CELEBRATING THE LORD’S ENTRANCE
by Richard M. Davis
ICE BREAKER
Have you ever been present where a king, queen, or highly respected dignitary entered the room? How did
the crowd react? Describe the atmosphere of the place as the people awaited the grand entrance of the
celebrated individual and the atmosphere as the person made his or her entry into the room or building.
Was the feeling like electricity? Was there excitement?
What a stimulating atmosphere must have been created as Jesus came riding into Jerusalem at the
beginning of His final week! The people waved palm branches, laid their garments before the Lord, and shouted
praises unto Him as He entered, riding on a young donkey that had never been ridden before.
Luke 19:30-44, NIV
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?' tell him, '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."
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."
After walking into Jerusalem many times over His youthful thirty-three years or so, why do you
think Jesus chose to ride into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey? First, He knew that He was fulfilling
prophetic Scripture. (See Zechariah 9:9.) Second, Jesus evidently was giving Jerusalem’s inhabitants a
chance to express themselves toward Him. He gave them an opportunity to actively demonstrate their
conviction as to His identity.
Why did the people spread their garments out before Jesus and greet Him with waving palm
branches as He was riding into Jerusalem? They were giving Jesus a kingly welcome into Jerusalem.
They were acknowledging Him as King and worshiping Him as Lord. Many of them did welcome and
worship Him, but others in the crowd were critical and never changed their attitudes toward Him. Today,
Jesus is still offering individuals the opportunity to recognize Him for who He really is—the King of kings
and the Lord of lords.
Jesus sent His disciples to retrieve the colt for His ride into Jerusalem. He knew both the colt’s location
and the response that the disciples would receive from its owners.
Luke 19:31
31 And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
Jesus knew that answer would be enough to satisfy the owners.
What practical lesson can a Christian learn from the demonstration of Jesus’ divine foreknowledge
regarding the location and owners of the colt? God knows what we will face before we ever arrive at a
place or situation in life. If we listen to His voice, He will give us instructions as to how to respond to every
one of life’s circumstances.
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Why is it important for us to be Spirit-led in our responses to life’s circumstances? Our natural,
fleshly response will usually be the wrong one, but His foreknowledge will provide us with the proper
response if we will ask Him and hear His reply. We need to seek and receive the wisdom that only He can
give.
James 1:5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be
given him.
Why did Jesus not ride into Jerusalem with a more noble mode of transportation? Jesus chose to
arrive in humility and lowliness, riding upon the borrowed colt of a donkey. He did not choose to ride into
the city amidst the fanfare of royalty. No trumpets blasted. There were no fine leather harnesses inlaid with
gold. He simply came into the city as He really was—the Creator, the Master, the King. Jesus Christ does
not need the outer trappings of finery; He simply is the King.
Still, Jesus received a King’s welcome as He entered the city in meekness and lowliness. Why? The
knowledge of His power had preceded Him. People knew Him as the healer, the forgiver of sins, and the
miracle worker. Due to His exhibited power, praise emanated from the people who saw Him for who He
really was.
How will it be different when Jesus comes again? When Jesus comes again He is coming in power and
majesty. As the cruel trial of Jesus closed and His punishment began, it seemed that He was powerless.
He was dead; it seemed so final. Even Jesus’ closest followers allowed His words regarding the
Resurrection to fade as the tragedy of the moment loomed before them. However, Jesus came forth from
the sealed tomb, triumphant over death, on the third day after the Crucifixion. Forty days after His death,
He ascended into the heavens as the eleven disciples watched. As they stood squinting at the sky, two
men in white apparel declared that He would come again in the same manner—victoriously!
Acts 1:11
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up
from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Mark 13:26
26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Luke 21:27-28
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth
nigh.
Revelation 1:7
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of
the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
How did shouts of praise welcoming Jesus as King into Jerusalem change only one, short week
later? The shouts of worship turned into shouts calling for the crucifixion of Jesus only one week later.
Many people praised Jesus during His triumphal entry as “the King that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
However, as they laid down the palm branches in His pathway, others were evidently standing close by
with faces filled with disdain and disgust. Jesus knew what their attitudes were before they opened their
mouths to say, “Master, rebuke thy disciples” (Luke 19:39). He knew they were rejecting Him, again
fulfilling prophecy.
Isaiah 53:3
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces
from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Jesus’ reply to these critics halted them in their tracks. He declared that if those worshiping Him should
cease their shouts of praise, “the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40). Luke is the only one of
the Gospel writers that recorded this incident, but that does not make it less important. Jesus stared at the
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cynical Pharisees declaring that He would be glorified even if inanimate, created objects had to be given a
voice! May Christians never lessen their fervor in actively participating in worship to the King of kings.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He prophesied of its coming destruction. In this prophecy, He deemed the
destruction as the result of their rejection of Him. When a person rejects Jesus and glorifies Him not as
God, his life is filled with confusion and darkness, resulting in spiritual destruction. May the church always
be praising Jesus as the King of kings and the Lord of lords! He is coming again to receive those who by
faith have received Him by repenting of their sins, being baptized in His name, and being filled with His
Holy Spirit. His second coming will be with great power and majesty, and everyone will recognize Him as
the Lord of all.
CLOSING CHORUS
He’s coming soon, He’s coming soon.
With joy we’ll welcome His returning.
It may be morn, it may be night or noon.
We know He’s coming soon.
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CELEBRATING THE LORD’S ENTRANCE
by Richard M. Davis
Luke 19:30-44, NIV
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?' tell him, '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."
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."
Zechariah 9:9
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is
just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Luke 19:31
31 And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
James 1:5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be
given him.
Acts 1:11
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up
from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Mark 13:26
26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Luke 21:27-28
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth
nigh.
Revelation 1:7
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of
the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Luke 19:39
39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
Isaiah 53:3
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces
from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
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CLOSING CHORUS
He’s coming soon, He’s coming soon.
With joy we’ll welcome His returning.
It may be morn, it may be night or noon.
We know He’s coming soon.
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