Every Member a Worshipper
Luke 19:28-44
Rev. Brian Bill
4/5/09
A little boy was sick on Palm Sunday and stayed home from church with his mom. When church was over, his dad returned holding a palm branch. The little boy was curious and asked, “Why do you have that palm branch, dad?” The dad told him the story about Jesus coming into town and how the people waved palm branches to greet Him. The little boy’s face fell and he replied, “What a bummer! The one time I miss is the Sunday that Jesus shows up!”
Most of us know a little about Palm Sunday so I thought I’d begin with a true/false pop quiz to find out whether our information is accurate or not (adapted from christianitytoday.com).
1. According to the gospels, the people waved palm branches when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. False. None of the four Gospels say the people “waved” branches but that they spread garments and branches in Jesus’ path. Only John mentions palm branches (see Matthew 21:6; Mark 11:8; Luke 19:36; John 12:13).
2. When the people spread branches and garments in Jesus’ path it was to pay Him honor. True. It was common in Bible times to spread garments in the path of princes and kings, especially at their coronation (see 2 Kings 9:13).
3. The pilgrims who praised Jesus were there for a holiday celebration known as “Palm Sunday.” False. People were pouring into Jerusalem for the Jewish feast of Passover.
4. The shouts of “Hosanna!” meant “Praise the Lord!” False. Halleluiah means “Praise the Lord;” Hosanna means “save us!”
5. By their actions, the people were publicly proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah. True. When Solomon was anointed king, he rode into the city on a mule, to the shouts and praises of the people (see 1 Kings 1:43-45).
One of my preaching purposes today is to pull out some exciting details in the popular Palm Sunday story so that when we’re finished, we’ll be filled with praise and want to sing again.
Even though all the gospels record the events of this amazing day, we’re going to camp in Luke’s account found in 19:28-44.
Luke makes it clear that the Savior is steadfastly set on getting to Jerusalem and there is nothing that will get in His way. Even though He stopped to minister to people, he never lost sight of His final goal. Look at Luke 9:51: “…Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” And Luke 18:31-34: “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.’ The disciples did not understand any of this.”
In his book “And the Angels were Silent,” Max Lucado writes, “Forget any suggestion that Jesus was trapped. Erase any theory that Jesus made a miscalculation. Ignore any speculation that the cross was a last-ditch attempt to salvage a dying mission. For if these words tell us anything, they tell us that Jesus died...on purpose. No surprise. No hesitation. No faltering. No, the journey to Jerusalem didn’t begin in Jericho. It didn’t begin in Galilee. It didn’t even begin in Bethlehem. The journey to the cross began long before. As the echo of the crunching of the fruit was still sounding in the garden, Jesus was leaving for Calvary.”
In order to understand what is about to take place in our passage today, it’s important to grasp at least five backstage details.
Backstage Details
1. Everyone in Israel knew that the Messiah would be enthroned as King in Jerusalem. The Old Testament makes it very clear that the coming King would do His main work in the city of David.
2. The Passover feast was just about to begin. This celebration brought thousands of spiritual pilgrims to Jerusalem and fueled the fires of spiritual and messianic expectations. Here’s a cool thing. On the very day that Jesus, the Lamb of God, entered Jerusalem; families would have chosen their lamb to be sacrificed. This yearly reminder served to help the Israelites never forget that it was the blood of the lamb that provided their deliverance. Check this out. While the people are sacrificing their own lambs on Friday of that week, Jesus the Lamb of God is about to be slain once-for-all, for the remission of sins. For more about these cool connections, be sure to attend our Good Friday service at 7:00 p.m.
3. This exact day may line up with the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27. According to commentator Dwight Pentecost and others, God’s timetable as set forth in Daniel involves seventy “weeks” of years or seventy times seven, which is 490 years. The first week would start with the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem under the decree of King Artaxerxes, which was March 28, 445 B.C. Over the next sixty-nine weeks or four hundred eighty-three years, Jerusalem would be restored and rebuilt and the Messiah would present himself to Israel right on schedule, to the exact day! (“The Words and Works of Jesus Christ,” pages 374-376).
