Luke 19:28-38 Jesus Enters Jerusalem As King
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!”
Luke 19:28-38 WHAT DOES JESUS NEED FROM ME?
Springford Baptist Church: April 2, 2023.
PALM SUNDAY
Every day we have people looking for something from us. We have family members who need our attention and care. We have friends who want to spend time with us and who want us to listen to what is happening in their lives. We have responsibilities that come with being citizens of our community. We have people asking us to support various causes in various ways. All the time, we are making decisions about what we will do with needs that are presented to us and how we will respond. Sometimes the intensity of all the needs can be overwhelming and we can be uncertain about where to offer our support and how to be involved. We are aware that our resources are limited.
The events of Palm Sunday give us opportunity to think about what the Lord Jesus is looking for from us. What does it mean to recognize Jesus for who He is and to welcome Him without reservation? What does it mean for us to discern carefully specific ways that Jesus wants us to carry out His plans? How might our willingness to participate in what we perceive Jesus is asking of us be significant, even for eternity? How can we be certain that what Jesus asks of us, He will also equip and enable us to do?
Jesus has toldin a parable, the story of a noble man who will be king. (Luke 19:11-27) This noble man journeys to a distant country. While he is gone, he entrusts those left behind to “put to work” the money that he leaves with them.
What they invest determines what they have to present when the king returns.
It is obvious that the king was relying on the people left behind to follow his essential instructions.
Then we come in the Scripture from Luke to this Triumphal Entry of the King of Kings when Jesus rides into Jerusalem. (Luke 19:28-38)
Here we have God’s personal visit!
This is familiar scripture describing a familiar event so we do not want to become casual about what this reveals to us about what Jesus needs and what He expects of us.
We want to keep in mind that Jesus had spent the last 3 years travelling around with His disciples. These were His closest friends. During this time, there has been plenty of opportunity for them to be eye-witnesses to Jesus doing and saying some surprising and unexpected things.
At this point, I would suspect that they had come to realize that even when what Jesus said did not make sense to them or seemed surprising or puzzling that there would be purpose in it. Consistently, this is what happened when they were sharing life with Jesus.
Trusting Jesus does grow over time for us too, as we experience His leading and see how things happen when we are walking in His way.
So when Jesus gave specific instructions to two of His disciples, there is no indication that they questioned Jesus or protested. They followed through.
He described for them that when they entered the village ahead they would find a colt tied there which no one had ever ridden.
What were they to do?
They were to untie it and bring it to Jesus. And Jesus even gave instruction about how to handle things if anyone asked why they were untying this colt. This would not be unexpected. It would appear that the colt was being stolen and that would raise concern.
How were they to respond?
Jesus tells them that they are simply to say, “The Lord needs it”. (Luke 19:31)
That is sufficient. That answers everything.
When you and I know that we are doing what we are doing in obedience to what God needs from us, in answer to what He has asked of us, then that too is sufficient.
That is all we need.
I love that line in verse 32 regarding those who went ahead and “found it just as He had told them.” This affirms that Jesus did know exactly what was ahead, every detail. He knows that in our lives as well and guides us as we listen for Him and obey Him.
And when the owners asked, “Why are you untying the colt” did the disciples make up some excuse? No. They said precisely, “The Lord needs it” (Luke 19:34) and that was enough. Once again, we see that does answer everything.
The obedience of the disciples then permitted the other events to unfold as was intended.
Cloaks were spread on the colt and on the road and as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the young donkey, it was His disciples who initiated the expression of praise and the affirmation of who is Jesus.
(vs 37) “the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen…”
I see here that we as followers of Jesus should likewise be the ones to initiate praise. This is what the Lord needs from us!
We have been with Jesus. We, like the disciples, have recognized Jesus for Who He is-God’s Son and we have seen what He can do. All of us have answers to prayer that we, or people we know, have experienced . These miracles give us reason to praise God and to draw attention to Him.
Palm Sunday has purpose because, as it comes before Easter, it prepares us to see what God has done and not to keep quiet about it. And certainly as people of the Resurrection we must not keep quiet about that tremendous miracle and the implications of Jesus triumphing over death!
We can join in shouting the message, in making it plain that we too want people to know, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest”! (vs. 38)
What does Jesus need from us?
He needs us to be sensitive to His direction and completely willing to follow through on His leading.
He needs us to be courageous in drawing attention to Jesus and identifying clearly Who He is and praising Him for what He has brought about in our lives!!
Jesus knew the truth had to be declared.
His disciples could not keep quiet and neither can we.
Jesus said, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (vs. 40)
This essential message of Who Jesus is and why He has come is ours to proclaim! We will be given the motivation, the ability, and the words to express what Jesus needs us to express!!