Spread the love

Passage : Luke 19:38
New International Version (NIV)
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

A look deeper : The people who were praising God for giving them a King had the the wrong idea about Jesus. They were thinking him to be a national leader who would restore their nation to it’s former glory; thus, they were deaf to the words of their prophets and blind to Jesus mission. When it became apparent that Jesus was not going to fulfill their hopes, many people would turn against Him.

Passage : Luke 19:39-40
New International Version (NIV)
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.”

A look deeper : The Pharisees thought the crowd’s words were sacrilegious and blasphemous. They didn’t want for someone to challage their power and authority, and they didn’t want a revolt that would end up bringing the Roman army down on them. So they asked Jesus to keep his people quite. But Jesus said that if his people were quite then stones would cry out. Why? Not because Jesus was setting up a powerful political kingdom, but because He was establishing God’s eternal kingdom, a reason for the greatest celebration of all.

Passage : Luke 19:41-44
New International Version (NIV)
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Look deeper : The Jewish leaders had rejected their King. They had ended up going too far. They had refused God himself ( ” the time of God’s), and soon their nation would suffer. God did not turn or run away from the Jewish people who obeyed him, however he keep on offering salvation to the people he loves, both Jews and Gentiles. Eternal life is within your reach- accept it while the opprtunity is still offered.