Apr 25
6
Old Testament Reading: Zechariah 9:9–17
“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. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword. Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. The LORD of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.” (Zechariah 9:9–17, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Luke 19:28-40
“And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ And they said, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’” (Luke 19:28–40, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
We’ve been moving so slowly through Luke’s Gospel that we may have lost sight of the fact that ever since Luke 9:21-22, the tension has been building as Christ journeyed toward Jerusalem.
If you have your Bible open in front of you, please turn to Luke 9:21.
This passage comes immediately after Jesus fed the 5,000 and after Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ. Jesus then clarified that as the Christ, he would have to suffer. He spoke to his disciples, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Luke 9:21–22, ESV). Jerusalem is not mentioned here. But “the elders and chief priests and scribes” were centered in Jerusalem, and so it was implied that he would go there.
Look now at Luke 9:51: Here, Luke says, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up [taken up on the cross, in the resurrection, and then to heaven], [Jesus] set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51–53, ESV). This means that Jesus was resolved to go to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and be raised.
Now turn to Luke 13:22: There we read, “He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem” (Luke 13:22, ESV).
Look now at Luke 13:31: “At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ And he said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house [city and temple] is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Luke 13:31–35, ESV).
Now turn to Luke 17:11. There we read, “On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.’” (Luke 17:11–13, ESV)
Please turn to Luke 18:31: “And taking the twelve, he said to them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.’ But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” (Luke 18:31–34, ESV)
So you can see, ever since Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, the tension has been building as Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem. As he traveled from Galille in the north through Samaria and towards Jerusalem, Jesus had many encounters with many people. Some rejected him. Others regarded him as a good teacher. But some confessed him as Lord. All of this—Christ’s journey toward Jerusalem and the people’s opinions of him— come to a head in the passage that is open before us today.
In fact, it is not only these themes found in Luke’s Gospel that come to a head in this passage, but many Old Testament themes as well. When Jesus entered Jerusalem to suffer, die, and rise, we are to see it as the beginning of the fulfillment of Old Testament types and prophesies. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, we are to see him as the fulfillment of the typoligical city of Jerusalem, of the Dividic Kingship, and of the many Old Testament prophecies that anticipated this momentous day.
The Fulfillment Of A Typological Place
Our text opens with these words: “And when he [Jesus] had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem” (Luke 19:28, ESV).
The phrase, “And when he had said these things…” reminds of the parable we considered last Sunday. In the parable of the Ten Minas, Jesus clarified that, though his kingdom was at hand, and though he would soon receive it, it would not immediately appear, that is to say, it would not immediately appear visibly. This reminds us of what Jesus previously had taught, saying, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:20–21, ESV).
It is vitally important to keep this principle in mind as we consider Jesus’s entrance into the Old Covenant city of Jerusalem, for it was in Jerusalem that the kingdom of God was visibly represented under the Old Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, all of Israel was a picture, or type, of the heavenly and eternal Kingdom of God. From the days of King David onward, Jerusalem was its capital city. The temple was there. The priesthood ministered there. Animal sacrifices were offered up there. The Kings of Israel resided there. As I have said, the Kingdom of God was pictured, prefigured, or typified in Israel, especially in Jerusalem. That land and that city were very much visible. Everyone who could see could behold that magnificent city with its palaces and temple in her midst. But Christ clearly taught that his kingdom would not come visibly—at least not at first. It would appear visibly only after he died, rose, ascended, and then returned from the far of country of heaven. We should not be surprised, therefore, that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was not interested in the earthly city of Jerusalem as it pertains to the inauguration of his eternal kingdom. Would Christ the King’s palace and throne be in the earthly city of Jerusalem? No, his throne would be invisible in the heavens. Would Christ minister at the altar in the temple on earth? No, he would minister in the heavenly holy of holies, of which the earthly holy of holies was but a replica and a type (see Hebrews 8:5). We must remember that in Luke 13:31-35 Christ declared the temple and the city forsaken. In the passage we will consider next Sunday, we are told that Christ wept over this city and predicted its destruction.
Dear friends, the earthly city of Jerusalem and the land of Israel have nothing to do with Christ’s inaugurated kingdom. His kingdom is not visible now. It is not of this world. There is an Israel of God presently, but she is spiritual (Galatians 6:6; Romans 9:6). There remains a temple of God, but it is not a temple of stone. The stones of God’s New Covenant temple are living stones—people regenerated by God’s Word and Spirit. These are built upon the foundation stones of the Apostles and Prophets, with Christ himself as the cornerstone (2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:18-21). There is a Jerusalem in Christ’s eternal kingdom, but it is a city in heaven above, not here on earth below (Galatians 4:26).
