The Time of God's Coming to You - Luke 19:28-44

From past experience, do all the adjustments of the podium before you start.

So I'm just going to move slightly over.

I feel there's too much of a bias towards this side.

People over here need here too.

Just tilt this.

Actually, I should have said while we were beginning,

if you could turn, please, in your Bibles to Luke chapter 19.

Luke 19 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 19.

Luke 19 · chapter mention

As Jonathan intimated, we've been going through the gospel of Luke over an extended period.

So we've done about 14 in our series on surprising salvation.

And we've taken a break for a little while, but are coming back to it now.

So beginning again this series into Luke.

And so Luke chapter 19.

Luke 19 · chapter mention

And it is a familiar story for many.

But let's read together.

We're going to read from verse 28 down to verse 44 of Luke chapter 19.

Luke 19 · chapter mention

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead going up to Jerusalem.

As he approached Bethpage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives,

he sent two of his disciples, saying to him,

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.

If anyone asks you, why are you untying it?

Say, the Lord needs it.

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.

As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them,

Why are you untying the colt?

They replied, the Lord needs it.

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.

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.

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus,

Teacher, rebuke your disciples.

I tell you, he replied, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.

But as he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said,

If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace,

but now is hidden from your eyes.

The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you

and encircle you and hem you in on every side.

They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.

They will not leave one stone on another because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.

Let's pray.

Our Father, we thank you that as we read these words,

yes, they're the words of Luke,

but supremely they are the words of God himself through the Holy Spirit.

And we thank you that as we open the Bible,

it's not us that sits in judgment over it,

but it really sifts us

and helps us to know who we are

and who God is

and how we should respond.

So, Father, I ask that your Spirit will help us this morning

to understand what it is that you would say to us

and that we would rightly respond in Jesus' name.

Amen.

This morning as we resume our series in the Gospel of Luke,

we're walking alongside Jesus

as he finally reaches Jerusalem.

And we're going to walk beside him through Judean villages

and we're going to walk among the crowds

as he reaches the end of his ministry.

After three years,

Jesus is moving forwards,

forwards towards his own death.

It's always a good time to ask this question,

but it's especially good now.

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?

Is he a good man?

Is he more than that?

Is he a social revolutionary

establishing his way of life?

Or is he truly God's king

bringing about God's kingdom?

Jesus is certainly a man who is on the move.

The road to Jerusalem began ten chapters ago

in Luke chapter 9

Luke 9 · chapter mention

where Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem

and he's resolute.

That's where he's going to.

And as he's moving from Galilee,

which is kind of in the north of the country,

and he's making his way down to Jerusalem

over ten chapters,

he's going from place to place.

And if you flick through the chapters,

you see that Jesus is teaching,

often in parables,

on the nature of the kingdom of God.

The kingdom that he is bringing about.

And he is giving his disciples

and his followers and the people

a vision of what the kingdom looks like

and what membership of the kingdom is,

what it means to belong to God's kingdom.

And he's talking about kingdom ethics.

What do we mean by ethics?

Well, we mean simply this.

What is right and what is wrong?

What is good and what is bad

within God's kingdom?

And he's talking about kingdom priorities.

What is it that you should be doing

in God's kingdom?

What is it that matters?

What is most important?

And Jesus is saying through all of this,

and these are the familiar stories,

that it's the repentant tax collector

who stands at the back

and beats his chest humbly

and says,

woe is me a sinner

that is justified by God,

not the arrogant Pharisee.

It's about the return of lost things.

It's like finding the lost coin

or finding your lost sheep.

Or ultimately,

it's about finding lost sons

and daughters

and heaven rejoicing

that people are coming into God's kingdom.

It's stories like the Samaritan

who comes across the beaten up Jew

and yet reaches somehow across that divide,

that racial and ethnic and cultural divide.

And he's the one

that's the good neighbor

towards that poor Jewish man

that's been beaten up.

That's what being a good neighbor

in the kingdom of God looks like.

And it's not easy.

It's not easy to be a member.

It's not easy to be a disciple.

And Jesus knows this

and he spells it out for people

that come to him.

And people want to follow Jesus.

And he says,

come follow me.

