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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!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” ~ Luke 19:28-40
Up to this point in the narrative, the Lord Jesus never allowed anyone to acknowledge Him as Messiah publicly. This is the only time He ever allowed it. He does so because it is now God's time for the final week of His earthly life to begin.
It was Sunday and He has begun His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The next day was Monday when he goes into the temple and drives out the greedy. Tuesday, He experienced many conflicts and arguments with the Jewish leaders. On Wednesday He used the day to teach in the synagogue. Thursday was preparation for the Passover. Friday was His trial and crucifixion. And, Sunday, He was raised from the dead.
There were up to two million people in and around Jerusalem during that Passover season. Jerusalem was the prescribed place by God to make atonement. It had been exactly 483 years after Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27. That prophecy had predicted the coming of the Messiah into Jerusalem. And now, it was happening.
The prophecy began when Artaxerxes made his decree in 444 B.C., according to Nehemiah 2, to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Then from then the time til the coming of the Messiah would be 62 sevens which is 434 years. It all unfolded perfectly as predicted. Jerusalem is the end of the Lord Jesus earthly journey. And here He faces His greatest challenge.
In v.29-31 we read, "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.’"
The Mount of Olives is one of three mountains located near Jerusalem. Mount Scopus is on the north. Mount Corruption on the south and they're fairly well the same height. But the middle one is the Mount of Olives, directly opposite the Temple Mount.
Bethany and Bethphage are on the east side of the Mount of Olives. From the vantage point of these two towns Jerusalem can't be seen because they are down in the valley. Jerusalem is seen from the peak of the Mount of Olives. The Lord Jesus sends two of His disciples to Bethphage to find a colt which no one had ever sat on. The owners of the colt were disciples of the Lord and had everything ready for the two disciples.
In v.32-35 we read, "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. They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it."
Five hundred years earlier, in Zechariah 9:9, it was prophesied that the Messiah would come riding on the colt of a donkey. He would not come as a conquering king riding on a white horse. That's the picture in Revelation when He comes the next time.
In v.36-38 we read, "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."
The spreading of the garments in the road was a custom which indicated the people were submitting to Him. When the Lord Jesus came riding down the Mount of Olives on that donkey, the people believed the long awaited Messiah had finally come. They chanted, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest." Some were cutting branches from the palm trees and spreading them on the road. Palm branches were symbols of victory.
In v.39 we read, "Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples." The Pharisees were outraged because the Lord Jesus accepted the people's worship and only God does that. This is the Lord Jesus, indirectly, admitting His deity, as He accepts the worship.
In v.40 we read, "I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." In Genesis 4:10 we read, "Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground." Just because Cain seemed to get away with the murder of his brother, Abel, the reality is still there. Even if the people and the religious leaders deny the Lord Jesus is Messiah, this does not negate the fact that He is, in fact, the Messiah. It’s not that God couldn’t cause stones to cry out. In fact, God uses creation in amazing ways in the Bible. When the Lord Jesus breathed His last on the cross, the earth quaked.
The question is often asked, "What about those who have never heard of the Lord Jesus?" This really isn't a legitimate question because creation declares the presence of God in this world.
The Auca Indians of Equador were once animists, but now there is a thriving church there. It all began with a young girl who responded to the God of creation by looking at the stars and crying out to Him. Then, God sent five missionaries who gave their lives so that the unreached people group would come to know Him. In fact, today there is a thriving church there. The movie that chronicles this true story is called, "The End of the Spear."
