DAY #128: Luke 19:28-48

Everyone coming to Jerusalem for Passover had heard of Jesus, and, for a time, the popular mood was favorable toward him. The disciples then threw their garments over the colt, making a seat for Jesus. With this act of entering Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt, Jesus was fulfilling prophecy and affirming his messianic royalty. He came in royal fashion, not as a warring king on a horse or in a chariot, but as a gentle and peaceable king on a donkey’s colt.

People lined the roads, and Jesus already had a crowd of followers who, when they saw what he was doing, began to shout and sing as they walked along. According to the other Gospels, many others joined the celebration of praise. The Gospel of John also describes the people cutting down branches from the trees, probably from olive or fig trees, to wave in welcome.

Praising God, waving branches, and throwing their cloaks in front of the colt as it passed before them. “Long live the King” was the meaning behind their joyful shouts because they knew that Jesus was intentionally fulfilling prophecy.

The Pharisees thought that the crowd’s words were sacrilegious and blasphemous. They asked Jesus to keep his people quiet. But Jesus said that if the people were quiet, the stones would burst into cheers (Habakkuk 2:11).

In contrast to the great joy of the crowd, Jesus began to cry at the sight of the city. The name of the city has “peace” as part of its meaning, but the people of the city did not know what would bring them real, true and lasting peace. The “city of peace” was blind to the “Prince of Peace”.
If the people had known what was truly happening and had recognized it for what it was, they could have found peace. But the Jewish leaders had rejected their Messiah; they had refused God’s offer of salvation in Jesus Christ when they were visited by God himself. Now the truth would be hidden, and soon their nation would suffer.

About forty years after Jesus said these words, they came true. In a.d. 66, the Jews revolted against Roman control. Three years later Titus, son of the Emperor Vespasian, was sent to crush the rebellion. Six hundred thousand Jews were killed during Titus’s onslaught. This would occur as judgment because though some of the people believed (such as the disciples and other faithful followers), most had rejected the opportunity God offered them.

At the end of this passage, we see that Jesus cleared the Temple and drove out the merchants from their stalls for the second time. These “merchants” were the people who sold goods to worshipers. Their treatment of pilgrims who had traveled and needed to count on them for service, their exorbitant rates, and their cheating of the customers had made them no better than thieves hiding out together in a “den.” But this “den” was God’s Temple—no wonder Jesus was angry.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

This passage marks the second of the only times in scripture that tell us Jesus Cried. (John 11:35 being the other) And why does he weep? He weeps for those who could have had real inner peace for their soul, a relationship with God, eternal life, salvation - they could have had, but they rejected the One who provided it - Jesus.

Jesus is not weeping because He was rejected. He was not throwing a pity party for himself. He was not drowning in self-sorrow. He was weeping because He knew the destiny that awaited all those that rejected Him. Eternal separation from God. Hell. Sheol. Hades. The place of eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth. Eternal loneliness.

Oh Lord, make hell a reality for me and the people of COV. Help us see the devastation that awaits those who reject You and give us a heart to share the Good News, the Love of Christ, Your plan of salvation with the people in our world.


"If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:9-15 (NIV)