Luke 20:20-26

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20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. 25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent. ~ Luke 20:20-26

In spite of all the Old Testament revelation that pointed the Jews to the Lord Jesus Christ, they rejected Him. Herein, we have the general abiding principles of all time: being defined by good or being defined by evil. And, the hearts of the religious leaders were so hardened to God by evil, they were blind to the truth when He came. 

As we wade back into Luke 20, it is still Wednesday of the final week of the Lord Jesus earthly life. By Friday, the Lord Jesus will be crucified. On this Wednesday, He spent the day in the temple surrounded by the masses of people who had flowed into Jerusalem because it was Passover. And when He came into the city, they, full of hope, wanted Him to be the long-awaited Messiah. And so they gave Him a triumphal entry and they were still hanging on His every word and deed.  

In v.20 we read, "Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor."

The religious leaders hated the Lord Jesus so much they wanted Him dead. Yet, all their power, honor, position, and prominence came from the people. And the people were still feeling the euphoria of the triumphal entry that Jesus might be the Messiah. And so, the religious leaders were afraid to go against the crowd because they needed the crowd. 

And yet, they had nothing but contempt for the people. They had not a heart for God, so it makes sense that they had no heart for the people. They fed their proud souls on the accolades of those that they intimidated and abused.  And they knew that if the Lord Jesus was arrested by the Romans, the people’s hope in Him would be crushed, and they would get rid of Him. 

That little phrase, “pretended to be sincere” is of utmost importance to consider. In this phrase, we see the root of all of mankind's problems. Our unwillingness to admit that we need help, that we need a savior is at the root of it all evil in our lives. The coming of the Lord Jesus was God’s answer to the slavery of self-salvation. But if we are not willing to admit our need for the savior, we undoubtedly must pretend to have it all together.

The Lord Jesus came to liberate us from the pressure of having to fix ourselves, find and free ourselves. He came to rescue us from the slavish need to be right, rewarded, regarded, and respected. He came to relieve us of the burden we inherently feel to trust in ourselves in order “to get life right.” The Lord Jesus came to secure for us what we could never secure for ourselves. As a result, life ceases to be a tireless effort to establish, justify, and validate ourselves.

In v.21-22 we read, "21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

Although, all they were saying is absolutely true, they did not believe it. They were trying to position the Lord Jesus into a place where He’s going to be forced to give them an answer that will pit Him against Rome.

In v.23 we read, “He saw through their duplicity and said to them.” “Caesar’s,” they replied.” 

In the Jewish leaders minds, there was only one correct answer. They expected He would answer in such a way that once they got Him to do so, to speak against Rome, they were going to call the Romans who will arrest Him.

In v.24-25 we read, “24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. 25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

The denarius was a day’s wage coin made out of silver or gold.  They were in circulation between 300 B.C. to 300 A.D. Minted by the Caesar, each coin had his image on it. There are certain things in this world that belong in the providence of God to the temporal realm of this world. Money is one of them. God Himself had brought Israel under Roman rule. And He expected them to support the rule of the government because all government is ordained by God. Their's is the power that is ordained by God who gave them that power to protect the innocent and punish the evil.

Caesar has his sphere of rule by God’s design, and we owe what we owe to him in the providence of God. In His answer, the Lord Jesus affirms the role and the right of government to collect taxes for its support because it is ordained by God for man’s well being and protection. In fact, without it we have anarchy, chaos and destruction.

The believer in Christ lives in two worlds. The Lord Jesus was not suggesting that we divide our loyalties between God and government. We are to give Caesar what’s Caesar’s and thank God that providentially we are under His government. 

Our text today ends with "Give to God what is God’s.” That which is God's is what we owe to Him. We owe Him our being and all that goes along with it including our worship, praise, adoration, glory, obedience, love, and trust.

In v.26 we read, “They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.” The religious leaders went away perplexed because they failed to catch Him in a saying in front of the people that would have caused Him to be arrested and executed.

The alternative is quite different. Those who operate according to God's definitions do not go away from God because they have chosen for Him to define them. In addition, they go away in peace because they played according to God's rules. Moses refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He insisted on being defined by the God of the Bible who used him to change the world as he played by God's rules. 

Luke 20:17-19

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17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” 19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. ~ Luke 20:17-19

Having just told the most clear, powerful, and stunning story of the farm hands killing the son of the farm owner, the Lord Jesus in v.17 "looked directly at the Jewish religious leaders." Yet again, the Lord Jesus confronts the religious leaders. His look designed to jolt them into embracing brokenness which is the shattering of the human will before God. Brokenness is saying “Yes, Lord! Have your way and will in my life." But the leaders were unwilling.

