Well, today is one week before we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, according to our current calendar. And we are now between chapters and acts. And so we don't always focus on Palm Sunday, on Palm Sunday, but occasionally we do. And so I thought this would be a good opportunity to do that. And so we're taking a break from Acts for a couple of Sundays. Now we're going to look at what happened about 2000 years ago on that Sunday before Jesus's death and resurrection. That was an important day almost 2000 years ago because it was some of those events that happened on that day that really began moving things into the direction of Jesus going to the cross. So this is part of setting the scene for Jesus going to the cross and how important that is for us. And we maybe generally think about Palm Sunday or when we see this scene portrayed in movies or plays, We probably generally think of it as a joyful day. A day when things were finally going like they should go. When Jesus is finally getting the recognition that he should get. We see it as a triumphant day. And we know of it as the triumphal entry. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, surrounded by all these crowds praising him, shouting out hosannas. And to an outsider who was seeing this happen, it looked like lots and lots of people were in favor of Jesus. It looked like this was a victorious day. The king had come. The people had found their king. But we have some access through God's word of some of what happened behind the scenes. And there are some things revealed in the Bible that explain some of what was going on that day that an outside observer didn't have access to. And what we find when we look at God's word is what actually happened that day. It was a day of rejection. Jesus was officially rejected that day. We find out that these crowds who were cheering and praising, they didn't really want who Jesus really was. And so this day and what happened that day helped to move things more in the direction of Jesus going to the cross. I'm not telling you all of this to ruin your day. If you're thinking of today as a day of celebration of being Palm Sunday, it's a good day. Good things happen that day. A day that you want to think happy thoughts before we get to the hard parts surrounding Good Friday. Then we get to really celebrate next Sunday for the resurrection. I'm telling you this because Well, first of all, we want to be clear and honest about what Scripture teaches. We want to be accurate. We also need to understand that all of this is a part of God's grace toward us, that Jesus knew what those people in Jerusalem really wanted. He knew what they were saying and what they really meant. He knew that the cross was in his very near future, and there was nothing that was going to take him away from what he knew he had to do. And so this rejection of Jesus is a part of God's grace toward us because he knew this was coming. He knew the cross was coming, and so keep that in mind as we look at the events that happened that day almost 2000 years ago, recorded in Luke chapter 19. It's recorded in all four of the Gospels, some different aspects of it. We're going to be looking this morning at Luke 19 primarily, so I encourage you to turn there in your Bible if you haven't already. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that day, presenting himself as Israel's King with a capital K. King as in God. Sovereign master. And there was a huge crowd of people that day who said they wanted Jesus to be a king. King with a small K. Maybe if there's something in between a capital K and a lowercase K, maybe that's kind of what they wanted, because they wanted him to be a pretty impressive king. They just didn't want him to be God. So I don't think there technically is anything between a capital K and a lowercase K. But if there was, that would be the kind of king they wanted. So the king that he was was not the king that he wanted. As we look through this passage in Luke 19, the first several verses of it, we find some evidence of the kind of king that Jesus really is. So as we look through these verses, let's try to observe what you see about the king that Jesus is, that he truly is. We start in verse 28. Verse 28 in Luke chapter 19 says, After he had said these things, he was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. And that verse actually tells us quite a bit about the kind of king that Jesus is. And notice it says, after he said these things, what are the things that he was saying? If you scan back at the verses just before this, we don't have time to look at all of them, but the things that he was just saying in Luke 19 was a parable having to do with people who didn't want their rightful master to reign over them. Verse 14 of Luke 19. We do not want this man to reign over us. Now, that sets up perfectly what comes next. Because that is exactly what's going to happen. And Jesus knew it. It was also just a little before that, back in the chapter 18 verses 31 to 33, that Jesus told his disciples very plainly that they were going to Jerusalem where he was going to