Luke 19 vs 28-47

Luke Chapter 19 Verses 28 – 31
•If any of you have ever been like me and wondered at times, “Why me?” Like Lord, why would you use me? I am just so messy, ha! Well, this is a good verse set for you as we read that the Lord has need even of donkey. Now, God is nice and calls me a colt, but I know what I really am. But here’s the thing, He has loosed me as I have served Him. (And I know there is plenty of “loosing” yet to go!)
•Why was this colt tied up? Probably because it would wander off, maybe run away, get into things it shouldn’t get into, bother people, mess things up…and so it’s tied up. But the Lord has use for it…which begins with it being loosed. I love that…
•Now, let me ask you, are you for the Lord more of a mess maker or solution deliverer? Here’s how you know that the Lord is using you… Maybe this is just for me, not sure, probably not… but honest inventory, are you the mess for everyone else or are you part of the solution?
•This is something I think about quite often because everyone has issues, everyone has problems, everyone has difficulties…just comes with the territory in this thing called life. I don’t want to add to all of that weight. I want to be used by the Lord to deliver, or be an agent of, the easy burden and the light yoke that He promised comes along with Him in Matthew 11.
•Matthew 11, verses 28-30 we read the words of our Lord, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Therefore, key words here, if you are, if I am being used by God, then the folks in my universe will get a bit more rest because of me. They will learn of Jesus or more about Jesus because of me, and things will get a bit easier and lighter in their life because of me. So, am I walking with the Lord? Am I His colt, loosed and of use to the Lord, or just some messy tied up donkey? That’s a good way to know…
•Now, Jesus is setting off for His final approach, going up to Jerusalem and here’s the intense part of it all. He knows exactly what is ahead for Him. He knows that He is going to be betrayed, abused, shamed, beaten and finally crucified. Despite all that, He still goes.
•To really love your spouse, you’re going to have to sacrifice. You’re going to have to put them first and put yourself out. To really bring your kiddos up in the admonition and training of the Lord, you’re going to have to sacrifice. To really serve well at work, you’re going to have to sacrifice. To really serve and support your church and the work of the ministry, you’re going to have to sacrifice. Go without certain things to faithfully give of your tithe and even offerings to the Lord above that…you may even have to serve in Children’s Ministry! AHHHH! Despite all that, will you still go? Jesus did. You follow Him, right?
•We should admire Jesus so very much. Leading even His own betrayer to the spot where he would betray Him…what kind of love is that? That even though what would happen to Him personally wasn’t “right,” He still chose to do right Himself. Lord, strengthen our faith in these last days to be a church that brings You glory!
•He chose a colt, not a stallion. Royalty would enter cities with great pomp, definitely on noble horses or even chariots, but not Jesus. He chose to enter in the humblest of means as was foretold of Him hundreds of years before His birth by the prophet Zechariah…
•Zechariah 9:9 says, (speaking of this day), “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!”
•One last quick thing. Jesus tells two of His disciples to go get this colt. Isn’t that odd? The Creator, Agent of all creation…why not just have a colt appear out of the wilderness? Wouldn’t that have been easier? Even supernaturally fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy? The only conclusion, which is indeed corroborated throughout the scriptures, is that God loves to use people to accomplish His work. Some He calls to go, some He calls to do, some He calls to give, some He calls to all of that. But its just fact, God loves to include people in His work and what a joy it is to be used by God!
Luke Chapter 19 Verses 32 – 35
•I love that interaction between the donkey owner and the disciples! No clap-back. No argument. The Lord has need of him…and it’s finished. Why do we think we need to explain so much? Why are you doing this, doing that, not doing this, no doing that? Simple, it’s what the Lord told me to do. That’s it, nothing more needed. But so many plead their case with long-winded explanations and all…why? Perhaps you’re just not hearing from the Lord? This explanation is met with zero resistance and I love that!
Luke Chapter 19 Verses 36 – 38
•The people honor Jesus as the King as He enters the city. Spreading their clothes and John tells us also palm branches were cut down and laid in His path. All four gospels have the account of Jesus’ triumphant entry and it’s called that because of the manner by which He enters the city.
•Now if you look at each of the gospel’s accounts of this scene, all four give us what was said by the crowds and they are all similar but Luke’s is unique in that he records for us that the crowd cried out, “Peace in heaven and glory to the highest!” This is interesting because when Jesus’ birth was announced, the angel declared peace elsewhere….
•Luke 2:14, Luke tells us that a multitude of the heavenly host called out, “Glory to God in the highest (same as we read here in Luke 19), and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” That’s crazy interesting! Because through Jesus, with Jesus, because of Jesus, in the coming of Jesus, heaven calls out peace on earth, and earth calls out peace in heaven. It’s just awesome. The full implication and meaning of that statement-set probably even beyond our own finding out…
•Isaiah 9:6 declares concerning Jesus, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Peace where? Heaven, earth and between heaven and earth, God and man…as through Jesus, sin and the fallen creation would be finally and permanently and completely dealt with and defeated…
Luke Chapter 19 Verses 39 – 40
•Impossible…you don’t know the weight of what’s going on here…this is the peace of all peaces…the peace by which without it, no other peace even ever matters…if the people held their tongues creation/earth itself would belt out the chorus…the answer to the heavenly song at Jesus’ birth!
Luke Chapter 19 Verses 41 – 44
•He knew what was ahead for this beautiful place He now approached…LOOK, He knew what was ahead for Him and yet why does He weep? For them! That is crazy LOVE! His desire wasn’t focused on saving Himself, it was focused on saving them! And even today, the peace that cost Him everything, He is not concerned with reminding us of that…but rather calling us to the joy and peace that He can now supply to anyone who would place their trust in and follow Him!
•Now, mind-blower, the prophet Daniel had prophesied in Daniel 9:25, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks.” VERY specific. Sixty-nine weeks is 483 years or 173,880 days exactly by the Babylonian calendar.
•We know, by way of historical fact, that according to Ezra, Artaxerxes gave the command, at Ezra’s request, that Jerusalem was to be rebuilt. The context, timing of that command is well documented to have been made on March 14th, 445BC. We also know exactly that Jesus rode into Jerusalem, this scene in Luke, on April 6th, 32AD…which was…brace yourself, exactly on day 173,880! Jesus says, “In this YOUR day!” This is exactly what He was talking about…
Luke Chapter 19 Verses 45 – 48
•First thing He does…cleanses the temple. Symbolic of the work He does even in a life as you and I, the Book of Hebrews tells us, are the temple of God. Have you received Jesus or are you in the dark, not understanding that the solution to the problem or that your calling is simply to receive the Prince of Peace as your Lord and Savior? Are you, by way of your own choice, trying to find satisfaction and life being a confined, tied up donkey?
•The kingdom had come. The King had arrived. Peace was on the scene…and the city misses it. How about you?