In v.17, the Lord Jesus reached back to Psalm 118:22 to make His point. The cornerstone is the most important part of any building. Every other stone is laid on top of the cornerstone. It's the alignment stone. It's the mass of stone that has to be cut so precisely and laid so perfectly, because if not, every other stone that takes its cue and its lines off of that stone is going to make for a very, very unreliable and crooked building. 

Peter quotes this message when he preaches in several more weeks after this event in this same place. Peter and John were in the temple, and they go up to the temple at the time of prayer. And they see a man who is paralyzed. He is broken and lame, and he's begging for money. And Peter says, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." 

The man was healed right there in the temple courts. And so the leaders, like here with the Lord Jesus, react to Peter. And they say, you know, "What authority do you have to do this? What name do you come to us with? What is the name you are using?" 

Then, Peter says this: "If we are being judged this day for a good deed done to a helpless man, then be it known unto you, and to all of the house of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead, does this man stand before you whole."

In the Old Testament, the “stone” was a familiar symbol of God and of the promised Messiah. Because the Jews did not believe, they stumbled over Him and were judged. Those who trust Jesus Christ find Him to be the foundation stone and the chief cornerstone of the our existence.

In v.18 we read, "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed." The preposition translated "on" in this verse can also be translated "before." Either we believe in Him and worship Him, or we are crushed by Him. Rejecting the free gift of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most tragic thing anyone can ever do. 

In v.19 we read, "The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people." 

The religious leaders knew the Lord Jesus was talking about them. They knew that He was identifying them as those who had rejected the Chief Cornerstone. Instead of being convicted of their sin, they resisted the needed brokenness to bring them into a personal relationship with the God they supposedly served.

Brokenness makes room for a contrite heart. And, a broken and contrite heart is the seedbed for repentance which is that which brings us into a relationship with God. Brokenness usually is introduced into our souls on the heels of miserable failure. Brokenness is not beautiful in and of itself, but the beauty in spiritual brokenness is found in where it brings us.

Vance Havner once said, "God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns in greater power than ever."

Luke 20:9-16

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9 Jesus told the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, rented it to tenant farmers, and went on a trip for a long time. 10 When it was time, he sent a servant to collect from the tenants his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants sent him away, beaten and empty-handed. 11 The man sent another servant. But they beat him, treated him disgracefully, and sent him away empty-handed as well. 12 He sent a third servant. They wounded this servant and threw him out. 13 The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I’ll send my son, whom I love dearly. Perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when they saw him, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “May this never happen!” ~ Luke 20:9-16

As we come back to the narrative of the Lord Jesus' last week on earth, it is still Wednesday. In just two days, Friday, He will be crucified. The Lord Jesus had long told His disciples this would be His conclusion when they arrived in Jerusalem.

In our text today, the Lord Jesus tells a story of a man who owned a vineyard and entered into a contract with some tenant farmers to run his vineyard. After a while, the man sent three different individuals to the tenant farmers to collect his portion of the fruit. He did this to no avail. Then he sent his son who the tenant farmers murdered.

In Luke 9:22 we read, "And he said, 'The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.'"

The word translated “rejected” means “to reject after careful investigation.” It was required that the Jews carefully examine the Passover lambs from the tenth day to the fourteenth day to make sure the lambs had no blemishes. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was watched and tested by His enemies during that final week, and yet in spite of what they saw and learned, they rejected Him.

In response, the Jewish religious leaders responded in a senseless way. Instead of nustling up to God with a heart full of gratitude for their blessings, the Jews rejected their Savior. 

God displayed great patience with Israel. He sent them one messenger after another, yet they refused to allow their hearts to be vulnerable with God. Finally, when He sent His Son, they killed Him. In telling this story, the Lord Jesus gave His own death announcement.

In v.13 we read, "The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I’ll send my son, whom I love dearly. Perhaps they will respect him." What an act of grace. The lengths God has gone to rescue us and to earn our trust. But, the gospel only sounds good to those who are convinced that they need a savior. Those who think they’re good, grace is frustrating. For people who know they’re not, grace is exhilarating.

Shockingly, in v.14-15 we read, "But when they saw him, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours. 15 They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to them?" 

