Days Will Come

Because the days will come when your enemies will build an embankment against you, and surround you, and lay siege to you from every side,

Luke 19:43

Jesus is describing the yet future destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD in vivid detail. It took the Romans some time, but they beseiged the city just as Jesus says here.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the whole story. It is such a comfort to know the last page. What a glory to Christ! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Hidden Things

saying, ‘If you had known, even you, and especially in this, your day, the things for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.’

Luke 19:42

Jesus is here mourning the fact that the Jewish people had, as a whole, failed to respond to the great mercy of Almighty God. Indeed there is a lot of escatalogical significance here. Had the nation of Israel kept their end of the covenant with God, things could have gone differently.

But Moses knew back at the end of Deuteronomy that Israel would not obey. And just as Adam in the garden, we all fail. So that means of deliverance was intentionally kept from Israel. It is all in God’s perfect plan, and it makes His plan that much more wonderous.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your work in our lives. We do not always understand Your ways, but we trust Your wisdom. We will live to rejoice in Your power and control over this crazy world. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Jesus Weeps for the City

As He drew near the city became visible, and He wept over her,

Luke 19:41

The emotional responses of Christ make for a fascinating, and convicting, study. We see here the very Son of God weeping as He approaches His city while being hailed as its King. The language here is very descriptive. It is meant to be dramatic. This is the city that had been the focus of God’s blessing for so long. And yet, it was unprepared for His arrival.

Heavenly Father, You are truly wonderful. In contrast to our shortfalls, You are always faithful. Thank You for giving us Your Son. We stand in awe of Your long-suffering and tender love. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Stones Would Cry Out

But He answered them, saying, ‘I tell you that, if these were silent, the stones would cry out.’

Luke 19:40

The Pharisees could easily say that these followers of Christ were mistaken. But to have the stones cry out would have been a difficult thing to deal with.

However, that is not the case now. If everyone had been silent and we read only that the rocks cried out, our incredulity would get the better of us. The realization by many there present that Jesus was indeed the King coming in the Name of the Lord makes sense. If none of the Jews, or only two or three, actually believed Jesus could be the Messiah, that could pose difficulties. Many did not recognize Him in that way, but many did.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your understanding. You know how we think and what we feel. You can see through us and You teach us so much about ourselves. You are so perceptive! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Pharisees in the Crowd

And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’

Luke 19:39

The Pharisees were the group of the Jewish elite that stuck the closest to Christ. They were fascinated by Him. Among them were some of the biggest hypocrites to be found. But, there were also those among their number who were truly interested in Christ. And some were ultimately converted.

The fact that these men were there shows their level of interest. It seems Jesus had a group of Pharisees who kept an eye on Him most of the time. In this case, the Pharisees present did have a great deal of respect for Jesus, but they did not believe Him to be the Messiah. As a result, they wanted Him to correct His followers.

This happens so often today. Many people have a lot of respect for Jesus. But they do not believe He is Who the Word of God says He is.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your guidance, even when we don’t know what to do next. Your Word is our solid foundation in every storm. Thank you! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Blessed is He

saying, ‘Blessed be the King Who comes in the Name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’

Luke 19:38

And we can but say, Amen! The crowd had the right idea. They were not wrong here. But they were a minority.

Heavenly Father, You are worthy of glory and Your reign is all that can bring peace to this evil world. Thank You for the mercy and love available in the gospel. We deserve none of it, but You have done it all for Your Great Name. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

With a Loud Voice

And as He was already drawing close to the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice, praising God with a loud voice for the mighty works which they had seen,

Luke 19:37

This is one of those verses you need to use your imagination for. Picture yourself there. Imagine what it must have been like to take part in that joyous crowd! Ah, the wonder of Christ and all that He had already done! And yet, there was so much more to come.

Heavenly Father, we will praise You with a loud voice! You alone have made it all, and yet You have done more than that. You have made Yourself known, and that is the most amazing thing. You could have remained in the shadows and this world would be amazing, but You are active and we can experience You by Your Spirit. How wonderful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Many Participants

As He went out, many spread their coats on the road.

Luke 19:36

The many people referred to here would be Jesus’s immediate group of 12 disciples, plus His larger group of disciples, and also some of the people from the surrounding area.

These all either recognized what was happening or realized it when others shared their thoughts on the subject. The whole crowd quickly got involved and took the proper action.

Heavenly Father, I can’t begin to express my amazement at all that You have done! And yet, when I consider what You have revealed about Yourself, it makes sense. You are The One, and nothing is impossible for You. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Right Away

Then they brought him to Jesus. And they cast their own coats on the colt, setting Jesus on him.

Luke 19:35

Notice at this point we move to automatic action. Jesus did not have to give any further instructions. His disciples understood the significance of this situation. They had asked Jesus when He would set up His kingdom, and they had been waiting for this type of event.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great grace! Your plan for Christ to change our world is wonderful. He is the One we need and His rule will be perfect and beautiful. I can’t wait! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The Lord Needs Him

And they said, ‘The Lord has need of him.’

Luke 19:34

The Lord needs nothing in the sense that He is dependent upon nobody. But, He has made all things, and He may have need of anything or anyone He chooses. What delight we can find in being needed by Him!

Heavenly Father, thank You for using us in Your plan! You are truly gracious and kind. To be found among Your servants is a blessing beyond telling. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.