MONDAY
Even though it’s our calm week, I preached a pseudo-sermon yesterday, as we are entering into Holy Week. Because of this, the devotionals this week will be a bit of a hybrid. Normally on calm weeks, we focus on a practice. For this week, we are going to spend the first two days on the Triumphal Entry, as I preached on yesterday. I’ll teach and make comments Monday and Tuesday. Then, for the last three days, we will simply read the rest of the Passion narrative from Luke’s gospel.
Before we even get close to that narrative and the events of Holy Week, we read this in Luke 9:
Luke 9:51 (ESV) 51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
Setting one’s face is an Old Testament idiom to communicate resolve. Jesus resolved to go to Jerusalem. He was determined to do God’s will no matter the cost. He knew what awaited him there, but he set his face towards it anyways. In keeping with the theme of our resilient Christianity campaign, this must be our approach as well. We must resolve to do God’s will no matter the cost.
The Triumphal Entry is Jesus finally entering into Jerusalem. This is the moment Luke has been leading up to for the last 10 chapters.
Luke 19:28–40 (NIV) 28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 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: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
The main theme of this event is Jesus’ intentional revelations of himself to be the Messiah, King. Riding into Jerusalem on colt is a fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.
Zechariah 9:9 9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
The Pharisees were certainly familiar with this passage, as was Jesus. In telling his disciples to go find a colt, Jesus is intentionally fulfilling this prophecy. He is declaring himself to be their King and Messiah. Jerusalem is the city of David—where David built his palace and Solomon later built the temple. Riding into Jerusalem, the city of kings, on a donkey was invoking all of these kingly messages. The people even shout Psalm 118:26, but Luke inserts “King” for “he” in the Psalm, again hinting at Jesus’ kingly status. Luke also, interestingly, leaves out the palm branches. Luke is writing for a Greek audience (his letter is addressed to a Theopholis), so the palm branches would specifically connote a nationalistic and revolutionary message that Luke may have wanted to avoid.
So, Jesus is their Messiah, King. Luke’s next theme is the varied reaction to this revelation.
- Acceptance
- Open
- Hostility
Joyful praise on the part of the disciples (not just the 12, but the larger group who believed Jesus to be the Messiah). They acknowledge him as the king and celebrate his arrival. Jesus notes that even if the people were to stop praising him the rocks would cry out. Creation knows its creator and king, even if some of the people don’t.
Luke hints that there is still a misunderstanding or an immature faith around Jesus on the part of much of the crowd. They praise “for all of the miracles they have seen.” They likely don’t fully grasp the meaning of Jesus as the Messiah yet. They certainly don’t understand his mission to redeem the people of God through his atoning death on the cross. John’s gospel notes that this is the crowd that was with him when he raised Lazarus from the dead at Bethany (Jn. 12:17).
The Pharisees aren’t celebrating Jesus’ arrival. They tell him to rebuke his disciples. Perhaps they are concerned that the Romans will hear of this procession and react with force if they feel threatened by Jesus as a potential rival king. They don’t acknowledge him as king. To them he is only “teacher.” As we learn elsewhere, they are plotting to kill him.
So, what is your reaction to Jesus? We are confronted with the same options today. Jesus is king of all creation. This point is not in question. What is in question is how we will respond to the king. Will we worship him and join the chorus of creation? Will we reject him and demand the chorus be silent? Or will we continue following with an open heart and mind, not sure yet of exactly who he is? This last one is an okay place to be for a time, but there comes a turning point where a decision is required of us. In Luke’s gospel (a long picture of discipleship) the point comes at the cross and the resurrection of Jesus.
Reflection
If you have come to conclude that Jesus is the Messiah, God and King, then worship him for who he is and what he has done.
If you are still following, open to the claims of Jesus, keep following and honestly seeking the truth of who he is. Your moment before the cross will come.