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 differentIn 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 Genie in a bottle!
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.

Comments

Jodi said…
It is so great to be able to catch up on the message when I've missed it. It's not the same as being there in person but I do appreciate having it to read. Thanks again.

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