The religious leaders of Israel had full knowledge of who the son was. They understood more than they let on. This describes the religious leaders of Israel, they understood more than they let on.

In v.16 we read, "He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “May this never happen!" He will destroy them, and he will give the land into the care of others. This is appropriate judgment and no one would argue with that. 

The second half of v.16 is most interesting. “When the people heard this, they said, “May this never happen!” When they heard it, the people said, "Μὴ γένοιτο" in the Greek. This is the strongest negative possible in the Greek language. It means, "Never, never, never!" This response proves they had come to understand the verdict of the man whose son was murdered. But, there is no sign of regret or even guilt.

In Revelation 2-3 there is a repeated phrase, “Let him who has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says.” The Lord is not talking about hearing sounds. He is not talking about hearing words or grasping messages. This kind of hearing brings with it the sense of understanding.

This story is about how God established Israel through the faith of Abraham. He gave Israel His culture and they distorted it and rejected it. And, God holds the religious leaders, partly accountable, for Israel's condition. And, now, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus was in just two days. And, the religious leaders had been long planning it. 

The Bible is not a testimony to the best people making it up to God. It is a witness to God making it down to the worst of us. The Bible is one long story of God meeting us at our worst and in our greatest need. Will we be like the religious leaders of Israel who thought they deserved the kindness of God? Or, will we humbly live in such a way that brings glory to this God who has loved us with an ever lasting love?

Luke 20:1-8

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1 On one of those days, while Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, and announcing the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came up with the elders, and said to him, 2 ‘Tell us: by what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority?’ 3 ‘I’ve got a question for you, too,’ said Jesus, ‘so tell me this: 4 was John’s baptism from God, or was it merely human?’ 5 ‘If we say it was from God,’ they said among themselves, ‘he’ll say, So why didn’t you believe him? 6 But if we say “merely human”, all the people will stone us, since they’re convinced that John was a prophet.’ 7 So they replied that they didn’t know where John and his baptism came from. 8 ‘Very well, then,’ said Jesus. ‘Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’ ~ Luke 20:1-8

The cleansing of the temple was an event that both captured the attention of the common folk and aroused the contempt of the Jewish religious leaders. 

And, it was the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy found in Malachi 3:1-3 which reads, "1 Look, I am sending my messenger who will clear the path before me; suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you take delight is coming, says the Lord of heavenly forces. 2 Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can withstand his appearance? He is like the refiner’s fire or the cleaner’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. They will belong to the Lord, presenting a righteous offering."

In Matthew 28:18 the Lord Jesus said, “All authority is given to Me in heaven and earth.” This is what it means to be absolutely sovereign. To have all authority means you have no human outside yourself to answer to. Of course, the Lord Jesus was in submission to His Father who gave Him the authority in the first place..

The Greek word that is used translated “authority” in this text is used three times. It means "the right to do something." To have all authority, then, is to have all power and all right to do everything and anything one wills to do. 

Now, to teach as the Lord Jesus did and to confront legalistic religion, and to have no human authority outside Himself was outrageous to the religious leaders. He went after everything they considered sacred and He quoted no Rabbi which was common for all Rabbi's of that day. He was not ordained in the  way all rabbis of that day were ordained. Nor was His theology checked and approved by the Jewish religious leaders.

The Lord Jesus was His own authority. He had to be. He had to be God because He could not be our savior without being God. He spoke prophetically. He rightly interpreted the Old Testament Scriptures. The religious leaders even admitted such. He forgave sin and He healed the sick. He raised the dead and He cast demons out of the possessed. And He did these things without ever seeking permission from any human authority. This outraged the Jewish religious leaders.

Here in Luke 20:1, it is now Wednesday. The Lord Jesus returns again to the temple to teach. Mark tells us He did it while walking in and around the courtyard of the temple. He moved among the vast crowd, teaching. And, the religious leaders were always there following Him around. This was a rabbinic way to teach, walking about and interacting with the people. 

In v.1-2 we read, "1 On one of those days, while Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, and announcing the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came up with the elders, and said to him, 2 ‘Tell us: by what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority?’"

The Jewish religious leaders had much difficulty containing their frustration and outrage. They restrained themselves by forming a question that masked their real hostility. In the end, they all collectively were overcome by their growing hatred of the Lord Jesus. This is what happens when we feed the flesh, it destroys us (See Galatians 6).

In v.3-4 we read, “‘3 I’ve got a question for you, too,’ said Jesus, ‘so tell me this: 4 was John’s baptism from God, or was it merely human?’” All good teachers always answered a question with a question to force the student deeper into the subject at hand. The Lord Jesus is not evading the question of the answer, He is just unmasking the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. 

Brilliantly, the Lord Jesus took the religious leaders back to John the Baptist. He did this for two reasons. First, John had pointed to the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So, their rejection of John was actually a rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ as Messiah. Second, was this truth: if we do not respond positively to the truth given to us, God will not reveal new truth to us. They had refused John’s message, so they were given no more revelation at that point.

The question the Lord Jesus asks is pretty simple. Was John's baptism the work of men or was it of God? The religious leaders were stuck between either admitting the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, or they deny that John the Baptist is a prophet of God. 

In v.5-7 we read, “If we say it was from God,’ they said among themselves, ‘he’ll say, So why didn’t you believe him? 6 But if we say “merely human”, all the people will stone us, since they’re convinced that John was a prophet.’ 7 So they replied that they didn’t know where John and his baptism came from.” 

The religious leaders were deceitful in asking their question and dishonest in the way they avoided answering His. They were so steeped in deception, they could not receive or tell the truth. So, they give no answer. They self indicted themselves by being unwilling to answer the question of the Lord Jesus. They were fixed in their unbelief.

In v.8 we read, “Very well, then,’ said Jesus. ‘Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’” At this point the numbness of the religious leaders hearts prevented them from appreciating any truth the Lord Jesus could have given them. They were to the point of no return which is the most scary place anyone can be. 

The religious leaders had missed the point of the word of God: to meet with God every time we read it. The Bible is meant to be like a pane of glass, designed for us to look through it and see God. When we come to the Bible, we must come looking for Him. The problem is most want to analyze the Bible to the point that they do not see God through it. In fact, they end up analyzing the window and subsequently become etched. The Bible is not first a blueprint for Christian living but a revelation book of the Lord Jesus who is the answer to all our questions and longings.

Luke 19:45-48

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45 He went into the Temple and began to throw out the traders. 46 ‘It’s written,’ he said, ‘my house shall be a house of prayer; but you’ve made it a brigands’ cave.’ 47 He was teaching every day in the Temple. But the chief priests, the scribes and the leading men of the people were trying to destroy him. 48 They couldn’t find any way to do it, because all the people were hanging on his every word.~ Luke 19:45-48

It was Tuesday, the day after the Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey and it was the Passover week. The Lord Jesus lodged in Bethany that night and came into the city early the next morning. According to Mark, on His way to the temple, He cursed the fig tree. That particular tree draws His attention because it had a full covering of leaves and it should have already bore figs. This was an object lesson of Israel's rejection of the truth.

When He arrived at the temple, He entered the court of the Gentiles which was the only place in the temple that was accessible to the Gentiles. There, the Jews could witness to the Gentiles about the one true and living God. Instead of sharing their faith, they used the area for a “religious marketplace” where Jews from other lands could exchange money and purchase overpriced approved animals for the sacrifices. The priests managed this business and made a great profit from it.

In v.45 we read, "He went into the Temple and began to throw out the traders." This is the second time the Lord Jesus went into the temple to confront religion. The Jews hoped that He would overthrow Pilate and his Roman army. But, He didn't confront the pagan Romans, He confronted Judaism, the soul of the nation. The Jews didn't understand that their greatest enemy was themselves and their lust for this world's provisions. 

The ministry of the Lord Jesus has always been focused on the heart of man. It has always focused on that which concerns our relationship with Him. He is concerned about true worship of the true God in the true manner, not impacted by politics, or other earthly matters.

When the Lord Jesus entered the Court of the Gentiles, it was clear that it had been turned into a commerce center. The priests were selling animals for the needed sacrifices. And, the prices were jacked up, thus the people were being gouged with the high prices.

In v.46 we read, "It’s written,’ he said, ‘my house shall be a house of prayer; but you’ve made it a thieves’ cave."

The Temple was always designed by God to be a place of prayer, worship, devotion, confession, and praise. The religious had turned it into a circus of blasphemy and greed. 

In v.47 we read, "He was teaching every day in the Temple. But the chief priests, the scribes and the leading men of the people were trying to destroy him." 

According to Luke 20:1, the Lord Jesus was teaching the gospel. He was teaching about sin, forgiveness, and a personal relationship with God. In Matthew's gospel we learn that He was also healing the blind and the lame.

