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Luke 19:28-44 - The Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday.

Luke 19:28-44 (NKJV) ... 37 Then, as He was 
now drawing near the descent of the Mount of 
Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began 
to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for 
all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying: 
"'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the 
LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the 
highest!"....  

COMMENTARY PEARL

Can You Dig It?
   If you've ever watched an adventure movie 
where the characters look for ancient treasures, 
it probably made the life of an archaeologist 
look very exciting. They get to wear cool hats, 
travel to exotic countries, and uncover amazing 
discoveries every day. But the life of most 
archaeologists isn't quite as thrilling. 
   If you want to be an archaeologist, you'd 
better like cleaning up because you'll do a lot of 
sweeping. Visit any dig site, and you'll find dozens 
of brooms. Stiff, black-bristled brooms work 
well for removing thin layers of dirt. 
Soft-bristled brooms brush away tiny amounts of dust 
without damaging a finding. Even paintbrushes are 
used for the most delicate work. Not only must 
archaeologists discover ancient artifacts, but they also 
have to make sure not to damage them. Hand 
trowels and small pickaxes dig through harder 
surfaces. Shovels and buckets carry away dirt. 
Archaeologists have multifaceted jobs, but the most 
important one is to carefully dig into history without 
sweeping away the truth. 
   At the beginning of the book of Luke, the 
author says he carefully investigated everything so 
he could write an orderly account of Jesus' 
life. He records details about cities, leaders, 
and countries. Luke 3 talks about John the 
Baptist and mentions that Lysanias was tetrarch of 
Abilene. For years, some scholars pointed to this as 
evidence that Luke didn't know what he was talking 
about. They said Lysanias was a leader of Chalcis 
fifty years earlier. If Luke can't get this fact 
right, they suggested, how can anything he wrote be 
trusted? 
   But more recently, archaeologists 
discovered an inscription dating between AD 54 and 37 
that names Lysanias as tetrarch in Abila near 
Damascus. It turned out there were two government 
officials named Lysanias, so Luke was correct! A 
prominent archaeologist examined Luke's references to 
thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, and nine 
islands. His conclusion? Luke didn't make a single 
mistake. 
   "Archaeology has not produced anything 
that is unequivocally a contradiction to the 
Bible," says archeological expert John McRay. 
   In Luke 19 Jesus triumphantly enters 
Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. As his disciples 
shout praises, some Pharisees tell Jesus to make 
the people be quiet. Jesus answers, "I tell you, 
if they were to keep silent, the stones would 
cry out!" (HCSB). Today, the stones do cry out. 
And they say what we read in the Bible is true. 
[Case For Christ For Kids by Les Strobel] 

BACKGROUND

The Never-Been-Ridden Donkey Colt
   Where I grew up in Ethiopia, domesticated 
donkeys were quite common. I would frequently see a 
donkey driver with a half-dozen donkeys heavily 
loaded with firewood or coal clip-clopping to 
market. Occasionally I would see adults riding 
donkeys, their feet nearly touching the ground on 
each side. The friendly little animals stand a 
little more than three feet at the shoulder. Since 
their size can vary drastically, however, some 
donkeys can be almost the size of small horses at 
four and a half feet. With very large ears, 
donkeys are good at hearing predators, and the ears 
presumably help them keep cool in the hot arid climates 
in which they live. Donkeys must have a tough 
digestive system, because they can eat almost anything 
and are very efficient at extracting water and 
nourishment from it. Thus they require relatively little 
food and can go long periods without water.  
   All donkeys have a dark-colored stripe 
that runs down the middle of their back. Some 
have a dark stripe across the shoulders, giving 
them the mark of a cross. They have a 
light-colored nose, a light ring around the eye, light fur 
inside their ears, and a light underside.  
   For a time people considered owning them 
to be a sign of wealth. However by the time of 
Christ the animals were the most likely form of 
transportation for poor people. When pregnant with Jesus, 
Mary rode to Bethlehem on a donkey. Chances are 
that Jesus had ridden donkeys often as a 
youngster, so to ride one during His triumphal entry to 
Jerusalem was probably not new. His choice of a young 
donkey suggests that Jesus was coming in peace. 
Warriors rode horses into battle. Though the Jews 
were praying for a conquering hero, Jesus was 
establishing a different kind of kingdom. The symbolism 
is gentle, common, lowly, and peaceful.  
   Though donkeys seem oblivious to it, what 
an honor to their kind to be selected to carry 
the Creator of our world on not one but two 
momentous events"first to His impending birth, and 
then again on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, 
shortly before His crucifixion.  
   Lord, even if ridiculed for being one of 
Your followers, I choose to carry Your love in my 
heart and Your Word on my tongue as I live a 
gentle and peaceful life for You today. [God of 
Wonders by David Steen re Mark 11:7] 

