Rockin' In Bethany
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Scripture
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples,
saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them.
As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
They said, “The Lord needs it.”
Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.
As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen,
saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.”
He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
Introduction
Introduction
Let’s take a geographical look of Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem. The Gospels are not clear on whether he started from Bethany or Bethpage and today they are actually part of the same town. However, there is a rock(picture) in Bethpage that the crusaders said that Jesus used to mount the donkey. Here is the inside of the church (picture) and some of the great murals. Oh, and a three legged cat (picture) that lived there 12 years ago. The murals have been restored lately, aren’t they beautiful?
Before I go any further, I want to tell you I did a close study of how all 4 gospels present Jesus’ entry. They have a number of differences. I am not going to cover all those but I will mention some. One thing they do agree on is the route Jesus took.
He starts in Bethany or Bethpage in all 4 gospels. In Matthew Mark and Luke he travels in from Jericho. In John he is across the Jordan and comes to Bethany to raise Lazarus.
Bethany or Bethpage is a days walk from Jericho. Those towns are located on the other side of the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem, easy walking distance of several miles. He would have come over the mount and down through the Kidron valley and in through this gate. This is also the gate the messiah is suppossed to come through on his return. The moslems sealed it up as if it would prevent his return. (Picture)Those are tombs that you see there The slope of the mountain facing Jerusalem and the valley and the hill going up to Jerusalem are covered with tombs. The people in those tombs are buried facing the mount of olives. Why? Because on the day of the Messiah coming or return is also the day of the resurrection and they want the first thing to see when resurrected is the messiah!
Now that we have an idea of the route Jesus took, let’s take a closer look at the scripture.
Background
Background
As I said none of the Gospels agree on the details of what happened that day. What we have done with Palm Sunday is harmonize the different stories in the gospels into one. This is not a good thing. Each gospel writer tells the story in his own way for a reason and we need to interpret their stories in this way. For example Luke has no palms, no hosannahs, he is the only one out of the three to call Jesus king, he calls the crowd a “multitude of disciples” and he is the only one who has the Pharisees try to stop the commotion his people are causing!
This is why I had you read all 4 stories this week in the warm up.
We need to remember that Luke’s audience was gentile. The word Hosannah would have no meaning for them, it’s Hebrew. Additionally, since they are gentile they would not understand the use of the palms. Each gospel writer wrote for their own community and for specific theological reason or reasons. The gospels are not biographies or histories, they are gospels and each needs to stand on its own, if they didn’t why would the church Fathers have included four? Ok, now let’s unpack Jesus’ entry according to Luke.
Exegesis
Exegesis
Let’s start by placing this story in context. You really have to place the entry of Jesus in the context of the entire gospel. From Chapter 9 to Chapter 19 recounts Jesus travel from Galilee to Jerusalem. On the way he has trouble with the religious authorities, he performs miracles, tells parables, and teaches. In chapter 19 he arrives in Jericho which is the usual way for the passover pilgrims to travel to Jerusalem. There was a Roman Road with guard posts that made it safer to travel. The Roman roads were well engineered and could be thought of as our interstate highways. They were well paved.
In Jericho he meets and has dinner with Zaccheus and is challenged by others who though he should not be associating with this tax collector. At dinner at Zaccheus’ house he tells the parable of the ten pounds.
This is the parable about a nobleman who is to become a king. (this is important) who travels from his home. He entrusts ten slaves with ten pounds each. When he returns a King each slave is judged by what they produced. He concludes the parable this way:
‘I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.’ ”
Luke 19:26-
Verse 28 starts with Jesus going up to Jerusalem. And you do literally go up Jericho is 850 feet below sea level Jerusalem is 2500 feet above sea level!
Luke says he comes near Bethpage, which means house of dates or Bethany which means house of unripe figs and he sends 2 disciples with instructions to find a young donkey that has never be ridden. Most scholars will tell you this is obviously supernatural, there is no pre-arrangement here. Jesus even tells them what to say when the owners question them. They then bring the donkey to Jesus then the two disciples put their cloaks on the donkey and Jesus mounts the donkey.
As he approaches the crest of the mount of olives the commotion begins and Luke describes it as a “multitude” of disciples. These are not just passover pilgrims as in the other gospels. In the other gospels it is this same crowd that turns on Jesus in Luke this is the crowd that abandons Jesus. But they are shouting praises because of all the great things they have seen Jesus do on their pilgrimage for the passover.
Luke has them shouting
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
But, what they yell is “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” No Hosannas, but Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven.
There are no palms waved or strewn before him. The multitude of disciples do throw their cloaks on the road before him. This is a first century red carpet!
Then the Pharisees confront Jesus, and this is the last time we hear from the Pharisees in Luke. They tell him to order the disciples to stop. Jesus answers with the famous line “I tell you, if these were silent the stones would shout out.” This is only found in Luke.
There is a lot of allusion to the Old Testament here, we have already seen a direct reference to . This psalm was always used as pilgrims came into Jerusalem for passover and other festivals.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zech
The very stones will cry out from the wall, and the plaster will respond from the woodwork.
Then hurriedly they all took their cloaks and spread them for him on the bare steps; and they blew the trumpet, and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”
Although everything except Habakkuk is used by the other gospel writers Luke seems to be putting and emphasis on Jesus as Messianic King.
Application
Application
Jesus comes as the King in the Parable, he will come the second time as the King in the parable. He weeps over Jerusalem as he is coming down the mount.
As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it,
saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side.
They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
Luke 19:41-44
When he finishes his entrance he goes to the temple and shows his authority as King by driving out the folks that were changing money and selling sacrificial animals.
What Luke is placing before us is a choice of Kings and Kingdoms. For his intended audience it would be the choice between Caesar or Christ. the Pax Romana or the Pax Christi. If we choose to go the way of the Pharisee and reject Christ and try to shut him out and up the very creation will cry out for the Messiah! We are reminded of what John the Baptist told those that were coming for baptism
Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Luke paints a very different picture of the kingship of the Christ. It is a narrative built upon Old Testament allusion that point to the royal dignity of Jesus, but we are also presented with a much different understanding of royal power.
When the king returns will we be found fruitful or unfruitful? As Jesus rides into Jerusalem we can sense that something historical and eventful is going to happen. For us today we have something historical and eventful as well, will we bear fruit or will the stones cry out!?
As Barclay says, this whole episode is Jesus “unmistakable claim to be the Messiah, God’s anointed King.” And this King’s ride on a donkey is not a Messiah of raw power, but one of humility and service.
What a way to start this week; with a choice. The choice continues during the week. The world will choose Barabbas over Jesus. Jesus will be crowned, but with thorns. And His coronation becomes a cross.
He will be placed before Pilate accused of perverting the nation saying not to pay taxes and declaring himself a King! Pilate will ask Jesus if he is King of the Jews. Jesus will reply, you say so. Pilate tries to get out of the whole thing, but the religious leaders become even more vehement in their denunciation of him.
Pilate sends Jesus to Herod and Herod mocks him and puts a royal robe on him and sends him back to Pilate. Pilate wants to release Jesus, but at the pressure of the crowd he chooses Barabbas and crucifies Jesus with a sign that says “This is the King of the Jews” at the top of the cross. While on the cross Jesus is mocked by the crowd: if you are the Messiah the King of the Jews save yourself.
But it was more important that he save us.
You decide, is he King of the Jews?
As I said we/you have a choice at the start of this Holy Week is Jesus King of the Jews?