4. The Sadducees, a group of religious leaders, had a tradition in which they believed the Messiah would show up four days before Passover. They took this so seriously that they kept the gates of the Temple open so He could walk in to his rightful place. Because of this, nationalistic fervor was at its peak and the Romans were on high alert (Paul Wallace, www.sermoncentral).
5. Recent miracles by Jesus led many to believe that He was the Messiah. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, according to John 11:45-46, many of the Jews became believers. The growing popularity of Jesus alarmed the religious leaders and from that day on, they were intent on killing Him, and Lazarus.
We can learn at least four truths from this passage that apply directly to our lives.
* Do what Jesus says – even when it doesn’t make sense (19:28-34)
* Give what Jesus wants – even when it isn’t easy (19:35-40)
* Feel what Jesus feels – even when others don’t (19:41)
* Receive what Jesus offers – even when others won’t (19:41-44)
1. Do what Jesus says – even when it doesn’t make sense (19:28-34)
Luke 19:28 says, “…He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.” I picture Jesus walking ahead of the disciples, more determined than ever to enter the city of David. The disciples may have been following rather reluctantly; perhaps they were even dragging their sandals. At the hill called the Mount of Olives, he called for two of his disciples to do a special assignment for Him. The Mount of Olives is a place of great significance. According to Zechariah 14:4, the Messiah was to appear on this mountain. Interestingly, during His last week on earth, Jesus spent His nights there. It’s also where He gave the Olivet Discourse, where He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, from where He ascended into heaven (see Acts 1:12), and where His feet will touch again when He returns, splitting it in half, forming a great valley.
In verses 30-31, the two disciples are told, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt 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.’” That’s kind of an unusual command, isn’t it? They didn’t know how it was going to turn out, but they simply did what Jesus said to do.
Verses 32-34 tell us what happened: “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.’” I love their “immediate and exact obedience.” Matthew tells us that the colt was a donkey and that it was with its mother. The disciples are instructed to bring both of them, perhaps so the mom could settle the youngster down. These animals were quite expensive, and we see in verse 32 that there were at least two owners who had gone in together to buy these donkeys. In our culture today, it would be like someone coming up to a bright red convertible Porsche, opening the door, starting the car and driving away. When the owner comes running outside you would just say, “The Lord needs it.”
Some cultural background helps at this point. According to a custom called angaria, a dignitary could procure use of property for personal reasons. It would be like President Obama sending someone from his security team to take Pastor Jeff’s yellow scooter for official business. Or maybe not.
When the disciples were sent to get a colt, Jesus was putting into place yet one more very specific prophecy about who He was. In Zechariah 9:9, which was written some five hundred years earlier, we read, “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.”
Now, keep in mind that many of the followers of Jesus were hoping that the Messiah would come with power and overthrow the Roman government. Their hearts were filled with the picture of a warrior king on a great white horse, like King David did one thousand years earlier after he wiped out the Philistines. The one who raised Lazarus from the dead could certainly defeat the Romans. You can imagine the confusion in their minds when the people saw their Messiah ask for a diminutive donkey.
While the disciples obeyed without asking any questions, I wonder what was really going through their minds. You may recall that shortly before this, the disciples were arguing about who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom. They were hoping Jesus was going to set up His cabinet and begin His reign in Jerusalem. But, instead of ruling, the disciples find themselves running errands and saddling donkeys, not marching in places of honor. Nevertheless, they did what Jesus said – even when it didn’t make much sense.
One thing that becomes abundantly clear in this story is that Jesus is in absolute control of the circumstances. Friend, are you as quick to obey as the disciples were – even when you don’t understand everything that’s going on? When you discover clear commands in the Bible, do you follow or do you falter? Do you need to own up for any deliberate deeds of disobedience right now? I like how Pastor Steven Cole summarizes this entire passage: “We must follow Jesus because He is Lord, not just because of what He can do for us.”