INTRODUCTION

As the procession is about to descend the 
Mount of Olives, it is intercepted by the rulers. 
They inquire who and what is the cause of all 
this tumultuous rejoicing. As they, with much 
authority, repeat their question,--Who is this? the 
disciples, filled with a spirit of inspiration, are 
heard above all the noise of the crowd, repeating 
in eloquent strains the prophecies which 
answered this question. Adam will tell you, It is the 
seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent's 
head. Ask Abraham, he will tell you, It is 
Melchisedek, King of Salem, King of Peace. Jacob will 
tell you, He is Shiloh of the tribe of Judah. 
Isaiah will tell you, Immanuel, Wonderful, 
Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the 
Prince of Peace. Jeremiah will tell you, The Branch 
of David, the Lord, our righteousness. Daniel 
will tell you, He is the Messiah. Hosea will tell 
you, He is the Lord God of Hosts, the Lord is his 
memorial. John the Baptist will tell you, He is the 
Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. 
The great Jehovah has proclaimed from his 
throne, This is my beloved Son. We, his disciples, 
declare, This is Jesus, the Messiah, the Prince of 
Life, the Redeemer of the world. And even the 
Prince of the powers of darkness acknowledges him, 
saying, "I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of 
God."  {2SP 395.2}   

COMMENTARY

Palm Sunday
   Hindsight is always 20/20. Yet while we 
are in a particular situation, we tend to make 
things out to be what they arent and infer wrong 
meanings. We kick ourselves, thinking, If only I had 
known then what I know now! 
   Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem 
must have been one of those moments for His 
disciples. It had appeared to be such a wonderful day 
for them - and it was, but for different reasons 
than they realized. They thought the Messiah had 
come to reestablish Israels power in the 
world. But God had something else in mind. 
   The disciples werent the only ones who 
had misconceptions about the Messiah. Many Jews 
of the day expected Him to be an earthly king. 
When the crowds heard Jesus was coming to 
Jerusalem, they cheered, Hosanna!  which means, 
Save now! They saw Him as their new King, come 
to bring salvation from political and societal 
oppression. He raised the dead - no doubt he could also 
restore the kingdom of David and free them from 
Roman rule. 
   Seated upon a donkey, Jesus resembled a 
ruler returning to his city in peacetime, loyal 
subjects lining his path with coats and palm fronds. 
Even the Pharisees were there watching in 
indignation, saying, Look, the world has gone after 
Him (John 12:19). 
   This week, think back to those times when 
circumstances looked one way but turned out to be 
something else entirely. Remember when you realized 
God was different than you imagined and saw His 
will unfold in surprising ways. Look for an 
opportunity to share your insight with a friend or loved 
one. [In Touch Daily Devotional by Charles 
Stanley at www.intouch.org re Luke 19:28-44] 

God Walking Among Us
   This weekend we celebrate Palm Sunday. 
This was the day Jesus rode a donkey into 
Jerusalem while the crowds laid down palm branches in 
the road and shouted, Hosanna! Blessed is He 
who comes in the name of the Lord! (Mark 11:9 
NKJV). 
   There was an air of expectancy in 
Jerusalem. The name of Jesus was on everyones lips. 
In fact, Lukes gospel tells us, The crowd 
was listening to everything Jesus said. And 
because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a 
story to correct the impression that the Kingdom 
of God would begin right away (Luke 19:11 
NLT). 
   In other words, they thought this was it. 
They thought Jesus would establish His kingdom 
then and there. The Jewish people had been 
conquered by the Roman Empire, and they were under 
Roman control. They expected Jesus the Messiah to 
overthrow the power of Rome. 
   But they failed to understand the 
prophecies that said before the Messiah would come and 
rule the Earth, He would die for the sins of the 
world. Before He would sit on the throne, He would 
go to the cross. 
   Jesus wasnt coming to overthrow Rome; 
He was coming to establish His kingdom in the 
hearts of men and women by dying for them on the 
cross. Theres never been a man who walked the 
earth like Jesus. He was fully God and fully man. 
He was God walking among us. 
   He still had human emotions and felt 
physical pain. He felt hunger and thirst like human 
beings do. In fact, the Bible says of Him, For 
we do not have a High Priest who cannot 
sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points 
tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15 
NKJV). 
   This reminds us that Jesus knows what 
were going through right now. He understands, He 
cares, and He wants us to give our burdens to Him. 
[Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com re Hebrews 4:15] 