When we read the words, “…he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem,” we should envision Jesus moving to the front of the great multitude that followed him, journeying resolutely toward the great and magnificent city that, from the days of David onward, had pointed forward to him—his person, his work, and his eternal reward.
How, you ask, did the city of Jerusalem point forward to the person and work of Jesus Christ? We could spend a long time answering this question. In brief, think of all the prophets, priests, and kings who ministered in Jerusalem. Think of the animal sacrifices offered up in the temple from the days of Solomon onward. These people, their offices, the temple, and the sacrifices offred there all anticipated the arrival of Jesus the Messiah.
And how, you ask, did the earthly city of Jerusalem point forward to the reward Christ would earn for his people? Think of it, dear brothers and sisters. Jerusalem was a city with the glory of God in the midst of her. There, in the days of King David and in the days of Solomon his son, God’s people dwelt secure. This was a picture of the eternal city—the eternal dwelling place—Christ has secured. Christ spoke of this in the days of his earthly ministry, saying, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1–3, ESV. Hebrews 11:16 reminds us that even the Old Covenant saints were looking beyond earthly Israel and the earthly city of Jerusalm to a heavenly one. “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:16, ESV).
The Apostle John was shown a vision of this eschatological city. That vision is recorded for us in Revelation 21:9-27: “Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:9–11, ESV).
The point is this: When Christ journeyed up to the earthly and visible city of Jerusalem, it was not to make it the capital city of his eternal kingdom but to fulfill all that it signified and to leave it forsaken. The Old Covenant city of Jerusalem was great, but the Jerusalem above is much greater. The Old Covenant Temple was glorious, but its glory pales in comparison to God’s heavenly and eternal temple. King David and King Solomon were powerful kings. But the power of King Jesus is of another kind. All authority in the spiritual and heavenly realm and all authority in the visible, earthly realm has been given to him (Matthew 28:18).
The Fulfillment Of A Typological Office
When Jesus entered Jerusalem in the way that he did, it was to show that he was the Son promised to King David, whose kingdom would have no end. In other words, Christ entered Jerusalem in the way he did it showed that he was the fulfilment of the typologcal office of the Dividic kingship.
Look with me at Luke 19:29-39: “When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ And they said, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.” (Luke 19:29–35, ESV)
We are not told who these men were who questioned the disciples of Jesus as to why they were untying the young donkey to lead it away, and neither are we told why they allowed it. I can see three possible reasons. One, God supernaturally intervened to set the minds of these men at peace concerning the apparent theft of their young donkey. Two, Jesus made arrangements ahead of time for the use of this colt, and the pass phrase was, “The Lord has need of it.” Three, these men were aware of the prophesies contained within the Old Testament regarding the long awaited Messiah and King of Israel riding upon the foal of a donkey when entering Jerusalem to establish his kingdom, they were aware of Jesus and the fact that he claimed to be this Anointed King, and the believed and were, therefore, happy to have their cold used for this purpose.
It is this third scenario that I think is correct. It was a miracle that Christ knew his disciples would find the colt of a donkey in the city and that the owners would be happy to release it to his disciples, but the owners were happy to release it because they knew the Old Testament Scriptures concerning the arrival of the log awaited son of David, whose kingdom would have no end, they heard that Jesus was that that king, and they believed.
Why did Christ enter Jerusalem riding a colt? Well, to fulfill Old Testament prophesies, as we will soon see. But it should also be noted that Christ the King riding a colt signified his humility. In those days, when earthly kings would enter their capital cities, they would not ride a donkey, much less the colt of donkey never ridden before, but the strongest and most well-trained of horses. Dear friends, when Christ came into this world to accomplish our salvation, he came in a humble and lowly manner. When he returns to judge, he will come in power and glory.
To see this, one only needs to compare and contrast Luke 19:29–35 with Revelation 19:11-16. There, the Apostle John describes the vision he saw of Christ’s return on the last day. “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:11–16, ESV)
The Fulfillment Of Prophecies
In this sermon, we have considered Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the typological city of Jerusalem and of the typological Davidic kingship. Let us now consider Christ’s fulfillment of particular Old Testament prophesies. When Christ entered Jerusalem riding the colt of a donkey, he fulfilled Scriptrure prophesies, and the multitudes that followed Jesus knew it.
