Thursday, June 17, 2021

2021.06.17 Hopewell @Home ▫ Luke 19:28–40

Read Luke 19:28–40

Questions from the Scripture text: Where was Jesus going (Luke 19:28)? To where did He draw near (Luke 19:29)? Where was he? Whom did He send? Where did He send them (Luke 19:30)? What would they find? What does He command them to do? What might someone ask (Luke 19:31)? What should they answer? Who went (Luke 19:32)? What did they find? What happened (Luke 19:33)? How did they respond (Luke 19:34)? Where did they bring the colt (Luke 19:35)? What did they do to it? What did they do to Jesus? What did others do (Luke 19:36)? To where was He nearing in Luke 19:37? Who began to do what? Why? What did they call Jesus (Luke 19:38)? What did they pronounce upon Him? What did they say He was doing? What other blessings did they pronounce where? Who else spoke in Luke 19:39? To Whom? What did they tell Him to do? What did Jesus do (Luke 19:40)? What did He say would happen on what condition? 

Many of us probably have the same impression: that the triumphal entry crowd spontaneously burst into praise. As the Holy Spirit carries Luke along, however, He is making the exact opposite point: this is a setup. 

Jesus has had His face set to Jerusalem for ten chapters (Luke 19:28, cf. Luke 9:51). Now, Jesus brings the protracted journey to a halt two miles out in Luke 19:29, so that he can set up the entry. He Who is like us in every way, except without sin, in dependence upon the Spirit Whom He has in full measure, knows what is going to happen. 

Jesus has set up the colt (Luke 19:30). Jesus has set up its never having been sat upon. Jesus has set up its submissiveness to its Creator when sat upon. Jesus has set up its being tied. Jesus has set up its watchers’ response when it starts to be untied (Luke 19:31). Jesus has set up their recognition of His lordship. Jesus has set up their accommodation of His transportation needs. 

Luke summarizes this, “[they] found it just as He had said to them” (Luke 19:32). Then he goes on to give us two more verses of things continuing just as we have just read that Jesus said.

So, it’s a setup. Yes, it’s marvelous that the “whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice” (Luke 19:37). But, it’s not spontaneous. Jesus intentionally provokes this outburst of praise. Jesus has come to Jerusalem to be the stone that the builders rejected, and He’s going to use His praise prophesied in Psalm 118:38) to provoke the rejection prophesied in Psalm 118:22

This is why He’s come to Jerusalem. In fact, this is why He’s come to earth at all, as Luke 19:38 quotes from Luke 2:14. In fact, Jesus provokes the crowd to praise in Luke 19:29-38 in part because it is so necessary that this be what the “builders” (Pharisees, Luke 19:39) reject that the stones themselves would cry out (Luke 19:40).

Living stones or mineralized stones, one way or another, there will be crying out! And indeed, when the Jews join the nations, they will silence Him (cf. Psalm 118:10–11; Psalm 2:1–2; Acts 4:25–28), but He will be declared the Son of God with power, when He comes out of the grave, and the stone rolls away (cf. Psalm 2:7, Romans 1:4, Acts 2:22–32). The stones cried out on the resurrection day. But now we are living stones, who keep crying out, and can never be silenced! (cf. 1 Peter 2:4–7, Psalm 118:22–24).

So, when you think of this passage, think of how your Redeemer King was provoking necessary praise in order to provoke His atoning death, so that we might increasingly echo that praise of a resurrected Redeemer today, for the rest of our lives, and through all eternity!

What/Who is in control? What has He done? Where is He now? How are you responding to Him?

Suggested Songs: ARP16A “Keep Me, O God” or TPH508 “Jesus, Priceless Treasure”


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