die. He was going to be put to death in Jerusalem. So Jesus fully knew what was coming as he went to Jerusalem. So that shows us the kind of king that he is, that he is omniscient. He's all knowing. He knew the future. He knew what was in the hearts of all these people who we're going to be reading about soon. But it should also remind us what he came for. What kind of king is Jesus? Think about what he was going to Jerusalem for. We can go further back. We go way back to his birth. And everything from his birth on was moving in this direction, moving toward this trip to Jerusalem, where he would be rejected and then he would die. That's the kind of king that he is. We go on in chapter 19 of Luke and Luke records in verse 29 when he approached Bethphage and Bethany near the mount that is called Olivet. He sent two of the disciples saying, go into the village ahead of you. There, as you enter, you will find a cold tide on which no one yet has ever sat untied and bring it here. If anyone asks you, why are you untying it? You shall say the Lord has need of it. What does that tell us about the kind of king that Jesus is? Let's start at the end of what we just read. The Lord has need of it. Why? Why did the Lord need that little donkey? Do you remember reading anything about Jesus before this in the Gospels about Him riding on anything? Do you remember Jesus ever riding on any animal? I don't. I don't think there is any record before this of Jesus riding on anything. He always walked. We read lots of things about Him walking. Now, he was at this time pretty close to Jerusalem. He was planning to go to Jerusalem. He was close by. Bethphage and Bethany were two small villages that were just outside of Jerusalem. Mount Ovette looked down on Jerusalem. Again, it was just outside the walls of Jerusalem. And he was used to walking everywhere. This would have been an easy walk for Jesus to go to Jerusalem. If he was just going to Jerusalem. So why did he need to ride on a little donkey? That's what he says, right? If someone asks you, why are you in time? I tell them the Lord has need of it. He needed that donkey. So why? Was to fulfill prophecy. When John records this event in the Gospel of John, chapter 12, verses 14 and 15, he said, Jesus, finding a young donkey sat on it as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion. Behold, your king is coming seated on a donkey's colt. That is a quote from Zechariah, chapter nine, verse nine. And that tells us that Jesus didn't need a lift because he was tired. His legs were just getting worn out from all this walking and he needed a ride. That wasn't it. He rode on a young donkey because he was fulfilling prophecy. When Israel's king came into Jerusalem as their king, this is how he would come. Riding on the colt of a donkey's colt. So Jesus sent two of his disciples to go and get that donkey that Zachariah prophesied about hundreds of years before. This was a young donkey, but Zachariah talked about that donkey hundreds of years before this. Jesus sent his disciples to go get it. Jesus hadn't been to that village, just happened to see a donkey that would fit And he he looked at it and took note of where it was so he could send his disciples say, I saw this donkey. Go get that one. No, he knew where this donkey was. Because that's the kind of king that he is. He's all knowing. He knew where that donkey was. This is a supernatural thing that he knew. He told his disciples to go and untie that donkey and bring it We find that that donkey was owned by somebody. And they ask, why are you taking my donkey? Just like Jesus said they would. We can read about that. Verses 32 to 34. So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them as they were in tying the colt, its owner said to them, why are you in tying the colt? They said the Lord has need of it. And it worked. they let them take the donkey. Now, if you or I went to a nearby village, found a donkey, and it was tied up and you just went and started untying it and took it, we would likely be in some trouble. You would probably get your name in the newspaper, in the records section of the county sheriff's office saying that you are charged with grand theft burrow. This isn't something that you or I could just go do. Take a donkey. But why was it OK for Jesus to say to two of his disciples to go and take that donkey for his use? Why was that OK? We said to tell them the owners ask, tell them the Lord has need of it. And they were OK with that. OK, take the donkey. The Lord has a need of it. That shows us what kind of king Jesus really is. Now, suppose you bought a new car as someone in that day having a donkey that was about the equivalent. It was not something that just everybody had. They were expensive. It was a means of transportation for some. It was a means of making money for some. Having a donkey that was an important thing. Suppose you just bought a new car, you see someone out there picking the lock on your car with the intentions of taking it, but they say to you, Oh, it's okay. My boss needs it. How would you respond to that? You probably wouldn't be okay with