What Breaks Gods Heart
   As Jesus made His triumphal entry into 
Jerusalem, the crowds were celebrating. They were 
laughing. They were cheering. They were having a great 
time. And what was Jesus doing? He saw the city, 
and He wept over it. Here was the crowd, whipped 
into a frenzy, and Jesus was weeping. The crowd 
was rejoicing, and Christ was sobbing. 
   Why did Jesus weep when He saw Jerusalem? 
Being God and having omniscience, Jesus knew these 
fickle people who were crying out, Hosanna! 
would soon be shouting, Crucify Him! He knew 
that one of His handpicked disciples, Judas, 
would betray Him. He knew that another disciple, 
Peter, would deny Him. He knew that Caiaphas, the 
high priest, would conspire with Pilate, the 
Roman governor, to bring about His death. And, He 
knew the future of Jerusalem. Looking ahead 40 
years, He saw the destruction that would come upon 
the city at the hands of the Emperor Titus and 
his Roman legions. 
   Jesus also wept because His ministry was 
almost over. Time was short. He had healed their 
sick. He had raised their dead. He had cleansed 
their lepers. He had fed their hungry. He had 
forgiven their sins. Yet for the most part, He had 
been rejected. John 1:11 says, He came to His 
own, and His own did not receive Him. And so 
He wept. This broke His heart, and it still 
does. 
   Unbelief and rejection breaks Gods 
heart, because He knows the consequences. But when 
the door of the human heart is shut, He refuses 
to enter forcibly. He will only knock, wanting 
to gain admittance. He has given us the ability 
to choose. But when we choose the wrong thing, 
He knows the repercussions that will follow - 
in this life and the one to come. And His heart 
is broken. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest 
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]    

CLOSING THOUGHTS

   The Jewish people had waited for a king, 
the Messiah. God had given them a sign to 
identify him when he came. "Look, your king is coming 
to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he 
is humble, riding on a donkey - riding on a 
donkey's colt" (Zechariah 9: 9).  
   Jesus' entering Jerusalem on a donkey was 
that sign. Jesus was announcing to everyone that 
he was the Messiah.  
   The people lined the road, waved palm 
branches, and praised God for fulfilling his promise. 
But they misunderstood the kind of king Jesus 
would be. They expected him to free them from Rome 
and restore them to their former glory. Later, 
it became apparent that Jesus was not going to 
fulfill their expectations, so many turned against 
him.  
   We too have expectations about God's 
promises. We may have expectations for marriage, work, 
or children. We may be expecting God to resolve 
our financial struggles or the cancer our family 
is facing. We may trust God to mend a 
relationship or to bless our faithful obedience. But what 
if God doesnt fulfill our expectations? Will 
we hold onto our expectations and turn against 
him? Or will we go with him to the cross and die 
to ourselves? [One Year NLT SB re vv. 35-38] 

   When Jesus entered Jerusalem four days 
before His crucifixion and saw the joyous crowds 
worshiping Him, He knew very well what they were 
thinking. They expected an earthly king who would 
overthrow Rome and bring in the good life. In 
response, Jesus began to weep. Why did He weep? Pastor 
Ed Underwood notes that the Lord could see 
through their shallow praise. He knew their hearts 
and their real and desperate need. In that 
moment they didn't need a Conqueror; they needed a 
Savior. They needed liberation from the penalty and 
power of sin. By dying on the cross for them, He 
would give them what they needed, not what they 
wanted. In a similar way, we might ask God to change 
our circumstances. That's what we want. But God 
knows what we need, and He may use those same 
circumstances to change our hearts, leading us into a 
deeper dependence on Him. 
   Lord, I know I'm sometimes like those 
fickle crowds in Jerusalem that broke Your heart. I 
want my life to be less troublesome, less 
challenging, happier, smoother, and easier to manage. 
Thats what I want. But that may not be what I 
need. What I need most, Lord Jesus, is more of You 
in my life. [A Spectacle of Glory by Joni 
Eareckson Tada and Larry Libby] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE

Luke 19:41 - Jesus Wept.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190928-1020.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs