www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk
The Gospel of Luke Chapter 19:28-48 Jesus Comes to His Own 19:28 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. It is perhaps significant that after Jesus had finished teaching about faithful commitment in service and about salvation for the lost (Zacchaeus) he continued his journey to Jerusalem, where he would show his absolute commitment to God the Father by obtaining salvation for us through his death on the cross. 19:29–30 And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. As he came to the villages of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives which is on the approach to Jerusalem, Jesus made preparation for his entry into the city. He sent two of his disciples into a nearby village, predicting that as they entered it they would find a young donkey tied up—one which had not yet been ridden. They were to release this donkey and bring it to Jesus. 19:31 And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.' " Anticipating that they might be challenged, Jesus instructs his disciples to tell anyone who may ask the reason why they took the donkey, ‘The Lord needs it’. This was not, however, a prearrangement with the owner of the donkey; Jesus as Lord of creation had formed this donkey, he knew where it was and could require it for his service if he so desired. It may well be that the owners had come to believe in Jesus themselves and so would not have objected; but even if such were not the case, Jesus’ authority would be the final word on the matter. 19:32 So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.
The two disciples went and found things exactly as Jesus had said. Believers today will always find that by doing what the Lord commands, things will work out right, for he knows all things and is in control of all things. 19:33–35 But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?" And they said, "The Lord has need of him." Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. Indeed, as they were untying the donkey, the owners asked them what they were doing and so they answered as Jesus had told them—and it was sufficient. They took the young donkey back to Jesus and threw their garments on the colt for him to ride on. 19:36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. As Jesus went towards Jerusalem, a large number of disciples spread their garments on the road in front of him, as if in honor of a king, for that is indeed how they viewed Jesus, and Jesus was acting out the nature of his kingship in the way he chose to enter the city. 19:37 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, When he reached the place where the road started to descend the Mount of Olives all his followers began to cheer and to shout, praising to God for all the mighty works that they had seen Jesus do (Zechariah 9:9). 19:38 saying: “‘BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" In their exaltation, they acknowledged that Jesus was the King who had come in the name of the Lord, the long awaited Messiah, proclaiming peace from Heaven and bringing glory to the most High (Psalm 118:26). 19:39–40 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." Some of the Pharisees were incensed when they heard what was being proclaimed about Jesus, and so they told him to reprimand and silence his followers. But Jesus replied that if they remained silent, that the stones on the ground would immediately begin to shout out his praises (Habakkuk. 2:11; Isaiah 55:12); for not only was the Messiah come to the holy city to die, the Creator had come into his world to receive praise.
Christ's Compassion 19:41–42 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
As Jesus drew near the city and looked on it he wept over it, because of the utter blindness of its people, their failure to understand that this was the day of God’s visitation to them; for he had come in the person of his Son to be their Saviour and redeemer. Jesus had come into the world for this hour—to give His life on the cross to redeem their souls and so make peace between them and God (Isaiah 6:9–10; Romans 11:8–10). 19:43–44 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation." Here Jesus foretells the time (AD 70) when the Roman army under Titus would come and besiege the city until it fell. The Romans would completely destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, not leaving one stone upon another, and all the inhabitants—even the children—would be massacred. Jesus says that this would happen because they did not want to recognize that this was the time that God had sent His only begotten Son to be their salvation. 19:45–46 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE IS A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a 'DEN OF THIEVES.' " Jesus then entered the Temple and drove out those who, by selling the animals for sacrifices, were making a mockery of the house of God, turning it into a market place for buying and selling. Jesus reminded them that God had ordained the Temple (his house) to be a house of prayer; but they were acting like those in the days of Jeremiah, who made it into a den of thieves (Jeremiah 7:11; Isaiah 56:7). 19:47–48 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him. As Jesus was teaching every day in the Temple the chief priest, scribes and the members of the Sanhedrin plotted how they might kill Him, but they were unable to do anything. They probably feared a public backlash, for all the people hung on to His every Word. © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2015 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org