But the foxes,

they have holes

and the birds that are flying in the sky,

they have nests.

But the Son of Man

has nowhere

to lay his head.

You want to follow me?

Well, you have to hate your family.

And Jesus used those words.

You have to hate your family.

You have to hate your own life.

You have to lose yourself

to be my disciple.

In fact,

you have to pick up your cross

to follow me.

Jesus knows about his kingdom.

And he knows that it's a kingdom

of repentant sinners and outcasts.

And the kingdom at this point is,

it's no bigger

than a mustard seed.

The upside down nature of the kingdom,

it continues

as he leads his followers

towards Jerusalem

to witness his death.

And it's easy for us

because we know the whole story.

But for those disciples

to be following Jesus as king

to his death

was an impossibility

that they just could not grasp.

Many times during his journey,

Jesus tells them of his death.

The most recent one is

Isaiah 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18 and verse 31.

If you want to look back

at those verses,

chapter 18, page 105.2.

Jesus takes the 12 aside

and he tells them,

we are going up to Jerusalem

and everything that is written

by the prophets

about the Son of Man

will be fulfilled.

He will be handed over

to the Gentiles.

They will mock him.

This is very specific.

They will mock him,

insult him,

and spit on him.

They will flog him

and kill him.

On the third day,

he will rise again.

And the disciples

who are following Jesus,

their king,

did not understand

any of this.

Its meaning was hidden from them

and they did not know

and they did not know

what he was talking about.

You see,

in the disciples' world,

messianic kings

go to Jerusalem

to receive a crown,

not to be nailed

to a cross.

We join Jesus

for the last few miles

of his journey

in chapter 19.

Jerusalem,

the city of kings,

has come into view.

Verse 28.

And we're approaching Jerusalem.

So we've come down

through Galilee.

We've come down

kind of the eastern side

of the Jordan River

and we've crossed over.

We've come through Jericho

just a little bit beforehand

where we met Zacchaeus,

again,

an unlikely convert

to Jesus' kingdom,

this hated tax collector.

And as we're approaching

from the east,

we're just a few miles

from Jerusalem.

And we've the town

of Bethany.

And that's the hometown

of Mary

and Martha and Lazarus,

the town we're maybe

familiar with.

But it's flooded

because we're joining up

with thousands

upon thousands

of pilgrims

that are also heading

towards the city

for the biggest

festival of the year,

the big event,

the time when lambs

in their tens

and even hundreds

of thousands,

by some estimates

200,000 lambs

are sacrificed

during Passover

as a reminder

of God's deliverance

from judgment

during the Exodus.

We have men,

we have women,

we have children,

we have babies,

we've married,

we've single,

we've animals.

Everyone is simply

on the move

heading to Jerusalem.

And some will have been

planning this all year

and others are the ones

being dragged along.

Come on,

it's the family tradition,

don't disgrace me,

you have to come

to Jerusalem.

But everyone is on the move.

And so we come

to verse 29.

Jesus approaches

Bethpage and Bethany

at the hill

called the Mount of Olives.

And he sends

two of his disciples

saying to them,

go to the village

ahead of you

and as you enter it

you will find

a coal tie there

which no one

has ever ridden.

Untie it and bring it here.

If anyone asks you

why are you untying it,

say the Lord needs it.

Those who were sent ahead

went and found it

just as he had told them.

As they were untying

the colt,

its owners asked them,

why are you untying

the colt?

They replied,

the Lord needs it.

They brought it to Jesus,

threw their cloaks

on the colt

and put Jesus on it.

And as he went along

people spread

their cloaks

on the road.

By one person's estimate

Jesus travels

at least 3,000 miles

during his three year ministry.

So about, you know,

it's a fair distance.

Over that whole time

not once do we read

in any of the gospels

a mention of a donkey

or a colt

or a horse

or any other kind of animal

or any other kind of transport

for Jesus.

Not once.

Maybe you're not curious

but I'm curious.

Why coming to the end

of his ministry

and his life

with Jerusalem in sight

we're only talking

now a matter of miles.

Why is Jesus

looking for a colt?

Why is he looking

for an animal?

Why this newfound

insistence by Jesus

on requisitioning things

for his use?

Well I think in some way

Jesus is revealing

his kingly authority.