that. But you remember when God put it into the minds of the Egyptians? to give all of their stuff to the Israelites when the Israelites were just about ready to leave Egypt. That's something that God can do. He can direct people's minds, put things into people's minds, make them OK with things. These people were OK with Jesus taking the stonky. Now, maybe, probably they got it back when Jesus was done with it. Knowing Jesus, He probably returned it with the full tank boats. But however that turned out, this was okay. Jesus is Lord. They tell them the Lord has need of it. Jesus is the Lord. He is the Master. He is the real owner of everything. So this was actually his donkey to start with. So there's really no problem with Jesus using it. Now, when you think about us and today, God has graciously loaned us all kinds of good things to enjoy. But it's all his. All of our things, our houses, our vehicles, our toys, our tools, our clothes. They're all His. He's loaned them to us. Our families. They're His. He has loaned them to us. And if ever the Lord has need of them, any of our things or our families, if He has need of them, He has the right to take them and use them for His purposes, whatever it is. And He has not wronged us because they're His. You remember Job. Job lost everything. Job had lost all of his possessions, all of his children. He had lost his health. He says, though you slay me, yet I will praise Him. He recognized God had the right to do that. because it was all his. And even if God took his life, he'd still praise him because he's God. He has the right to do that. That tells us something about the king that he is. He is a sovereign creator and owner of everything. It's all his. We see more about the kind of king he is in the next verses, 35 and 36. Luke 19 says they they brought it the donkey to Jesus. They threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. And as he was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. You know, think about this scene here. It says in verse 36. As he was going. Just like this is no big deal. Jesus got on this donkey and and they started going. But this was a young donkey that had never been ridden. And just suddenly, it's broke to ride with coats being thrown on it. And then people waving their coats around in front of it to put their coats on the ground in front of it. And soon there would be thousands and thousands of people shouting all around this little donkey that had never been rode before. And Jesus just calmly rides on it into Jerusalem. Donkeys don't normally work that way. I grew up on a farm, but we didn't we didn't have livestock, we had crops, so I didn't grow up around animals much. But I've become an expert on donkeys because I watched a YouTube video about it. So now I know if you're going to break a donkey, they don't cooperate very well normally. This one, they just brought it, two coats on it. Jesus sat on it and they calmly rode on. That doesn't normally happen. That's the kind of king that Jesus is. He's sovereign over man that he was able to get that donkey and the owners of it was OK with that. He is sovereign over nature that he was able to ride an unbroken donkey with no trouble. He is all knowing, knowing what is coming in Jerusalem, knowing the cross is coming. He knows what's in the hearts of these people that we're going to be reading about here soon. And he is in control of this whole situation. Now we're gonna see some more about the kind of king that Jesus is as we go through this passage. Keep this in mind. We have seen already that he is in complete control of all of this. We're gonna look just briefly at the kind of king the people wanted. We've seen a little about the king that he is. What about the king they wanted? Let's read verses 37 and 38. As soon as he was approaching near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen shouting. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. Back in in John, again, Gospel of John, chapter 12, verses 12 and 13, he says the large crowd who had come to the feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him and began to shout Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel. Now, some estimate that. At that time for this feast that was about to happen in Jerusalem, there may have been as many as two million people there. And as John observed and retells what happens, he says the large crowd who had come to the feast, there was a lot of people. It wasn't everybody in town, but there were a lot of people who had were following behind and came with Jesus. And then a large, huge crowd came out of the city to meet Jesus waving the palm branches. This all sounds great, doesn't it? This sounds like what ought to happen. They're finally getting it. Jesus is the king and they are recognizing it. They were praising Jesus with Psalm 119. 