On the other hand, the religious leaders were in a rage, losing control, and so they were out to destroy the Lord Jesus. They wanted Him dead more than ever. What a contrast between the Lord and the flesh of the religious leaders.

In v.48 we read, "They couldn’t find any way to do it, because all the people were hanging on his every word." 

The people were so clued in on the teachings of the Lord Jesus, the religious leaders could not find a way to kill Him. Sadly, in a few days, the crowd decreased, and those who were left were found screaming for His death. After His resurrection, only 120 believers were in Judea gathered together and 500 were gathered in Galilee. He had been rejected, in order to fulfill God's purpose.

God has proven He is sovereign and we can trust Him with our lives. It is true that all things work together for our good when we let Him have His way in our lives. All things are not good. It would be a mockery to say that the death of a child is good.

In the chemistry of the cross, God takes things that, in and of themselves, are bad, and He puts them together, much as a chemist might take chemicals that, in and of themselves, may create danger and mixes them to make a medicine that brings healing.

When we mix sodium and chloride we get table salt. By itself, sodium is a deadly poison, and so is chloride. Salt flavors food, and a certain amount of salt is necessary for health and life. When God puts things together in the crucible of His wisdom and love, we end up as victors and benefactors. He works all things together for good, and He gives us the wonderful promise that He will always do so. We simply must trust Him!

Luke 19:41-44

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41 When he came near and saw the city, he wept over it. 42 ‘If only you’d known,’ he said, ‘on this day – even you! – what peace meant. But now it’s hidden, and you can’t see it. 43 Yes, the days are coming upon you when your enemies will build up earthworks all round you, and encircle you, and squeeze you in from every direction. 44 They will bring you crashing to the ground, you and your children within you. They won’t leave one single stone on another, because you didn’t know the moment when God was visiting you.’ ~ Luke 19:41-44

The crowd was rejoicing and the Lord Jesus was weeping! Here in v.41 is the second time we are told the Lord Jesus wept openly. The first was at the tomb of Lazarus. The Greek word used here to describe His weeping means "uncontrollable sobbing." 

The Lord Jesus sobbed uncontrollably for the Jews, knowing their unbelief positioned them to be the recipients of His judgment. Just as darkness is the absence of light, judgement is the absence of God. His heart was broken because this is what they had chosen for themselves. He wept over their rejection of His free gift of salvation. 

In v.42 we read, "If only you’d known,’ he said, ‘on this day – even you! – what peace meant. But now it’s hidden, and you can’t see it." The Lord Jesus was not referencing political or social peace. He is talking about peace with God which is the product of being justified through Christ's death on the cross. Their unbelief blinded them from trusting in the gospel which is Christ's death, burial and resurrection. The Jews missed it because they gave safe haven in their hearts to unbelief, hard-heartedness, and self-righteousness.

The result of their choice is that truth was hidden from their eyes. Here, the Lord Jesus describes these unbelieving Jews with self-imposed blindness. In fact, according to Zechariah, they will not believe until the end time when they look on Him whom they pierced. Then, they will mourn for Him as an only Son.

In v.43 we read, "Yes, the days are coming upon you when your enemies will build up earthworks all round you, and encircle you, and squeeze you in from every direction."

As a result the Lord Jesus foretells them that a wall would be built around Jerusalem to seal it off. This happened in 70 A.D. when Titus Vespasian came to town. Jerusalem was sealed off from all supplies. Anyone who tried to escape was killed and thousands on the inside starved to death. Jerusalem, as a result, was destroyed.

In v.44 we read, "They will bring you crashing to the ground, you and your children within you. They won’t leave one single stone on another, because you didn’t know the moment when God was visiting you." 

Forty years later, the stones that made up Jerusalem crashed to the ground, screaming of Israel's rejection of God and His truth. The Romans destroyed everything in Jerusalem except the western Wailing Wall which stands to this day. Predictably, the stones cried out of Jerusalem's total destruction. 

Most of the people present on that day when the Lord rode into Jerusalem were dead by 70 A.D. The very walls of that city became the prison for those who rejected the gospel. Rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ is eternally catastrophic. 

In the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, God has met our guilt with His grace, our mess with His mercy, and our sin with His salvation. It is the willing who are saved. Our willingness to bow our will to this all loving God is the fork in the road that we all, at one point or another, find ourselves. I trust you have chosen the fork that leads to an eternity in heaven where there will be no more sin, pain and death.

Luke 19:28-40

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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."