Making an entrance! (Palm Sunday) Luke 19:28-40

It’s the week before we celebrate Easter and, as the Lord would have it, our readings are from the week before the events leading up to the cross and resurrection - Palm Sunday. It is, of course, the high before the low of the cross and the highest peak in Christendom – the resurrection.

Here after obtaining his mount, a colt the foal of a donkey, Jesus rode the 3½ kms into town from the Mount of Olives. Astute scholars of the day would have seen the significance of this. The scribes, who knew the Mosaic law and the writings of the prophets, would have known what the prophet Zechariah had said on the subject in Zechariah 9:3-6. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” These words were written 520BC. Hence over 550 years before the event that we read about this morning and that is being celebrated today around the world - Palm Sunday.

Kings would ride in on a conquering horse, but the Prince of Peace rode in on a donkey. The crowds were saying something very specific, “"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (verse 38) The other gospel writers also say the crowd said, “"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21:9) Mark says the crowd also said, “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!" (Mark 11:10) John says, “"Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" (John 12:13) These were high shouts of praise. These people had seen and heard the works of Jesus; even the Pharisees at this point were silent. Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, “"Teacher, rebuke your disciples." Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." (verses 39-40) The Pharisees were fearful of the people.

The people shouted out – this is the King of Israel, this is David’s Son, this is the Saviour. Of course they did, because not only that, John told us in John 12:17-18, “The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.”  Who else but the Messiah, the King of Israel could raise the dead? Lazarus was among them after being dead for 4 days. Imagine the joy of seeing this prophetic scene unfold. Jesus is this One that Zechariah was speaking about.

The people would not be silent. Indeed, Jesus would not allow them to be silent – even the stones would cry out if the people didn’t. We know from this point, Jesus went into the temple and started cleaning it out – the Chief Priests couldn’t do anything, because at this point Jesus was the Messiah. How could he be anything else? From there, He taught boldly in the temple, telling them about what will come upon Jerusalem and about His role as the One who gives the water of life. But then He told them what it will be like when the Son of Man comes. Jesus said they will see him “coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (Luke 21:27) And Jesus every day of the next week, that we are about to go into, went into the temple preaching the same.

What an entrance! This is why the people were excited. Now we know what happened towards the end of the week with the cross and the betrayal, but look at the background and you’ll understand why. It has something to do with what Zechariah said after his prophecy about Jesus riding in on a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9-13) You see where the confusion comes in.

When will the chariot and war horse of Rome be cut off? We have been prisoners, when will we be set free? Where is the restoring of double? So, all the people were waiting for all this to happen. As the week dragged on, Jesus continued to make the statements that sound like He is indeed the Messiah, but then of course he got arrested and the cross followed.

This was where people turned against Him, but they were really hoping Jesus was in fact the fulfillment of scripture. He raised people from the dead, healed the blind etc, rode in on the donkey. Now he’s on the cross.

But even on the cross, there was still hope that even then He would come down. Remember the other thief said that if you are the Christ get us and yourself off the cross. But not just the thief, Luke says the rulers and the Roman soldiers also joined in saying, "He saved others; let him save himself…, save yourself!" (Luke 23:35-37) But that didn’t happen.

So, what happened to the grand entry a few days before? You can see why they were all bitterly disappointed; even the disciples hid themselves. What about the One who would deliver from earthly rulers?

Even after the resurrection, what was on the minds of the disciples: “when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6) When will what Zechariah said come true?

When will the entrance come when you will fulfill the rest of the prophecy? We ask the same question, don’t we? We see the horror of what Russia is doing to Ukraine. Surely the time is now to deliver from evil. Surely at the rise of Hitler, they asked the same thing; nation was rising against nation, surely the time is now. We can get weary with it all, can’t we.

Is the triumphant entry that Jesus had into Jerusalem something that is relegated to history, or is it something that will happen? We pray one day soon, just as every generation has prayed and hoped in the many centuries after He first rode into Jerusalem.

When will the triumphant entry be completed? Jesus said this to the disciples in Acts 1:8. He said it will happen, but there is an appointed time. When is it? God only knows!

We have a calling and work to do until that time. Jesus went to the cross after His first triumphant entry. What are you called to do as you proclaim the gospel to a lost world; people who are dying in war, disease, old age, relationship break-down? We can reject and ignore it and just sit it out, but there is an action that we can do that will usher in His return.

We give out the word of God. If every Christian did that as faithfully as they should, Jesus would come back. Waiting for it to happen lengthens the time.

The true work of the Spirit is when Christians hope so much for Christ to return that they proclaim it to be so.

What are the blockers? 1. Apathy 2. My plans rather then the Lord’s plans. 3. Unbelief - I actually don’t believe it! What’s the Remedy? Continue in the gospel calling and live as if His return will be today.