The Cheers of the People

Throughout His ministry, Jesus patiently moved toward the day that would complete His atoning work. He knew that this day would come and that it would include His brutal death on the cross. So Jesus moved closer to Jerusalem in anticipation. His movement toward the famed city is a stirring example of His commitment to carry out His Father’s will. It began the string of events known as the Passion Week, which represents an important dividing point in Jesus’ ministry. His Galilean ministry had come to an end as He entered Jerusalem, where His ministry on earth would come to a climax.

Jesus and His disciples traveled on the Roman road that led to Jerusalem from the city of Jericho. This seventeen-mile road climbs 3,000 feet (explaining why Jesus went “up” to Jerusalem). Near Jerusalem, the road passed through Bethany and Bethpage, both located on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Leaving these small villages, the road descended from the Mount of Olives, passed through the Kidron Valley, and then entered Jerusalem.

Jesus arrived in Bethany “six days before the Passover” (Jn. 12:1), which was probably early on Friday evening (the beginning of the Sabbath) before the Passion Week. He likely stayed in Bethany for the Sabbath and then entered Jerusalem on Sunday. This timeline of events explains the historical celebration of Palm Sunday.

This passage teaches that Jesus is God and Savior. It is important because it presents not only the beginning of Jesus’ journey during the Passion Week, but it also reveals His triumphant entry into Jerusalem as the long awaited Messiah.

Luke 19:28–29 Jesus was accompanied by a large number of disciples, which include the twelve disciples from His inner circle (and the women), Pharisees, scribes, and crowds of people who were not disciples (Vinson, p. 602). As they approached Jerusalem, Jesus began to make preparations to enter the city to complete His work on earth. Luke included the names of the villages of Bethpage and Bethany, possibly to let his readers know how close Jesus was to the city where He would give His life. Both villages were less than two miles from Jerusalem and were located on the far side of the Mount of Olives that overlooked the city. No doubt Jesus used this vantage point to look at the city from which the world would be forever changed through His death.

The Mount of Olives was important geographically. The road down the Mount provided access to the city of Jerusalem. More importantly, prophecy had foretold the Messiah would arrive into Jerusalem from the Mount (Zech. 14:4).

Luke 19:30–31 As He prepared to enter the villages, Jesus sent two of His disciples to retrieve a colt. Interestingly, His words of command and explanation to the disciples took on an authoritative tone and demonstrated His role as prophet (Vinson, p. 602). If questioned about taking the colt, the disciples were to respond that “the Lord has need of it.” Jesus was continuing to reveal to others His true identity as the Lord God of Israel. Vinson stated that this narrative then began “by emphasizing Jesus’ prophetic vocation and his disciples’ obedience, and by making clear who the true Lord is” (p. 602).

Though not mentioned by Luke, Matthew recorded that Jesus’ actions once again fulfilled Old Testament prophecy concerning His life by quoting Zechariah 9:9: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden’” (Mt. 21:4–5).

Luke 19:32–34 The disciples found the colt just as Jesus said they would, confirming His sovereign authority. Some people who saw what they were doing questioned the disciples. The disciples relayed “what Jesus had said, and they let them go” (Mk. 11:6).

Luke 19:35–36 Jesus’ dramatic act of riding a donkey’s colt was filled with symbolism. In Israel’s earlier days, the king had a donkey that only he would ride. When traveling throughout the land during times of peace, the king would ride his donkey or mule (1 Kgs. 1:33–35). The fact that Jesus sent the disciples to get a colt “on which no one has ever yet sat” (Lk. 19:30) pointed back to the animal reserved for the king alone. In addition, it established Jesus as the King. This was His royal entry into the city, similar to the entry of earlier Israelite kings who visited their subjects in the same manner.

For centuries, Israel had expected the Messiah to come as a king who would restore their nation to the glory and independence they once knew. Because of what the people of Israel had experienced in Jesus for three years, many probably believed Him to be their long-awaited Messiah. Thus, they gave Him a welcome fit for a king by spreading out their coats along His path as an act of honor, just as the ancient people of the Northern Kingdom had done for King Jehu (2 Kgs. 9:13). The other gospel writers noted that the crowd also spread out palm branches to line the path.

Luke 19:37–38 The crowd stood just beyond the crest of the hill on the Mount of Olives. From there, the city of Jerusalem could first be viewed in all its glory, and the golden splendor of the Temple stood out like a radiant sun. Certainly this majestic sight added to the excitement of the moment for those in the crowd. For some of those making the pilgrimage, this was probably the first time that they had ever seen the Holy City. There was a triumphant tone in the air as the crowd responded to Jesus’ entrance.

The crowd that lined the streets was made up of at least two different groups of people. The first were those traveling with Jesus. These had witnessed some of His recent miracles, such as the healing of two blind men in Jericho (Mt. 20:29–34). A second group included those already in Jerusalem. They came out to meet Jesus as He entered the city (Jn. 12:12). The road was full of people who had traveled to the city to celebrate the Passover.

Because so many Jews were in the city during the Passover, Jesus’ entry caused quite a stir (Mt. 21:10). When a city is saturated with visitors, as Jerusalem was at Passover, only a very large crowd could draw attention. As previously noted, the actions of many people in the crowd were in response to the miracles they had seen.

Though the Jews’ praise and honor might seem sincere, they suffered from a misconception of who the Messiah would be and what the Messiah would do. Luke did not mention it, but the people likely expected Jesus to be a political and military Savior. Yet, Jesus was not coming to Jerusalem to set up an earthly kingdom and restore the former fame and fortune of Israel. In a matter of days, He would be arrested, tried, and executed. These would-be worshipers could not comprehend this imminent reality. While some in the crowd were likely caught up in the excitement of the moment, others clearly worshiped Jesus. Many, however, did not understand the One they were worshiping.

The crowds shouted praises as Jesus passed by: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Ps. 118:26). Ancient Israelites may have sung these praises as they entered the Temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. Notice, however, that the crowd referred to ‘the King who comes” (emphasis added) rather than “he who comes” as found in the original psalm. Clearly, they were acknowledging Jesus as King. Other gospel writers noted that the crowd also shouted “Hosanna” (Mk. 11:9), which means “Save now!”

Luke 19:39–40 To close this account, Luke wrote that not everyone joined in the celebration. The Pharisees were not at all happy to see such a warm welcome for Jesus, for they had many confrontations with Him. The Pharisees and chief priests had been plotting to kill Jesus since He raised Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11:45–57). When they witnessed the crowd’s actions and heard their words of praise, they wanted Jesus to rebuke the crowd and end the crowd’s acknowledgement of Jesus as Messiah. The crowd’s response was blasphemy in the Pharisees’ view. Jesus responded that His identity as God incarnate could not be hidden any longer, so praise was the appropriate response from those around Him. Jesus said that if the praise didn’t come from the people in the streets, then it would come from the stones on the ground.

During Jesus’ last week on earth, He continued to proclaim who He was and what He had come to do. He showed His role as Prophet in preparations for His triumphant entry, traveled into the city as the King, and received the shouted praises of the people as the Messiah, the One who had come to save them. Yet, even when presented with visual evidence of who Jesus was and what He had come to do, those who witnessed the events interpreted what they saw to fit their picutre of the coming Messiah.

Even today, people tend to interpret what they know about Jesus and what they want Him to be. And, in so doing, they can lose sight of who Jesus is . . . the only Son of God who intentionally came to be with us, and love us, and to die for us, so that we could be restored in relationship with God. As you begin this study, help learners evaluate their understanding of Jesus through His actions and His words, placing their trust in the One who has come to save them.