THE LAMB OF GOD ENTERS JERUSALEM
Luke 19:37-44
This
special Sunday is a historical event of prophecy fulfilled! The Gospels all
contend that this incident was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The gospel writers
affirm what was said by the prophet Zechariah, who was among the 50,000 or so
Jews who returned in the first wave of Hebrews released from Babylonian
captivity in 536 B.C. He
wrote about this event
five centuries before the birth of Jesus
(520 B.C.). The prophet’s main
emphasis was to rekindle spiritual fervor in Israel’s hearts after they had
fallen into a state of apathy. We
read this in Zech 9:9
“"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and
riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”
This
was a day of mixed emotions for anyone who stood along that road that day!
It’s a day of joy
and peace as Luke pens here in this passage. (v38) The infinite,
glorious Godman enters the city for His final week of earthy ministry. This means His
death on the cross is near and the gospel is here to save and reconcile sinners
back to the Father. This is prophecy
fulfilled as what was written five centuries before the incarnation of Jesus
Christ.
Let
me ask you a question as we go forward in this portion of Scripture.
Which King are you praising
and hoping for? An earthly King or a Heavenly King?
Look
at the text this morning and see if you can pick out which king they are
praising as Jesus enters Jerusalem? The scene is electrifying
which is grabbing the attention of the people! The decibel level must felt like you
were at game seven in overtime at the Stanley Cup finals. These people are genuinely excited
because the King is here to rescue them! The hope of the Old has now come to be
the hope of the future for the Israelites. Jesus enters the town and the people
express the King who comes in the name of the Lord is here. (v38)
The song people are singing is almost
identical to song of the angels at the birth of Christ. Luke 2:14 says "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward
men!" It’s interesting to
point out here in this passage that these verses are so alike… but so different. In the birth of
Christ we read “peace on earth” but
His triumphant entry we read “peace in
Heaven” (v38) Because Jesus would
be rejected and despised from this point on there will be no peace on earth. Jesus said "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already
kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till
it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell
you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be
divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided
against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter
against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law." Luke 12:49-53
Our earthy lives will
never truly taste joy and peace apart from His everlasting love found in His
Son. Instead there would
be peace in Heaven with the Father through His death and resurrection, His
glorious gospel.
How do we know this to be true? Paul penned these words “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Rom 5:1 Paul also wrote “and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things
on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
Col 1:20. Jesus’ big entry was
for two reasons to fulfill prophecy and to cause a
stir and an up roar with the Religious elites and I think it worked. Jesus has told His
disciples the hour has not yet come many times. But the day is here as Jesus said in High Priestly prayer “…lifted up His eyes
to heaven, and said: "Father, the
hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,” John
17:1
The reaction of some
of the Pharisee’s was one of fury and rage. Look
at (v39) What are the Pharisees requesting? Quit these people they considered such
Messianic expression a kind of blasphemy when used in praise of one whom they
considered a mere man. Quit these people because the Roman’s
chief garrison, the tower of Antonia was in sight while this was in progress.
The leaders of the Jews were afraid that such demonstrations might arouse the
Romans to use tyrannical measures.
But I love Jesus’ response! (v40) Do you realize what this verse is saying?
Even creation knows who the great”1’AM” is This was a strong claim that Jesus’
made of His deity to the skeptics and disbelievers. Perhaps as some theologians say, this
was a reference to the words of Habakkuk.
“For the stone will cry out from the wall, And the beam from the timbers
will answer it.” Hab 2:11
If an inanimate object had a voice it would “cry
out to God for vengeance for the sin of the people and rebellion of their
hearts.” Everything that was created sings
praises to the sovereign God of the universe. David
wrote “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His
handiwork.” Psalm 19:1
Psalm
96:1-13 give a picture to creation and the adoration of our God and King. “Oh, sing to the
LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; ….Oh,
worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns; The world also is firmly
established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples
righteously." Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the
sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD….The whole earth
is full of His glory and you cannot contain creation as they praise the true
King!”
Psalm 98:4-9
“…..Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in
it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before
the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with
righteousness, and the peoples with equity.”
Here
is where my question to which King you are praising this morning! Because many who were there were not
praising Him as who came to be! Many where singing not because He was
prophecy revealed as the Messiah, The Redeemer and Saviour for lost sinners. Ya,
but Mike in John’s Gospel it says as Jesus enter the city they were crying out “Hosanna” which means “save
us know”
Save us from
what?
Was it save us, from Satan’s grip and bondage?
Was it save us, from ourselves and deliver us from
our sins and transgressions?
Was it save us, from God’s perfect wrath and anger
over our disobedience and rebellion?
Was it save us, because we cannot save ourselves
from the wrath of God and Hell’s torment forever?
Don’t kid or
fool yourself in this expression of praise as Jesus entered the city. Jesus knew their hearts before he
entered the city for his final week to be with His disciples and willingly die
on a sinner’s tree for sinners like the ones who were crying out “Hosanna,
Hosanna” What their hearts were crying out was “Save us from the
Roman bandage”
We need to
understand the context and the people at this time! The Jews had limitations to their
surroundings and how they governed their people. They weren’t as free as you and I are
today to a certain degree! They were under Roman’s rule and they
had to obey and answer to the Emperor and King at that time. When
they were crying out save us! What they really were saying was “Save us, free us from Romans and take over the
throne Jesus” I say this because of what John records
after Jesus feed the 5000! John 6:15 says “Perceiving then
that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus
withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” The multitude
weren’t looking for forgiveness of sins or redemption and restoration! They were only
looking to Jesus for physical deliverance and oppression, not the spiritual
deliverance from sin and death. Another
example of this is! “Jesus
answered them, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because
you ate your fill of the loaves.” John 6:26.
