The Son of Man’s Jerusalem Ministry (19:28-21:38)

The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (28-44)

Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem can be divided easily into three sections.

1. Preparation: The Unbroken Colt (28-35)

   If one were to stand at the Temple and look east, one would see a mountain, the Mount of Olives. Jesus left Jericho and walked the rugged uphill track to this mountain and the two cities on the east side of the mountain—one being Bethphage and the other Bethany.

   From there, Jesus sent two of His disciples to get a young colt that had never been used to pack anything, one which Jesus had already pre-arranged to use. Luke used the term “colt” to conjure up images of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 where this event was prophesied (28-31). The disciples found the colt as Jesus had said, and when questioned about taking the colt, they were not restrained but allowed to use it (32-34). They brought the colt to Jesus, put some coats on it, and then Jesus was placed upon it, without the animal protesting (35).

2. Coronation: The Recognition of Jesus’ Messiahship (36-40)

   Jesus rode the donkey up to the summit of the Mount of Olives over the crest, where He could see the Temple’s glistening white across the valley. Jesus then made the trek down the steep hill across the Kidron Valley and into Jerusalem. As He drew near the city, multitudes of His disciples began to erupt in rejoicing, praising God for His mighty works. They then turned to Jesus and began singing Psalm 118, claiming Him to be the King whom Yahweh had sent to be victorious; they were filling the skies with their high and jubilant praise (36-38).

   Some of the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke His disciples for praising, imagining His disciples were on their own in wrongly honoring Jesus (39). 

   Jesus told the Pharisees that if the disciples were to be quiet on that occasion, then the stones themselves would be singing His praise (40). In other words, they had no way to stop the praise, for it was not as much an act of human will as Yahweh’s putting in the hearts of people the desire to express His joy. If the people had refused to praise, then God would have put the music into the rocks.

3. Lament over Jerusalem (41-44)

   As Jesus came near Jerusalem amid all the joy and praise, He began to weep for the city. His weeping brought Jesus to speak and explain the cause of His weeping: the citizens of Jerusalem had rejected those things that could have brought peace into their world. The things they had rejected were the things Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount—His own demonstration of God's love. It had all been rejected by Jerusalem, and Jesus wept because He understood what rejection meant (41-42). Jesus then lowered judgment on Jerusalem and predicted the Roman siege, which was coming just a few decades later (43). Jesus could see the city being destroyed, along with its children, with nothing left standing, because they were not able to see that Yahweh had visited them in the Person of Jesus (44). 

Jesus Cleanses the Temple (45-48)

Jesus then entered the Temple and drove out those selling sacrifices for profit and told them Yahweh built temples for prayer, not enterprise. The Temple was to be a place to find God, not a place for businessmen looking for position and prestige (45-46). 

Jesus went from there to teaching openly in the Temple. The masses were assuming His populist movement was growing into a mighty political and military kingdom of God. The chief priests and scribes were just wanting Jesus dead, but could not get at Him, for His popularity with the people was soaring (47-48).