You too.

You too.

Go fetch me

an animal

for my use.

If anyone asks you

it's for the Lord.

That's all you need to say.

It's for the Lord.

You shouldn't have

any problems.

Well see these are

the actions

and the commands

of someone

who's in authority

isn't it?

Someone who can make

demands.

It's a king.

It's someone who's in charge.

Who then is this Jesus?

The question we started with.

Well a king

that give orders.

A king who can tell

people what to do.

I know that you don't

like to be told

what to do.

Because I don't like

to be told what to do.

And that's quite common

for people

everywhere.

All the time.

But it should be

our comfort

to know

that Jesus

gives

orders.

Jesus says

children

obey your parents

in the Lord

for this is right.

That's a comfort.

It's a comforting command

as any parent

here will assure you

that it's a comforting

command to know

that this is what

Jesus asks of children.

Especially at

well today

it would have been

at about

quarter past

four

but usually

quarter to eleven

when your child

is flailing around

on the ground

crying

demanding

expecting

wanting to be

the attention

because child number

two

across the room

looked at them

the wrong way.

it's a comfort

then isn't it

to know

that Jesus

says

children

obey

your parents

in the Lord

for this

is right.

It's a comfort

to know

that Jesus

gives good

commands

in his kingdom

so that we

can live

well.

But there are

uncomfortable

commands.

And yet

even from

the uncomfortable

commands

we too

should take

comfort.

Jesus

says

that everyone

who looks

at a woman

or indeed

a man

with lustful

intent

has already

committed

adultery

with them

in their heart.

Jesus

the king

says stop

searching for

porn

on your computer.

Jesus

the king

expects us

to tell

others

to do

likewise.

it's

sometimes

an

uncomfortable

comfort

to know

that Jesus

the king

can give

orders.

Now

if Jesus

were just

the king

who gives

orders

from his

throne

we might

begin to

feel

at least

defensive

if not

resentful

even if

those orders

were for

our good

and for

our protection

and we

instinctively

know

don't we

that each

command

that Jesus

gives

is that

isn't it

it's for

our good

and protection

we know

that

it's

something

we kick

against

but we

know it

and we

may simply

feel like

a ruled

and suppressed

people

if it was

just the

king from

the throne

giving those

orders.

So we

need this

afternoon to

know another

truth.

It's not

just a

king that

gives

orders.

We need to

know that

Jesus is a

king that

chooses to

ride a

donkey.

Now why

is that

significant?

Well it's

quite an

irony really

isn't it?

Jesus three

years no

mode of

transport apart

from walking

as far as

we know.

He begins

to exercise

some of his

kingly authority

as he's

coming to

Jerusalem.

Back straight

chest out

tummy in

calling for

provisions

and yet the

most he can

stretch to

is to ask

for a donkey

for the last

few miles

of a three

year journey.

Even the

fact that the

colt is

dutifully found

it's untied

it's fetched

it's brought

all exactly

how Jesus

said it

would be.

I think

we're still

wondering if

these are

truly the

actions of

a king

who is

all powerful

and a

king that's

in control

because let's

be honest

a colt

isn't the

most kingly

form of

transportation.

Low to

the ground

not a huge

amount of

power or

speed.

In fact it's

an animal you

might get at a

fairground that

you'd put a

child on and

take him around

a few times

isn't it?

But this

king, King

Jesus is not

following the

world script for

how kings behave

and how kingdoms

are formed.

Where the world

would come riding

on a war horse

Jesus turns to

the script of

the Old

Testament and he

follows the words

of his father and

Jonathan read the

verses for us

before but I think

it's worth turning

to again.

Zechariah chapter

nine.

It's on page

955.

