The King: Coming, Crying, Cleansing (Luke 28-48)
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The Coming King (verses 28-40)
In this portion of the account of Jesus’ life and ministry, Luke is describing the last week of Christ’s life on earth on his way to the cross. Before He was able to take His place on the throne of David, He had go to Jerusalem where He would be crucified.
Jesus knew what the disciples would find when they went to bring him an unbroken colt. For those who are living lives of sin without Christ, the fact that our Lord knows and sees all things at all times ought to bring alarm and repentance. At the same time, it should comfort His people since His all-seeing eye is ever on His people. In the same way that the disciples were sent to prepare a path for the King, so should we also prepare a path fit for the King by living in obedience to the commands of Christ.
Because they had witnessed Jesus transform life after life and heal person after person, the crowds praised Jesus joyfully with a loud voice. They knew that Jesus was the King, the promised Messiah from the line of David (Psalm 118) and by throwing their coats on the back of the colts they acknowledged that He is too worthy to sit bareback on the colt. They even helped him onto the colt and laid their coats on the road because the donkey that’s carrying the King shouldn’t walk on the dust and dirt of the earth. They recognized that He is the long anticipated Messiah.
The Pharisees, remaining faithful to their faithlessness, saw Jesus receiving worship and demanded that He deny the worship of the crowds, that He deny the Himself being the Messiah. With unambiguous certainty Jesus makes clear that He will be worshiped no matter what.
– Living in the last days between Christ’s ascension and His return, we have even greater clarity now regarding Jesus’ Messiah-ship than anyone in Jesus’ day. We understand the nature of His kingdom more fully and the effects of His life have been more personally applied to us as Christians. As a result, we have even greater reason to praise Him!
The Crying King (verses 41-44)
Christ was well aware of the character of Jerusalem’s inhabitants. He even knew that the cross was coming and all about the cruelty of the people in Jerusalem. Yet as He approached, knowing who they were, he wept for them. Jesus has compassion and pity for all those who are created in His image, though he has a special affection for those who hear His voice and follow Him (Psalm 119:136, Romans 9:2-3).
Jerusalem, the “City of Peace,” failed to recognize the way of peace. Jesus prophesied in exact detail what the Romans would do to Jerusalem only a few decades later. Showing patience, Jesus delays his justice by allowing thirty to forty years to pass before the destruction finally comes upon Jerusalem. He is patient toward sinners, giving them time to repent and return before bringing about final justice.
– Since Christ felt tender compassion for the wicked, His followers ought to feel no different. Is your heart toward the lost reflective of Christ’s? Do you have a deep concern for the souls of unconverted people? How do you think you can begin growing in a Christ-like compassion for the lost?
The Cleansing King (verses 45-48)
Because many people had to make a long journey to arrive at Jerusalem in order to worship at the temple, they often had to purchase the animal for their sacrifice after they had arrived in Jerusalem. Those selling the animals had turned it into a lucrative business within the temple, and the priests were taking advantage of the people rather than serving them.
Though there is temporal justice being served by Jesus as He flips tables and tells them to leave, he also shows mercy by continuing with the people to teach them daily in the temple. The Pharisees despised his teaching and wanted to destroy him. However, they are paralyzed by their desire to please the people that love him.
– Jesus was always committed to doing His Father’s will, which is what drove him to cleanse the temple when He saw that His Father was being dishonored. Are you committed to doing only the Father’s will?