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Luke 19:28-44
Jesus reaches Jerusalem 28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. 29 And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 30 Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. 31 And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. 32 And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. 33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? 34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him. 35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. 36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. 37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. 39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. 40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. 41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. |
Margin notes:
"When he had thus spoken." (19:28) - "When Jesus finished speaking." A reference to the parable of the ten pounds that ended lesson 148. "He went before." (19:28) - "He went ahead." "Ascending up to Jerusalem." (19:28) - Jesus arrived in Jerusalem (which sat on a hill) on Palm Sunday, the first day of Passion Week. "Bethphage." (19:29) - A small village near Bethany located between Jericho and Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives (Luke 19:29). The name Bethphage means "house of figs." The town no longer exists. "Bethany." (19:29) - A small village located on the eastern slope of Mount of Olives about fifteen furlongs" (two miles) east of Jerusalem (John 11:18). Jesus often stayed in Bethany when visiting the Holy City (Matthew 21:17) and performed one of His greatest miracles there, raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44; John 12:1). Bethany is now called el-Azariyeh (place of Lazarus) or simply Lazariyeh. "Mount of Olives." (19:29) - Sometimes called Mount of Olivet, it is a small mountain located less than two miles east of Jerusalem. 2 Kings 23:13 calls it "the mount of corruption" due to the pagan altars King Solomon built there (I Kings 11:7) centuries before the birth of Christ. Jesus spent many nights on the Mount of Olives when visiting Jerusalem (Luke 21:37; 22:39), and it was here that He was arrested. Ezekiel 11:23 and Zechariah 14:4-9 tell us that when Christ returns to establish His kingdom, it will be to the Mount of Olives. "The village over against you." (19:30) - Means, "The village ahead of you." "Colt." (19:30) - Eminent religious leaders rode fresh donkeys during important occasions. They were considered ritually clean and more suitable for sacred use. Jesus riding a colt into Jerusalem fulfilled the five hundred year old prophesy found in Zechariah 9:9. "They spread their clothes in the way." (19:36) - "They spread their clothes on the road." Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey that had never been ridden (Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30). What do donkeys and horses do the first time someone rides them? Do they say, "Climb on and I'll take you where you want to go" or do they throw the rider off? This animal knew who Jesus was. "Blessed be the King....." (19:38) - They are quoting Psalms 118:26. "Rebuke thy disciples." (19:39) - "Stop your disciples." "The stones would immediately cry out." (19:40) - The Old Testament has stones crying out against evil in Habakkuk 2:11. "When he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it." (19:41) - Jesus wept for Jerusalem due to its history of killing prophets (Luke 13:34-35), and because they would reject Him in a few days. This was not the only time Jesus cried (John 11:35; Hebrews 5:7). "Cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round." (19:43) - "Build fortifications and surround you." "Compass thee round." (19:43) - "Surround you." "Lay thee even with the ground." (19:44) - This prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction was fulfilled forty years later when the Roman army, led by Titus, the son of Roman emperor Vespasian, utterly destroyed the city. An estimated 600,000 men, women, and children were killed. |