Zechariah

looking forward

to Jesus

coming says

the following

Rejoice

greatly

daughter

Zion

daughter of

Zion

and Zion

is a hill

within Jerusalem

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

I will take

away the

chariots from

Ephraim

and the

war horses

from Jerusalem

and the

battle bow

will be

broken

he

this king

will proclaim

peace

to the

nations

his rule

will extend

from sea

to sea

and from the

river

to the

ends

of the

earth

the arrival

of God's

kingdom

on earth

is the

most monumental

event

in all

of our

history

all of

human

history

we can

conceive

or think

back of

the greatest

coronations

of the

greatest

kings

we can

think of

the greatest

military

victories

and the

parades

that happened

after those

military

victories

that this

world

has offered

and none

of them

are more

momentous

and impacting

than the

coming

of Jesus

and the

establishment

of his

kingdom

on earth

it is

simply the

greatest

coming

the greatest

event

the greatest

coronation

the greatest

victory

in all

of history

yet

this kingdom

that's going

to ultimately

crush all

other kingdoms

it came

quietly

in the

backwater

town

of Bethlehem

and was

welcomed by

lowly

shepherds

on that

starry night

as they went

to a manger

it's a

kingdom

that 30

years later

is marching

to the

slow

plod

of a

colt

over a

dusty

few

miles

you see

we need

this king

a king

who perfectly

follows the

script

of his

heavenly

father

not a

king

that's

coming

to establish

a kingdom

for himself

or on his

own basis

or for his

own

glory

we need

a ruler

yes

who by his

own authority

can call out

each of the

stars to come

out and to

fill the heavens

he can call

them by name

he has that

authority

and power

but we need

that same

person

who coming up

to his

crucifixion

in submission

says

father

not my

will

but yours

be done

and

Zechariah

saw

the king

that we

need

all those

years

beforehand

by the

spirit

and he

wrote with

the prophetic

eye

that we

we need

a king

yes

one that

will bring

peace

but one

who is

humble

and mounted

on a donkey

most expectant

jews

couldn't

couldn't

understand

this idea

of a

humble

king

coming

like this

and if

we were

there

we wouldn't

understand

this

we have

hindsight

but

let's

be honest

we wouldn't

have understood

this or

expected

this

if we look

back earlier

in Luke

Luke 19 · chapter mention

chapter 19

and verse

11

while we were

listening to

this

this is

Jesus

bringing

Zacchaeus

to faith

Jesus

went on

to tell

them a

parable

and we're

not going

to go

into the

parable

it's

very

instructive

by the

way

but

this

is

the

key

thing

because

he was

near

Jerusalem

and the

people

thought

the

kingdom

of

God

was

going

to

come

or to

appear

all

at

once

so

Jesus

is

working

to a

time

scale

that

sees

the

kingdom

coming

in

seed

form

that's

the

time

scale

and the

priorities

of

Jesus

that

the

kingdom

is

coming

now

in

seed

form

and

it's

only

going to

be

revealed

in

stages

you

see

I don't

know if

you've

thought

about

this

if

Jesus

and

his

kingdom

was

revealed

all

at

once

and

Jesus

came

conquering

his

enemies

like

the

disciples

expected

him

to

do

then

none

of

us

or

none

of

them

would

have

had

any

hope

we

would

just

be

the

conquered

ones

we

would

be

swept

aside

by

Jesus

righteous

judgment

and

he

would

come

and

Jesus

would

sit

on

his

throne

and

he

would

issue

the

orders

and

it

would

be

our

dutiful

obedience

to

obey

but

it

would

be

from

a

hardened

sinful

heart

you

you

see

Jesus

the

king

that's

revealed

in

the

pages

of

scripture

as

he's

prophesied

in

the

old

testament

as

those

promises

are

fulfilled

in

the

new

testament

he

is

far

far

far

greater

than

the

Jesus

that

we

think

we

want

and

he's

far

far

greater

than

the

Jesus

that

we

often

hear

presented

by

people

some

say

that

Jesus

is

simply

the

king

to

be

obeyed

he's

full

of

majesty

justice

and

judgment

he

demands

and

deserves

your

obedience

and

sometimes

others

might

speak

of

Jesus

that

is

full

of

meekness

and

grace

and

humility

and

patience

coming

in

peace

and

service