118. Sorry. It wasn't that long of a praise. That's all. 119 would be some 118. They were shouting that song out to Jesus saying this is the one that that's talking about. Some 118 is sometimes known as the conqueror song. They were proclaiming Jesus to be king. This is the king. When Matthew records this, these events, he says in Chapter 21 of Matthew, verses 10, 11. When he had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, who is this? And the crowds were saying, this is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth and Galilee. Does something sound a little off there to you? And when they had the opportunity to answer the question, who is Jesus? They didn't say this is the Messiah who has come to save us from our sins. Didn't say that they said he's he's a prophet. We go back and Luke. Chapter 19, where Luke. He wrote about why they were so excited, why they're making so much noise, shouting out these things, waving the branches around. Verse 37. For all the miracles which they had seen. Now, if you've been here over the last few weeks, do you remember anyone else that we have seen recently who is really impressed by miracles? You remember Simon, the magician? Philip came into that town in Samaria. Philip was preaching the gospel about the Messiah. He had died on the cross to take our place and pay for our sins. And he rose from the dead. And there was this man, Simon, there, and he said he believed. He's following Simon around, but it tells us, he's following Philip around, that it tells us that what really amazed Philip, it was not the message he preached, it was the miracles that Philip was doing. That's what stood out to Simon. You remember what happened then about Simon? We found out Simon was all about Simon. It wasn't about Christ. It wasn't about a relationship with him. The same thing is true here. This crowd had the same interest in Jesus that Simon had. They were in it for what Jesus could do for them in the here and now. Now, this same Psalm 118 was proclaimed for another man several years before Jesus came to Jerusalem. The man was named Jonathan Maccabeus. The people thought that this is going to be the one he is going to be the one who will deliver us from the foreign powers, and they proclaimed him to be this king. What turned out to not work out exactly as they had hoped. So now maybe this will be the one. Maybe Jesus would be the one who can lead them into battle. With. Rome. And free them from Roman rule. Jesus had just recently shown that he could raise the dead. Remember, Lazarus. A lot of people heard about that. That'd be kind of handy to have in a king. They knew he can multiply food. If they weren't there, they'd at least heard about it. He can heal the sick. There'd be no stopping them with someone like this as their king, middle case K king. He could just raise the dead if anyone's killed in battle. That's no big deal. He can make food for them. They wouldn't have to work. He could heal them if they ever get sick or injured. No need for health insurance. Think what a pain that would relieve. They thought Jesus could really do some neat things for them. So they were in favor of Jesus. Right here, right now. Where was this crowd about five days later? When the Sanhedrin was pushing to have Jesus put to death, where were they then? Well, between right here where we are in Luke 19 and five days later, they find out He's not the kind of King they wanted. So within five days, they have no use for Him. He's not the King they wanted. So on that day, the triumphal entry, This was actually a king who was rejected. We can see it in the Pharisees in verse 39, some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. They understood what this meant, that the people were proclaiming Jesus to be the king of Israel, that they were using Psalm 118 and saying, This is him. They knew what they meant. They understood that that would mean that this is the Messiah. They didn't believe that. So they wanted Jesus, who they believed also shouldn't believe that they wanted Jesus to tell them to stop. Verse 40, but Jesus answered, I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out. Now, remember, this is happening to fulfill prophecy. Many prophecies. There is no way that this could not happen. This had to happen, it had to happen this day. So if the people didn't present Jesus as the king of Israel, the rocks would do it. Because one way or another, God's plans will be carried out. Jesus was going to be presented as the king of Israel on this day. There's no way that that could not happen. And God can use any means necessary, even the rocks, if the people didn't do it. And what does that tell us about us? God has left us the church here to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ. Does he need us to do it? No, he could use rocks. He has graciously left us here with the task of being the messengers to tell the world of Jesus Christ. He could use anything, but he chose to use us. So Jesus accepted their worship. He didn't make them stop. He accepted it because it was true and it was right. Even if the people who are saying it didn't understand what they were saying, Turns out they didn't really mean it. But what they said was right. It was true. Jesus really was that King. And he received that worship. Then we come to the part that tells us what was really going on that day. The really sad part. Verses 41 