Again look at (v37)
as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem. They only saw…..
Jesus was there
filling for comforts of life
Jesus was nothing
but a man to bring them physical joy and freedom from the bondage of Caesar.
Jesus was going to
be there muscle and conqueror, because He was powerful to even raise the dead
after four days.
Jesus was able to
heal the blind as John records before Jesus made His journey into Jerusalem.
But this not why Jesus entered the city
of Jerusalem Jesus wasn’t
entering the city to be a King at all. Jesus was entering
this city to be the Passover Lamb for sinful man and women! Luke
18:31:33
“And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that
is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he
will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully
treated and spit upon. And after flogging him,
they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise."
We should stop here and pause for a
moment and reflect on what this means for you and me!
When I read the account of Jesus entering the
city:
I see selfless
sacrifice and redemption for my wretched soul.
I see the King who
has delivered me from the bondage of my master Satan.
I see the glory of
redemption entering the city for many who are called.
I see the glory of
the Gospel as He sits on a colt.
I see the glory of
Heaven displaying the Father’s love for sinful mankind.
Knowing what we
know from this passage today, we can truly praise Him, as they ought to have
done then.
This is what makes
this triumphant entrance into Jerusalem so humbling and breathtaking and sad.
Because if we
didn’t praise Him entering the City, His entire creation would. This is why the stones would cry out, if
we didn’t! The
Creator of the universe
is coming into the city riding on a colt... which is a humbling display of
grace and love towards a people that would later call out His name to be “crucified.” This is why I can
sing with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Job.....and the saints of old that our
King is here to deliver us from our sins and to pave a way home to the Father.
This
is why I can sing with the psalmist
Ps
118:20-26
“This is the gate of the LORD; the
righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and
have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the
day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray,
O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name
of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.”
This joyful expression by the psalmist
makes me go back to my original question! Which
King are you rejoicing for this morning? Are you saying “save us Lord from the bondage of sin” or are you saying “free me so that I can have my physically
desires and comforts met” Is it for an
earthly King which fills your physical needs or a Heavenly King which saves
your soul from eternal Hell? Because the
majority of these people were looking towards present gain which will never
solve the long term problem that separates us from God because of sin. You might be thinking to yourself! Mike, why do you
say such a thing? I would say to you
“Look at the verses that follow” (v41-v44). It
says “Jesus
wept over the hearts of the people” Jesus lamented for the people because He knew their
hearts and motives. OH! How
devastating that must have been for the Jesus to see into the sinful hearts of
man and to know what they truly worshipped. Jesus knew what
they were going to do in the coming days! Jesus knew the
hearts of the ones that would deny Him for salvation. Jesus wept for the
souls that were lost and there would be many. Jesus knew the
outcome and the pending dome for His created children! (v43-v44)
This
is precisely what happened to Jerusalem in 70ad; Titus seized the city by
cutting off all supplies and trapped thousands of people who had been in
Jerusalem for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Romans
systematically built embankments around the city and one by one they demolished
the city temple....residences, and the people. Men, women and
children were brutally slaughtered by the tens of thousands This destruction
was God’s divine judgement for their failure to recognize and embrace their
Messiah when He visited them. These
people were cheering for an earthly Deliverer from their present situations and
many do today. Jesus came to
deliver the spiritually broken from the bondage of sin!
Not from the
bondage of rulers or your personal interests.
We need to look
through the eyes of Christ, into our own hearts this morning and ponder this
question seriously. Am
I rejoicing for the right King this morning? Jesus
entered Jerusalem this final week to bear and carry my…. Sin and shame and
unregenerate heart. To take my Place
in the Heavenly courtroom of God’s perfect justice. To bare the wrath
to which I deserve for my many years of rebellion and hate.
This Jesus entered Jerusalem this final
week of earthy ministry so that I could be:
Redeemed from that
wrath that is yet to come to those who deny His gospel.
Restored back to
the Father’s love as it once was when He said “It was good”
Forgiven for my
all sins past, present and future.
Free from the
grips of bondage, shame and death.
Claimed, purchased,
as His adopted son for all eternity.
See! Knowing this truth
helps us to understand who this King truly was and why He came. He came to be our Heavenly King......not
our earthly king! This final week of
Jesus’ ministry helps us to reflect about what Jesus came to do and did for sinful
man and woman. Those of us who
have been redeemed by the gospel and confession we proclaim can truly sing
along with the rocks “Hosanna, Hosanna in
the highest”
So to summarize….. Who
Am I rejoicing and worshiping this morning? The Jesus who will
give me what I want so that I can be happy here on this earth? Or the Jesus who
saved my wretched soul for all eternity? Jesus Christ was not just another prophet. Not just another
Rabbi. Not just another wonder-worker. He was the One they
had been waiting for….the Son of David and Abraham's chosen seed; the one to
deliver us from captivity; Yahweh in the
flesh. The Lamb of God who
came to take away the sins of the world. Today we are reminded
of His compassion and love for fallen sinners and we sing, meditate on His word
and give Him glory for such a great salvation. As the King of glory
who entered the city for one purpose only! To be the sacrificial Lamb for sin. To please His Father
by becoming a sacrifice to redeem sinful man and sinful woman from the bondage
of Satan. As Jesus said “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not
my will, but yours, be done.” Luke 22:42. Understand, He did not
come to deliver us from our Rome or to give you your best life now. He came to redeem for
Himself a people who would worship Him for His saving grace and His glory for
all eternity. As the Psalmist sang “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.” Ps
34:3. As the Apostle Paul said to the church “that you may with one mind and one
mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom 15:6
Why? Hosanna truly saved us through the gospel of His amazing grace.
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