the

truth

is

we

need

all

of

those

things

to

be

true

about

Jesus

all

of

the

time

we

can't

divide

Jesus

we

can't

pick

and

choose

and

say

this

is

who

Jesus

is

and

this

is

who

Jesus

is

and

keep

them

apart

he

is

the

king

who

gives

orders

but

the

order

is

to

go

and

fetch

a

donkey

you

see

it's

perfect

power

and

perfect

humility

brought

together

he

is

lord

and

servant

he's

the

one

who

offers

his

kingship

in

service

to

others

the

king

who

lays

down

his

life

for

his

followers

is

the

king

that

you

and

I

as

sinners

desperately

desperately

need

and

then

he

is

also

the

king

that

we

can

follow

out

of

heartfelt

joy

not

a

dutiful

fear

his

band

of

followers

thankfully

in

Luke

19

aren't

put

off

by

the

less

than

kingly

transport

that

a

cult

makes

as

the

crowd

begin

going

up

to

the

festival

and

it's

surging

through

those

narrow

village

streets

in

Judea

the

crowd

is

surging

through

Bethany

through

Bethpage

coming

up

to

the

Mount

of

Olives

which

as

you

start

to

come

down

the

Mount

of

Olives

Jerusalem

comes

into

view

right

across

the

valley

Kidron

valley

and

there

you

have

the

temple

on

the

eastern

side

of

the

city

so

as

you're

coming

down

the

Mount

of

Olives

Jerusalem

and

the

temple

come

into

view

and

his

followers

are

laying

their

cloaks

on

the

road

to

form

a

royal

welcome

carpet

look

back

from

verse

36

as

he

went

along

people

spread

their

cloaks

on

the

road

and

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

blessed

is

the

king

who

comes

in

the

he

is

to

be

blessed

the

king

verse

38

who

comes

in

the

name

of

the

Lord

and

at

this

point

we

unknowingly

I think

pick up

the words

that were

sung

30

years

ago

by

the

angels

words

of

peace

and

glory

to

announce

Jesus

his

birth

to

the

lowly

shepherds

and

now

near

the

time

of

his

death

it's

almost

like

things

are

coming

full

circle

and

those

same

words

are

heard

again

peace

in

heaven

and

glory

in

the

highest

for

the

disciples

the

kingdom

of

heaven

is

almost

decisively

breaking

through

and

they

don't

need

to

contain

it

anymore

they

can

see

Jesus

riding

to

Jerusalem

they

are

putting

their

cloaks

out

for

him

other

passages

and

descriptions

talk

about

palm

branches

being

waved

and

jubilation

and

calling

Jesus

the

new

David

Hosanna

peace

is

upon

us

glory

will

extend

to

the

highest

levels

this

is

the

king

we

want

the

king

we

need

the

king

worthy

of

praise

the

king

of

mighty

works

verse

37

and

we're

there

and

we

can

almost

taste

the

culmination

of

three

years

of

faithful

following

the

disciples

are

coming

with

their

king

to

Jerusalem

to

crown

God's

anointed

one

and

usher

in

the

never

ending

kingdom

of

God

just

to

say

Jesus

is

indeed

praise

worthy

as

we

read

these

verses

we're

not

to

be

cynical

about

them

or

to

take

away

from

what's

happening

here

Jesus

is

praise

worthy

everything

about

the

disciples

words

and

desires

and

their

praise

and

everything

they

say

is

good

and

proper

and

true

yes

we

wonder

if

they

are

praising

him

for

the

kind

of

king

they

want

Jesus

to

be

or

are

they

praising

him

for

the

kind

of

king

that

they

need

Jesus

to

be

do

you

know

what

I

mean

is

it

is

it

king

Jesus

the

powerful

miracle

worker

alone

or

is

it

king

Jesus

the

miracle

worker

who

is

also

the

greatest

and

final

Passover

lamb

is

it

the

Jesus

they

want

or

the

Jesus

they

need

and

with

the

disciples

who

they

want

Jesus

to

be

and

who

they

need

Jesus

to

be

we

know

there's

often

a

struggle

there

we

know

the

story

soon

Jesus

will

be

dead

and

all

of

the

pent

up

expectations

from

the

three

years

of

following

Jesus

it's

going

to

all

come

out

isn't

it

they

saw

Jesus

as

the

messianic

king

who

was

coming

to

Jerusalem

to

be

crowned

to

restore

the

nation

to

restore

Israel

to

make

it

great

again

to

do

that

by

removing

the

Romans

preferably

with a bit

of humiliation

for

this

great

empire

and

when