Look at Luke 19:36: “And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.” This was to honor him as the King. Vesre 37: “As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen…”For generations, when the Jews made their pilgrimages to Jeruselem, they sang praises to God from the Psalms as they went up. Now, they praise God for the works they had watched Jesus the Messiah perform. This was to fulfill the prophesy of in Zechariah 9:9: “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.” This fulfilled the prophesy of Zechariah 9:9, which was read earlier: “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.”
And what did the disciples of Jesus say? In verse 38 we are told that they shouted, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” This is a citation from a very important Messianic Psalm. Psalm 118:26 says, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD” (Psalm 118:26, ESV). The citation of this one line should move us to consider the whole. It’s all about Christ.
Hear it now. “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’ Let the house of Aaron say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’ Let those who fear the LORD say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’ Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: ‘The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!’ I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 118, ESV)
The people also shouted, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” This echoes Psalm 148:1, which says, “Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!” (Psalm 148:1, ESV). That Psalm goes on to give thanks and praise to God because “He has raised up a horn” that is to say, a horn of salvation from the house of David (see Psalm 132:17), “for his people…” (Psalm 148:14, ESV).
It is worth noting that the disciples of Jesus shouted “peace in heaven”—they did not shout peace on earth. This agrees with what Christ taught as recorded in Luke 12:51: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division” (Luke 12:51, ESV). When Christ lived, died, rose again, and ascended, he brought peace to heaven. How so? By defeating the Evil One and casting him down and by atoning for the sins of God’s elect and thereby securing their peace with God the Father. At Christ’s first coming, he brought peace to heaven but not to earth. At his second coming,3 he will bring peace to earth once his enemies are judged and banished to the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:10ff.)
The Pharisees understood what Jesus was claiming by entering Jerusalem in this way and what the people were saying about him as they shouted, “saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38, ESV). This was a declaration that Jesus was the Messiah, the Anointed King of God’s eternal kingdom, and so “some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:36–40, ESV). Perhaps Jesus was referring to the stones of the temple. The message was clear. It is right that these people speak of me in this way. And if they were not hear to receive me, God would cause the very stones of Jerusalem or the temple to cry out to testify concerning my arrival. Indeed, as has been said, the stones of Jerusalem and the temple had been crying out for hundreds of years concerning the Messiah in a typicological way, but not all had ears to hear or eyes to see.
Conclusion
As I move this sermon towards a conclusion, I have a few brief suggestions for application.
First of all, this story regarding Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem must move us to ask the question, is Jesus my King? Have I bowed the knee to him, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38, ESV)
Secondly, this story must prompt us to ask the question, do I have the proper view of Christ the King and of his kingdom? Christ the King came in a humble and lowly manner. He showed no regard for the kingdoms of this world. He showed no interest in participating in the political power structures of the earth. But this does not mean that his kingdom is weak or insignificant. On the contrary, the kingdom Christ came to establish is not temporary but eternal. The enemy he defeated was not physical but spiritual. His throne is not on earth presently but in heaven. Dear brothers and sisters, along with the Apostle, “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of [Christ], having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:15–23, ESV). Christ the King came in a humble and lowly manner, but the kingdom he has secured is far more powerful and glorious than any kingdom the world has ever seen.
Thirdly, maintaining a proper view of Christ the king and the nature of his inaugurated kingdom will help us to maintain sober minds and realistic expectations for the governments that possess power within this fallen and sin-sick world. To be clear, I do not think that because Christ the King took no interest in earthly political power, Christians must not engage in politics. Christ came to establish his eternal kingdom—a kingdom not of this world. We who are Christians live in two kingdoms—we are citizens in the kingdom of Christ and of this nation. We should see the good and prosperity of both as an outworking of our love for God and our neighbor, respectively. But, seeking the advancement of Christ’s eternal kingdom must be given priority. As we engage in politics, our expectations for the governments of this world must be sober and realistic. I’m afraid that many professing Christians today have forgotten that Christ’s kingdom is not visible now. It is not of this world. The earthy city of Jerusalem is not its capital. The city and country we seek are above, presently, why Christ is seated at God’s right hand (see Hebrews 11:16). Christian who forget this open themselves up to great discouragement, frustration, and even deception as they sojourn in this world. Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget what the book of Revelation clearly teaches us concerning this world and its current condition. The dragon is still at work here, and he wages his war against Christ the king through the false prophet (false teachers), the harlot (the seductiveness of earthly pleasures and riches), and the beast (political powers that seek to control, oppress, and persecute). Don’t be fooled, dear brothers and sisters. The kingdom of Christ is not visible presently. It will become visible when Christ the King returns to rescue his people, raise the dead, judge, and fill the earth with his glorious kingdom, which is present now, but not yet in fullness.
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28–29, ESV)