2. Give what Jesus wants – even when it isn’t easy (19:35-40)
There were at least four gifts given that day. The first one was the colt. The owners didn’t question the disciples after they were told that the Lord needed it. They gladly gave what rightfully belonged to Him in the first place. Back then, a donkey was a person’s most prized possession as it functioned like a tractor, a family car, a shopping cart, a guard dog and a companion. A person’s wealth was often measured by what livestock he had. Let me make just one application from this. When you or I lose a possession or a person that is close to us, it’s very helpful to say, “The Lord needs this possession or this person.” God wants us to release that which is His anyway.
Not only did Zechariah prophecy about the Messiah riding a colt, the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem on the back of a donkey brought back memories of King Solomon’s procession to Gihon in 1 Kings 1:38-39: “…they put Solomon on King David’s mule…the priest anointed Solomon…then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted…” Christ on the colt was also an important symbol of His overall plan to present Himself as the prophetically promised Prince of Peace from Isaiah 9:6.
Verse 35 tells us about the second gift that was given to Jesus. The disciples put their cloaks on the colt as a saddle for Him and helped Him get on. Verse 36 says that, “As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.” Can you imagine what all this commotion would have done to the colt? Remember, it had never been ridden before and now Jesus was on its back, the crowd was shouting, and cloaks and branches were being laid in front of it as it walked down the hill toward Jerusalem. The laying of cloaks on the road would be like rolling out the red carpet for someone today. In 2 Kings 9:13, people spread cloaks under King Jehu as he walked on the bare stairs. The people recognized Jesus as royalty and gave Him the honor afforded a King.
That leads to the third gift – the laying of palm branches on the road. Luke doesn’t mention this detail but Matthew 21:8 tells us “…others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” This was a common way to welcome a victorious King when he would return from battle. These palm branches were also a symbol of joy and victory and were placed on graves as a sign of eternal life. Since they often grew out in the desert near water, palm trees were a sign that life-giving activity was near. By laying palm branches on the road, the people were signifying that Jesus was the victorious King who gives eternal life to those out wandering in the desert of life.
The gifts of the colt, the cloaks, and the branches all point to who Jesus is. What started out as a Jewish feast is now turning into a Messiah celebration. The colt was expensive, the cloaks were essential, and the branches were an expression of joy. Here’s the principle: The Lord has the right to make use of anything I own. Is He asking you to give something that is expensive? Is He longing for you to give something that you consider essential? Or, have you been holding out on an expression of joy?
If they started with preparation they now break out into celebration. In verse 37, we read: “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.” The fourth gift they offered was their praise. This is the only time that Jesus permitted a public demonstration on His behalf. In John 2:4, He told Mary, “My time has not yet come.” In John 6:15, just one year before, after feeding the crowd, the time was not right: “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.” But now the time had come.
Listen to what they’re shouting in verse 38: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” This last phrase reminds us of what the angels said when Jesus was born. Verse 38 is a quotation from Psalm 118, which makes up the Hallel, or a section of the Psalms that was sung out loud during the Passover meal. The phrase “comes in the name of the Lord” means that the arrival of Jesus is according to the promise of God. By singing this Psalm, the followers of Christ are declaring that Jesus is the sent King who comes with the very authority of God. Matthew 21:9 tells us that they included the word, “Hosanna” which means save now. There was a feeling of celebration, exaltation, and adoration.
As the crowd is praising God loudly, the Pharisees come up to Jesus in verse 39 and say, “…Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” They knew that the crowd was declaring Jesus as the Messiah and so they tell Jesus to reject the claim and to rebuke his followers. I love the answer Jesus gives in verse 40: “I tell you…if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” To “cry out” means “to shriek, scream or exclaim.” If the disciples do not speak, creation will break out into a chorus of praise. Just as Jesus calmed the wild colt, so too He can command an inanimate object like a rock to praise Him because He is the creator of all things. Or, to put it another way, Jesus is saying, “If I stop my disciples from singing Psalm 118, then a rock concert is going to break out!”
