Luke 19:28-44 records theTriumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This event had been prophesied for centuries and anyone familiar with the Scriptures should have expected and welcomed it. And yet, some didn’t seem to get it or at least, not willing to accept it. Why was that? What was going on?
After telling “The Parable of the Ten Minas” (Luke 19:11-27), in which the Master rewarded his faithful servants and punished the unfaithful one along with his enemies, Jesus took the road towards Jerusalem. He arrived in Jerusalem to a mixed reception. Not everyone was happy to see him. Starting from verse 28, Luke relates what took place when Jesus arrived.
The King of Kings has arrived and not everyone seems to welcome His visit
At Jesus’ command, some of the disciples had gone ahead in search of the Colt. “They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.” (Luke 19:35,36). As Jesus got on that colt, the celebration began, at least for some.
A crowd of disciples was happy.
“They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their garments on the road.” Luke 19:35,36.
Why did the people spread their garments on the road as Jesus arrived? Spreading garments in this way was a recognized act of homage to a king or other royal individuals. In 2 Kings 9:13 we read that when God anointed Jehu as king, the officers in Jehu’s army“quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”
This is what the disciples of Jesus were doing for him as he approached Jerusalem. When Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully praising God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen, saying:
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” and “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
What a wonderfully suitable acclamation from the disciples! As Coffman put it, “Everything about the triumphal entry was carefully designed to stress the Kingship of Jesus.” “The mount of Olives …” was the point from which Jesus started the entry. Why did he choose that place? Zechariah had prophesied that “The Lord will be king over all the earth” (Zec. 14:9), declaring also that “in that day his feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the east”! (Zechariah 14:4). And when the disciples were perceived the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecies, perhaps they were also reminded of other scriptures pertaining to the messiah. (CF: Isaiah 9:7; Jer. 23:5; Dan. 7:14; John 1:49).
The grumbling Pharisees
While the disciples was happy to receive Jesus as king, some of the Pharisees were pretty upset. They said, teacher, rebuke your disciples. Why was it that while common people recognized the King of Kings, religious leaders like the Pharisees refused to acknowledge him? Do you remember who the Pharisees were? They were an influential religious sect within Judaism at the time of Christ and the early church. They believed that when the Messiah came, he who would usher in a golden age of peace. The Pharisees also believed in the resurrection of the dead. (Acts 23:6-8). They based these beliefs on Old Testament scriptures which foretold the coming of a messiah who would lead the people of Israel to victory and establish an everlasting kingdom. So when Jesus came as a humble servant of God, they did not believe that he was the long-awaited Messiah. They refused to believe that he was the Son of God and demanded that Jesus stop his disciples from worshipping him.
And why did the crowd of disciples praise God in joyful voices declaring Jesus as King? Luke 19:38 saysthatthey did it because of all the miracles they had seen.
But, what about these Pharisees? The Jewish Leaders who opposed Jesus. Did they never see him perform miracles? Of course, they did. In fact, the more miracles they saw, the more determined they were to get rid of Jesus. They saw Jesus as a threat to their position. So, the more miracles they saw Jesus perform, the more upset they were. This came to a head when Jesus raised Lazarus. The power of Jesus was on display and the evidence of his deity was overwhelming. Many people were believing in Jesus as a result. So, from that day on they [the Jewish leaders] plotted to take his life.” (John 11:53).
No wonder that the Pharisees wanted Jesus to rebuke those who were joyfully praising God in Loud voices, and crying out to Jesus to save them. The leaders took offense at that.
But Jesus replied to them: “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:40. According to Coffman Jesus meant, that this event – which led up to his death on the cross, would be duly attested one way or another, notwithstanding the objections of priestly hypocrites. Jesus’s reply to the Pharisee had the effect of saying, “Look, Pharisee, there is no way for you to hide what is taking place right now!” If that vast multitude could have been stilled by some means, the very stones would have declared the glory of God for what took place when God’s Son entered Jerusalem.
Jesus was and is… the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelations 17:14; 19:16).
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, God made this known to the wisemen from the East who came looking for the king. They asked: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2. God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11).
In Matthew 28:18, Jesus declared that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. Therefore, like the crowd of disciples who praised God for sending the heavenly king, may we be wise enough to acknowledge and obey Jesus as our Lord and king.Our salvation depends on it. Whoever rejects Jesus is lost (John 12:48). So, if you are reading this article but have not yet obeyed the gospel, then you too need to acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and King, and do what He says. In Mark 16:16 Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” If you wish to obey the gospel, contact the nearest church of Christ and we will be happy to assist you.