to 44. So when he approached Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it. saying if you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace. But now they have been hidden from your eyes for the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you and surround you and him you in on every side and they will level you to the ground and your children within you. And they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. This is fulfilling prophecy with Jesus riding into Jerusalem that day on that donkey. In fact, there's a prophecy about this day in the book of Daniel that is so precise, so detailed that they could have figured out to the very day that the Messiah would be presented. If they had been paying attention. They could have and should have known it should have been circled on their calendars. This is the day the Messiah is coming. And he did. He came on that day, but they weren't paying attention. They missed it. Jesus could have been their real king, capital K King. They could have been saved and had the kingdom that they were supposed to have. That all could have happened that day. But they weren't watching. They weren't watching for the right king. And they turned out to reject their Messiah. They didn't want this man to reign over them. And Jesus knew that in a short time, 20 some years in the future, the Romans were going to come. They're going to come in full force, and they would level Jerusalem to the ground with all the people in it. I read about some of the details of what happened when the Romans came. The Jews rebelled. They were trying to free themselves from Roman rule. The Romans came in and stomped it out. They surrounded the city, put up barricades, and they basically starved them. So many people died. They were getting so weak in that town that they didn't have strength left to bury the dead, and they started throwing them over the wall. So many people were dying. They eventually got to where they were so weak, there was nothing they could do. The Romans just came in, leveled the whole city. Just like Jesus said they would. Because they rejected their King. They could have had peace. When Jesus was born, the angels announced He came to bring peace. They could have had peace. But they didn't want this king to rule over them. They didn't want a messiah like Jesus was who came to save them from their sins. They didn't think they needed that. They didn't want a messiah who the next day drove out the people who were selling in the temple. By Jesus doing that, he showed that he cared about holiness and he cared about obedience. They didn't want a messiah who would meddle in the lives that they wanted to live. He wasn't supposed to drive out their own people, he was supposed to drive out the Romans. They didn't want this kind of king. They wanted the miracles, they wanted free stuff. They wanted freedom from Roman rule. They wanted to have their own nation back. They wanted to live comfortable, selfish lives and do whatever made them happy. That's what they wanted. They wanted a king, the middle case K. A king who is strong, who could give them everything they want. But not someone who would meddle in their lives. Not someone who cared about holiness, not someone who made them recognize their own sin. They didn't want that. And Jesus knew. He showed that he knew that parable that he had just told about people who did not want this man to rule over them. He knew where their hearts were. He showed that he knew when he told his disciples that he was going to Jerusalem to die. He knew as he wept over Jerusalem on this day that looked like it was so victorious. He knew that his purpose in coming was to die on a cross to pay for sins that were not his own. The sins that we have committed, Because there's no other way. That's why he came. That's why he kept going. So there are some aspects of what happened that day, almost 2000 years ago, that seem like a joyous celebration. But when we look at all the explanations of what was really going on, there's a little phrase that I've come across this kind of and it's important one to remember. All that glitters is not gold. It looked nice. Sounded good. But it wasn't gold. It was just one of the steps along the way that Jesus took to the cross. So that by His grace, through faith in Him alone, because of what He accomplished on that cross, then what happened three days later when He rose from the dead, we could receive forgiveness that we need because of our sins. There's no other way. So Jesus took that trail, fulfilling all the prophecy, did everything that needed to be done to be that Savior that we need. Because there's no other way. The celebration that comes next Sunday. Since we're talking about history, this already happened. Jesus has already risen from the dead. We can celebrate today and tomorrow, all through the week, through the next Sunday and beyond if the Lord keeps us here. We find what really happened, why Jesus really came. To be rejected, to die on the cross. And this was one of the scenes, one of the steps that he took to get there. Praise God for it. There's no other way.