Instead of rebuking the disciples, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees by implying that the rocks know more about what is taking place than they do! This statement was fulfilled when we read in Matthew 27:51, that after Jesus died, “…the earth shook and the rocks split.” The rocks responded to Jesus even though the Pharisees didn’t.
I listened to a sermon snippet this week by Kempton Turner. He said that when God called the frogs in the plague, they said, “ribit…yes, Lord.” When God called the flies, they said, “buzz…yes, Lord.” When God called a big fish to swallow a rebellious prophet, the whale opened his mouth and said, “Yes, Lord.” They all said, “Yes, Lord.”
In our passage for today, the donkey obeyed and declared, “Hee-haw, hee-haw. Yes, Lord.” The rocks were ready to roll, “Yes, Lord.” And in Matthew 21:15 we read that the chief priests were indignant when they heard the children saying “Yes, Lord” by shouting out in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” I love how Jesus corrects them by quoting Psalm 8:2: “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.” By the way, the children are going to kick-off our Easter service next Sunday at the high school with a song called, “He’s Alive Again.”
How are you doing at giving what Jesus wants – even when it’s not easy? Do you have moments in your schedule in which you stop and break out into adoration? When you come here on Sundays to worship collectively with others is it the culmination of a week of personal worship experiences or is it your only time of praise? Friends, God can make the stones cry out -- but He’d rather have men and women and boys and girls who worship Him spontaneously, loudly, and regularly!
Part of our mission is to not only live as missionaries and as ministers but also as worshippers. If we want to make our mission possible, then we must pray and proclaim, and we must serve and sing. We must give our possessions and our praise.
3. Feel what Jesus feels – even when others don’t (19:41)
As Jesus makes His way down the mountain, He sees the entire city of Jerusalem in a panoramic view. The city was stunning in its beauty with shining white buildings and the gleaming gold of Herod’s temple. But Jesus saw it with a different set of eyes.
As we try to put ourselves back in that day, we see that the disciples’ preparation led to celebration. Now the mood shifts to one of lamentation. Look at verse 41: “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.” Jonah looked on Nineveh and hoped it would be destroyed, while Jesus looked at Jerusalem and wept because it had destroyed itself. The parade suddenly stops. People see His shoulders shaking. Maybe He’s laughing. Everyone else is throwing up cheers while Jesus is shedding tears. The word “wept” means “to burst into tears, to weep out loud, to sob deeply.” This was more than just a tear streaming down His cheek. These were chest-heaving sobs. This same word is used in Mark 5:38 to describe how family members were crying over the death of a young daughter when it says they were “crying and wailing loudly.”
Jesus was not weeping because He was going to suffer and die. No, He was lamenting the lost and their hard hearts. He breaks out into loud wailing when people will to go their own way. I like how the Bible Exposition Commentary puts it: “No matter where Jesus looked, He found cause for weeping. If He looked back, He saw how the nation had wasted opportunities. If He looked within, He saw spiritual ignorance and blindness…as He looked around, Jesus saw religious activity that accomplished very little…as Jesus looked ahead, He wept as He saw the terrible judgment that was coming to the nation, the city, and the temple.” I wonder how much He weeps for the things that are happening in our country?
I find the weekly email prayer requests that Vera Wahls sends out to be extremely helpful. I trust that you’re receiving them each week. If not, send us an email: office@pontiacbible.org. Here’s part of what she wrote this week: “Lord, give us a sense of urgency to reach the lost with the message of salvation. Lord, may all of those around me thirst for you, the solid rock, and know that ALL OTHER GROUND is SINKING SAND! When the final trumpet sounds, may a whole army of people from Livingston County, our state, our country, and our world go marching to the throne! Help me to do my part to equip the troops to faithfully live for the Lord and serve Him well until the end!”
