The Beginning of the End

Introduction

Please take your Bibles, and find Luke 19:28.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “The Beginning of the End.”

 

In the recent Sundays in our study of Luke’s Gospel, I have made the point that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem.  This is central to Luke’s Gospel as the name Jerusalem is recorded 33 times compared to 36 in the other three Gospels combined.

 

Notice 9:51, 9:53, 13:22, 18:31, 19:11, and then 19:28.  Don’t forget this is not a pleasure trip.  Jesus is on His way to die.

 

That is why I said the beginning of the end.  How is this the beginning?  It starts the last week of Jesus’ earthly life before His resurrection.

 

The end of Luke 19 is Passion Week.  Passion Week begins with Palm Sunday.

 

In today’s text, let’s spotlight Jesus.  First, He is God.  Second, He originally accomplished victory through peace not war.  Third, Jesus invites everyone to follow Him as Lord and Savior.

 

 

1. Jesus is God.

 

In verse 28, we see a time marker.  Remember from last week that Jesus corrected a misunderstanding about the Messiah with the parable of the minas.

 

Before the Messiah would establish His earthly kingdom, He had to go away for a while.  His kingdom would be established on His return.

 

Jesus was headed to Jerusalem.  However, it wasn’t to reign.  It was to die.

 

Beginning in verse 29, we see proof of Jesus being God through His omniscience. What does that mean? 

 

It means that He knows all.  He doesn’t just know some or most.  He knows all.

 

As He was passing through the suburbs of Bethphage and Bethany, He gave an assignment to two of His disciples. They were to go into Bethphage to get a colt.

 

Bear in mind that Jesus hadn’t spoken with the owners previously.  He simply knew it would be there, and sent the two disciples for it.

 

If they were asked why it was need, they were given instructions.  Tell the owners that the Lord needs it.

 

You know what?  Look at verse 32.  It happened just as Jesus said.

 

Jesus would then ride this colt into Jerusalem with some clothes serving as a saddle.  Other clothes were thrown on the ground for a path. 

 

The second proof of Jesus being God is found in the fulfilled prophecy.  In today’s text, there are multiple Old Testament prophecies that could only be fulfilled by the Messiah. 

 

In verse 29, He sent His two disciples from the Mount of Olives.  See Zechariah 14:4.

 

4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,

Which faces Jerusalem on the east.

And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,

From east to west,

Making a very large valley;

Half of the mountain shall move toward the north

And half of it toward the south.

 

You will find the word colt four times in verses 30-35.  Jesus riding into Jerusalem on this colt was the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.

 

9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your King is coming to you;

He is just and having salvation,

Lowly and riding on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.

 

Even what the multitude of disciples said of Him in verse 38 is fulfilled prophecy.  See Psalm 118:26.

 

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

 

Jesus wasn’t just some great moral teacher.  He was and is God!

 

 

2. Jesus originally accomplished victory through peace not war.

 

What do I mean when I say Jesus accomplished victory?  When Jesus died on the cross for the sins of world and satisfied the wrath of God and then was resurrected on the third day, Jesus won!

 

Let me say it again.  Jesus won!

 

And He won not by warfare.  Not with His military and army.  He won through peace!

 

That is the symbolism behind the donkey.  He will come again on white horse and with a sword, but this is a donkey.

 

Notice also verse 38 again.  In that quote of Psalm 118:26, the Messiah’s message is one of peace.

 

The Prince of peace is bringing the opportunity to have peace in heaven with God.  That happens when we surrender our lives to Him.

 

BTW…Brothers and sisters, if Jesus accomplished victory in His first coming with peace and not war, we ought to follow His lead.  However, that isn’t my first instinct.

 

I won’t to win by force.  I want to win with forceful words and forceful Facebook posts and a forceful attitude.  That isn’t Jesus.

 

Jesus accomplished victory in His first coming through peace not war.  We should follow His example.

 

 

3. Jesus invites everyone to follow Him as Lord and Savior.

 

In verse 39, the Pharisees didn’t like what they were hearing.  They told Jesus to tell His disciples to quieten down.

 

Jesus responded with verse 40 and alludes to His mission and invitation. When He returns, their will eventually be a new heaven and a new earth that He has redeemed.

 

When He got to Jerusalem, He wept over the city with compassion for them.  This is the second of three times that we know of that Jesus wept.

 

He wept in John 11:35 when Lazarus had died.  He hurt for His friends, Mary  and Martha, who were hurting.

 

Hebrews 5:7 says that Jesus wept in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed.

 

7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,

 

Why did He weep for Jerusalem?  He came for them, but they rejected Him.

 

Consequently, they would be left without God’s protection.  Jesus’ prophecy in verses 43-44 were at least fulfilled in AD 70 when Rome destroyed Jerusalem.

 

 

Conclusion

My invitation for you this morning is to put your faith in Jesus.  He is God, and He has secured spiritual and eternal victory for you through His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave.  He wants you to be saved today!