Luke 19:28-46
Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home
of a wealthy family! The family was rude and refused to let
the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room. Instead the
angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As
they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a
hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel
asked why, the older angel replied, “Things aren’t always
what they seem.”
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very
poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing
what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in
their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When
the sun came up the next morning the angels found the
farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had
been their sole income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel,
“How could you have let this happen? The first man had
everything, yet you helped him,” he accused. “The second
family had little but was willing to share everything, and you
let the cow die.” “Things aren’t always what they seem,” the
older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement of the
mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the
wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and
unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he
wouldn’t find it.”
“Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of
death came for his wife ……. I gave him the cow instead …
Things aren’t always what they seem.”
Sometimes we get upset when things don’t go the way we
expect them to go. Always continue to have faith! Trust that
every outcome is always to your advantage in the long run.
You might not know it until some time later. When things go
bad, just always remember: Things aren’t always what they
seem!
Last week we talked about the 7 prophecies fulfilled by
Jesus. We looked at each one in the OT and how Jesus
fulfilled each of them according to God’s word.
This week we are going to talk about the three ways
Jesus entered Jerusalem and the temple the week before
His crucifixion.
Let’s ask God to speak to us through His word this
morning as He always does. Ask Him to give us curiosity
as we study this familiar text so we can learn more about
Him and know Him on a deeper level.
Luke 19:28-40
A Humble Entry
Jesus made preparations to have two of His disciples get
a colt that had never been ridden on for Him to ride into
the city.
Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey identified Him
with kings in the royal line of David. After David, many
Jewish kings used horses over donkeys.
Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey also showed His
humility. Jesus didn’t own the donkey, He borrowed it
from someone else. The Lord uses people in so many
different ways to accomplish His plan.
Jesus was not the king the people were expecting,
He was the king the people needed.
As Jesus approached the city, a whole multitude of His
disciples began to rejoice and praise God.
They were placing their coats and palm branches on the
ground. This was a display of honor for a king who was
approaching.
They were praising Jesus for who they thought He was,
not who He actually was.
Jesus was more concerned about the glory of His
Father than His own praise.
The people wanted a king who would save them from the
Romans.
Jesus was more concerned about their hearts and
their eternal future than He was with their physical
safety.
Jesus didn’t come to rule this time, He came to die so He
could save the people from their sins. He didn’t come to
be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for
many.
The people wanted a king who would bring them peace
on earth.
Jesus came to bring people peace with God in
heaven.
Remember when Jesus said He didn’t come to bring
peace on earth but a sword. Jesus understood that peace
with God frequently brings conflict with the world.
The gospel requires a response – reject the truth or
accept it.
The Pharisees wanted Jesus to rebuke His disciples for
praising Him.
Jesus’ response indicated that He was worthy of the
praise even if the people didn’t fully understand His
purpose.
If the people stopped praising Him then even the rocks
would praise Him.
He wasn’t seeking His only glory, but God’s glory.
Luke 19:41-44
A Sorrowful Entry
When Jesus got closer to the city He wept.
You might think that Jesus was weeping because He was
about to face the most grueling, horrific death
imaginable, but that wasn’t why he was weeping.
Jesus wept because of the
Lack of Peace
He was weeping because the people didn’t understand
the kind of peace that He came to bring. They wanted a
break from fighting and war. Jesus came to bring peace
with God.
Hard Hearts
Jesus wept because of the hardness of the hearts of the
people. The Pharisees had taught works, so when Jesus
came and spoke of grace they didn’t understand. Their
hearts were hardened toward Jesus. They were not able
to understand Him or his message. The good news is that
one day many Jews who have turned their backs to Jesus
will have their eyes opened and they will return to Him
and be saved.
Impending Destruction
Jesus also wept because He knew that the Romans would
come in and not only destroy the temple, but the whole
city in AD 70.
Luke 19:45-46
A Purifying Entry
As Jesus entered the temple, He saw the money
changers and those selling animals for the required
sacrifices. They were not supposed to be conducting that
business inside the temple.
He knew they were abusing the situation by charging
exorbitant prices for their services.
They had put money above obedience.
Jesus would not stand for this in His Father’s house.
So, His response was to drive them out.
Matthew and Mark both say that He overturned the tables
as He drove them out.
This is called righteous indignation.
The Bible says be angry but do not sin.
This is exactly what Jesus is doing here.
Jesus quotes two OT Scriptures as He runs these
criminals out of the temple.
Jesus says His house shall be a house of prayer, this
comes from Isaiah 56:7 “these I will bring to my holy
mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted
on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of
prayer for all peoples.”
When Solomon dedicated the temple in I Kings 8 he gave
a prayer before God and all the people.
Near the end of the prayer (verses 41-43) he specifically
mentions foreigners such as the Gentiles. His prayer is
for God to hear the prayer and save them just like He has
saved the Jews.
The Gentile court was a place for evangelism to take
place.
Jesus came to save people from their sins. All people,
regardless of their sex, nationality, race, etc.
The second OT Scripture comes from Jeremiah 7:11
“Has this house, which is called by my name, become a
den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen
it, declares the Lord.”
In context Jeremiah was trying to help the people
understand that coming to a building does not make you
holy. He was telling them that they couldn’t keep living in
sin yet thinking the temple would keep them safe.
The church doesn’t save you, Jesus saves you
through repentance and forgiveness of sins by His
shed blood on the cross at Calvary.
We should view Azle and the world around us in the same
way Jesus viewed Jerusalem. With compassion and
weeping for their salvation.
We should not only be praying for our family and friends
to turn to Jesus for Salvation, we should be praying for
our city and the whole earth to be saved.
APPLICATION
See Azle Through Jesus’ Eyes
There are many people in our own city who don’t know
Jesus and don’t have any desire to know Him.
Let’s unite as the body of Christ to pray for our neighbors
and colleagues. Ask God to start a revival in our own
hearts so that others may see us on fire for Him and see
us living lives that honor Him.
Our desire should be the same as God’s desire that Peter
wrote about in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill
his promise as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that
all should reach repentance.”
Is that your hope today?
That all would reach repentance.