Do you feel what Jesus feels – even when others don’t? Are you willing to let your heart be broken for those who are hurting and wandering? God knows who they are, and so do you – a colleague, a roommate, a brother or sister, a mother or a father, a close friend, a casual acquaintance. Take some time right now and think of someone who doesn’t yet know Christ. Ask God to help you feel what Jesus feels about their lostness and then determine this week to invite him or her to our Good Friday and Easter services. Surveys indicate that the majority of people who don’t attend church give the same reason when they’re asked why they don’t: “No one ever asked.” Your mission this week is to make the Easter ask!
4. Receive what Jesus offers – even when others won’t (19:41-44)
Jesus looks out at Jerusalem and laments the lostness. And then He cries out rather abruptly in verses 42-44: “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 God’s coming to you.”
Jesus had offered salvation to the people, but they rejected it. As a result, they lost out on real peace. In these verses, Jesus is looking at the future and sees some really bad things in store for the City of David. His chilling prophecy became reality in 70 A.D. when Titus and the Roman legion surrounded Jerusalem, built embankments around it so no one could escape, and besieged the city for 143 days before turning it into a pile of rocks. Over 600,000 adults and children were slaughtered. The temple was totally destroyed and set on fire.
All this took place because they “did not recognize God’s coming.” I like how The Message paraphrases this verse: “You did not recognize and welcome God’s personal visit.” Friends, can I talk straight with you this morning? There is a very clear principle here in these words that are dripping with the tears of Jesus. If you and I do not recognize God’s coming in the form of the Lord Jesus and put our faith in Him, we will be exposed to judgment. If you reject Christ, you will pay the consequences. It’s possible to miss the time of God’s visitation today as well. This word translated “coming” means “to relieve.” It’s the same word used in Matthew 25:36 where Jesus said, “I was in prison and you came to visit me.” The coming of Christ is meant to bring us comfort.
As Jesus breaks out into tears about the coming judgment for those who do not turn to Him in faith, I see two aspects that should motivate us to put our complete confidence in Christ for forgiveness of sins. Receive what Jesus offers – even when others won’t.
* His tears reveal His heart of compassion toward you. Romans 2:4 says that God’s kindness can lead you to repentance. As you focus on his tears, allow His kind heart to melt away your hardness and turn to Him.
* The coming terror reveals His holiness. Earlier in Luke’s gospel, in chapter 16, a rich man dies and goes to hell. As he deals with the terror and torment of the eternal fire, he begs for someone to go back and warn his family members before it’s too late. If you’re not moved by the tears of compassion, maybe you’ll be motivated to repent because of the terror of the coming judgment.
In Matthew 21:10-11, we read that the whole city was “stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’” The word stirred is where we get our word seismic. I can tell you this. When you totally submit and surrender to the Savior, allowing Him to make a triumphal entry into your own heart, seismic changes will take place. Friend, don’t put off the decision any longer. Welcome the King into your life today and worship Him in these four ways…
* Do what Jesus says – even when it doesn’t make sense (19:28-34)
* Give what Jesus wants – even when it isn’t easy (19:35-40)
* Feel what Jesus feels – even when others don’t (19:41)
* Receive what Jesus offers – even when others won’t (19:41-44)
We read these words of Jesus in Luke 13:34: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Let me personalize this: “John, John, how often I have longed to put you together but you were not willing.” “Jane, Jane, how often I have longed to put you together but you were not willing.”
The theme of Luke’s gospel is found earlier in Luke 19. Listen to verse 10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” The donkey yielded its stubborn will to the Savior, how about you? Ask Him to save you now! Allow Him to make a triumphal entry in your heart.
We started with a quiz this morning and now want to mention that there’s a final exam coming. When you die, you may be asked just one question. The question will go something like this: Why should I let you into heaven? Any answer other than because you have put your faith in Jesus and allowed Him to triumph over your sins, is the wrong answer.
