colt? Did he give them some money for buying or renting? No! Jesus told them to just say to the owner of the colt, “The Lord needs it.” That’s it! Wow! What did Jesus mean by saying, “The Lord needs it.” He meant that the Lord of all, the Lord of all creations on the earth under heaven, would use the donkey, so let it be so. No more questions are allowed! Who is going to claim against the owner of the whole earth who is going to use his own? Here Jesus taught his disciples the Lordship of Christ. Jesus is the Lord of all. He is the Creator God. All things came from him. All things were made by him and for him. John 1:3 says, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” We have studied the Lordship of Christ through the Genesis Bible Academy. People think that their lives are theirs. But, it is not true. Their lives are the Lord’s since they came from God. Our God is the Creator, the source of our life and we are his creatures. Those who accept the Lordship of Christ over their lives acknowledge God as God and obey him. Those who believe the Lordship of Christ over their lives are responsible and accountable for their lives. They are always thankful and humble. They are happy to be used by God and ready to serve whatever God wants and willing to go wherever He desires.

Christmas is coming up. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a pure country virgin with full of sweet marriage dream with Joseph, the descendant of David. One day an angel of the Lord visited her and announced that she would be with a child and give birth to a son whose name would be Jesus. The angel’s message was thunderous to Mary because she knew that obedience to God’s will meant sacrifice of her marriage dream. She was greatly troubled between God’s will and her own dream. How did Mary respond to the angel’s message? She said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” (Lk 1:38) Mary accepted the Lordship of Christ over her life. She could do so because she trusted in God who would bless her and bless all the people on earth through her and Jesus.

In the Bible history, there have been many great servants of God who accepted the Lordship of Christ over their lives and went out to other countries as missionaries such as the Apostle Paul, William Carrey, David Livingstone, Hudson Taylor, Jim Elliot, Sarah Barry, and so on. Among us there are some who accepted the Lordship of Christ over their lives and dedicated their lives to Christ Jesus as missionary, minister, Bible teacher and shepherd. I believe God’s blessing over their lives. Let us say, “The Lord needs it.” “The Lord needs you.” “The Lord needs me.” “Lord, my life is yours. You are the owner of my life. Use me whatever you want to be, Lord. Amen.”

Second, Blessed is the King. (32-38)  Look at verses 32-36. “Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”  They replied, “The Lord needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.” When the two disciples of Jesus trusted in Jesus and obeyed his word, they experienced a miracle. Things happened exactly what Jesus had said. The tied colt was there. The owners of the colt gave it to them without any opposition. The disciples felt like as if they were playing in a Christmas drama. When Mary accepted the angel’s message and obeyed God’s will, what happened to her? Was she accused of an immoral woman and condemned?  Was her marriage dream was broken into pieces? No! God blessed Mary abundantly as the Mother of the Messiah, Jesus and raised her name highly above all the saints plus great men in human history. Likewise, those who accepted the Lordship of Christ over their lives will experience the power of God and abundant blessing over their lives. Amen.

  What was people’s response? Look at verses 37, 38. “When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” We wonder if people really knew that Jesus was the Promised Messiah or the King of the Jews. Still, they praised God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen. They saw how Jesus opened the eyes of the blind and raised the dead. They saw how Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. They expected that Jesus might be the Son of David and the Promised Messiah whom they had waited for long.

Psalm 118:26 says, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.” Jesus is entering Jerusalem to fulfill this prophecy. Jesus who enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. The king Jesus will bring peace in heaven and restore the glory in the highest. Let us study what kind of king Jesus is. What is his kingship? Jesus who enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey is a humble king. Generally kings enter a city riding on golden chariots driven by white charges with arrogance and pride. However, Jesus was so humble that he rode on a colt, a baby donkey which even children may approach him and touch him. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28,29 , “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus is gentle and humble. Because he was humble that he could obey God’s will for world salvation.

Jesus is the king of peace. The prophet Isaiah described Jesus as “Prince of Peace.” (Is 9:6) There is peace in Jesus because Jesus became a peace maker between God and sinners. He himself became an atoning sacrifice to reconcile between God and sinners.  Isaiah continued, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Amen. (Is 53:5) Do you need peace? Accept Jesus as your King, then you will taste real peace in your soul.

Thus, Jesus is the king of salvation. The prophet Zechariah says, “See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” To human point of view, Jesus was entering Jerusalem to die. How can we call his entry ‘the triumphal entry’ when he was going to die? Of course Jesus was going to die, still his death is victory. How come? It is because his death on the cross is a prelude for his glorious resurrection.  

There is a famous monument in Paris called, “Arc De Triomphe,” “the Arch of Triumph” It is over 160 feet high and 150 feet wide. When I visited Paris two years ago, I was overwhelmed by its loftiness and beauty. This gate was built by Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, who wanted to display the glory and splendor of France. He expected that his power and glory would last forever with one triumph after another. However, the Emperor died before the gate was completed. Later only his casket which held a handful of ashes passed under the gate. However, Jesus was different. When Jesus entered the gate of Jerusalem, he marched as a triumphal general and eternal king. He was going to die on the cross for the sins of the world. But he will rise again from the dead and destroy the power of sin and death. He will save his people from the hands of their enemies and proclaim eternal victory over sin and Satan. There is no ash in his tomb. There is no death in Jesus. There is no defeat in Jesus. Jesus entered Jerusalem to conquer the grave and to restore the glory of God which had been tarnished by Adam’s failure. Jesus is the righteous king. Jesus who died and rose again from the dead will come again as a Judge between the living and the dead. That is why we call his entry Jerusalem “the Triumphal Entry.” Amen.

This hour I want to see his triumphal entry into your life. I ask you to receive Jesus in your heart as your King and Savior. I pray that the King Jesus may rescue you from the hand of your enemy Satan and to give you true freedom and eternal life. Please open your heart and let him come to you as King and Savior. Amen.

Third, Jesus wept (39-44). Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” (39) The Pharisees thought that Jesus’ disciples were presumptuous. The Pharisees said so because they did not know who Jesus really was. Jesus replied, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (40) Jesus taught the Pharisees that if his disciples kept quiet, even nature would respond to his entry to Jerusalem as the king who comes in the name of the Lord. When he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it. Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem? It was because Jesus knew the impending judgment over Jerusalem and its complete destruction. He said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (42-44)  As Jesus had predicted, the fall of Jerusalem occurred in AD 70 when the Roman army under general Titus besieged Jerusalem and destroyed all the buildings including the temple until not one stone was left on another. The Roman soldiers massacred more than a million of Jews including women and children. It was more dreadful holocaust than the one done by the German Nazi. Jesus said that this tragedy happened because they did not recognize the time of God’s coming to them.

  These day people do not recognize the day of God’s coming. They think that their lives are their own and that they live on this earth forever. They reject God and his Lordship over their lives and live only for themselves. However, the day of God’s judgment will come like a thief. Jesus will come again the day we do not expect. On that day Jesus will judge between the living and the dead. We all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Jesus will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Ro 2:6-8) Jesus wept over the fall of Jerusalem because  God’s judgment was so severe and thorough. Now Jesus weeps over those who do not recognize the time of God’s coming with the impending judgment. 

  In today’s passage we learned about the Lordship of Christ. We also learned what kind of kingship Jesus has. Let us open our hearts and accept his lordship and obey him. May God bless you when you do so. Amen.


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