Luke 19

Luke’s Good News

Luke

Hilda Bright

Chapter 19

Jesus and Zacchaeus 19:1-10

v1 Jesus was walking through the city of Jericho. v2 The chief *tax-collector there was Zacchaeus. He was very rich. v3 He was trying to see who Jesus was. But Zacchaeus was a short man and could not see over the crowd. v4 So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a tree. Jesus was going to pass that way. v5 When Jesus came to that place, he looked up. He said to Zacchaeus, ‘Hurry down, Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today’. v6 Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed him with great joy. v7 Everybody began to complain. ‘This man Zacchaeus is a *sinner! But Jesus has gone to his home as a guest!’ v8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Listen, *Lord! I will give half of my goods to the poor people. If I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back 4 times as much money’. v9 Jesus said to him, ‘Today God’s *salvation has come to this home. For this man also is a true *descendant of Abraham. v10 The *Son of Man came to search for and to *save the lost’.

Verse 1 Jericho was a wealthy and important city. It was near a main route for trade. It was about 17 miles (27 kilometres) from Jerusalem.

Verse 2 Zacchaeus was the head of the *tax district of Jericho. He would not have been popular. He worked for the *Romans and had made himself rich by his job.

Verses 3-4 He had heard that Jesus was a friend of *tax-collectors. Zacchaeus was a lonely man, so he was eager to see Jesus. He was a short man, but the crowd would not let him through. So, he forgot his important official position. He climbed into a tree that grew by the road. The tree was one with a short main stem and wide branches. He could climb it easily.

Verses 5-6 Jesus did not ask to stay with Zacchaeus. He said that he ‘must’ stay with him. It was part of his work for God.

Verse 7 Everyone called Zacchaeus a ‘*sinner’. They did not think that Jesus should go into his home.

Verse 8 Zacchaeus stood up, as he was going to make an important statement. Jesus’ visit had changed his attitude to his wealth. He would give half of his goods to the poor people. As a *tax-collector, he had taken too much money from people. He promised to pay back 4 times the amount that he had taken. This was far more than the Law of Moses ordered. The Law asked for the original amount plus one fifth (Leviticus 6:5).

Verse 9 Jesus said that Zacchaeus was not only a physical *descendant of Abraham. Because of his *faith, he was a true *spiritual son of Abraham (Galatians 3:7). And his whole family would benefit.

Verse 10 Jesus came into the world to look for those who had wandered away from God. He came to rescue them.

The *parable of the gold coins 19:11-27

v11 The people listened to what Jesus said. He was now close to Jerusalem. Therefore they thought that the *kingdom of God was about to arrive. So Jesus told them this *parable. v12 He said, ‘There was once a prince, who was going to a distant country to receive royal power. Then he planned to return home. v13 Before he left he called 10 servants. He gave to each of them a gold coin. He told them, “Trade with these gold coins while I am away”.

v14 His citizens hated him. So, they sent a message that said, “We do not want this man to rule over us”. v15 But he did receive royal power, and he returned. He ordered his servants to come to him. He wanted to find out how much they had earned. v16 The first one came and said, “Sir, your gold coin has earned 10 more gold coins”. v17 “Well done”, he said. “You are a good servant. Because you have been loyal in a small matter, you will rule over 10 cities”. v18 The second servant came and said, “Your gold coin has earned 5 more gold coins”. v19 To this one he said, “You will rule over 5 cities”. v20 Another servant came and said, “Sir, here is your gold coin. I kept it safe in a cloth. v21 I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what is not yours. You get something that you do not pay for”. v22 He said to him. “You are a bad servant! You know that I am a severe man. I take what is not mine. I get something that I do not pay for. v23 Why did you not put my money in the bank? When I returned, I would have received the coin. And I would have received the extra money that it gained”. v24 Then he said to those who were standing there, “Take the coin away from him. Give it to the servant who has ten coins”. v25 But they said to him, “*Lord, he already has 10 coins!” v26 “I tell you this”, he replied, “everyone who has something will receive more. Maybe a person has nothing. But God will take away even the little that he has. v27 These enemies of mine did not want me to be their king. So kill them in front of me” ’.

Verse 11 In this *parable, Jesus used a true incident that happened in his time. Herod the Great was king of the region Judea. He said that, after his death, his son Archelaus would become king. After Herod’s death, Archelaus went to *Rome. He asked the *emperor to allow him to be king. Archelaus was a very cruel man. So 50 *Jews went to *Rome to oppose his claim. Their protest did not succeed. Archelaus returned to Judea, although he could not call himself ‘king’.

Jesus used these events to speak of himself. The main purpose of the *parable was to correct the belief that the *kingdom was coming soon. He also warned his *followers to be loyal in their service until he returned.

Verse 12 After his death, Jesus would go to heaven to receive honour from God. There would be a long interval between his death and when he returned to earth. The words ‘a far country’ shows this. Matthew emphasises the long time before Jesus returns to earth. The bridegroom ‘delayed’ in the *parable of the ten maids (Matthew 25:5).

Verse 13 The servants are Christians everywhere today. They are responsible for using all the gifts that God has given them. They especially have the gift of the good news of Jesus. This is like the gold coin that God has given each person. They should use this gift and tell the good news to other people.

Verse 14 The citizens are the *Jews of Jesus’ time and all the people who oppose Jesus.

Verse 15 Jesus will return to earth. Then he will expect his *disciples to give an account of their work for him.

Verses 16-19 A person’s reward for loyal service is not to escape from service. Instead, he will have the honour of greater responsibility.

Verses 20-21 The lazy servant made the excuse that he was afraid of his master. He was a strict man who expected profits from the work of other people. The servant returned the gold coin but he had not used it. He had put it in a cloth and kept it safe.

Verses 22-23 The servant thought that the master was very strict. Therefore, the servant should have been even more careful. He could have put the money in the bank to earn some extra money.

Verse 25 People protested. They may have been people who were listening to the story. Perhaps they were so interested that they interrupted Jesus.

Verse 26 Jesus was expressing an important principle that is true in all parts of life. Exercise makes the body stronger. A part of the body becomes of no use, if a person does not use it. The people who use their gifts find that they increase. Some people do not use the gifts that God gives. They will lose them.

Verse 27 Some people oppose Jesus. When he returns to earth, he will judge those people.

Luke 19:28 - 24:53 (Final Section)

Jesus’ royal entry into Jerusalem 19:28-40

Jesus made careful plans to show everyone that he was the *Messiah. He showed great courage when he decided to ride into Jerusalem. The *religious leaders were already plotting to kill him (John 11:50). But the *Jews were not expecting a *Messiah like Jesus. They expected him to force out the *Romans. A king would ride a horse in war. But Jesus chose to ride on a *donkey. He did that to make the words of Zechariah 9:9-10 come true. A king would ride a *donkey in times of peace. Jesus was not a military hero; he was a king who brought peace.

v28 After Jesus told this *parable of the gold coins, he went on towards Jerusalem. v29 As he came near to the villages of Bethphage and Bethany at the *Mount of *Olives, he sent two *disciples ahead. v30 He told them, ‘Go to the next village. You will find a young *donkey there that nobody has ever ridden. Undo it and bring it here. v31 Someone may ask why you are undoing it. Tell him that the Master needs it’. v32 They went ahead. They found everything that Jesus had told them. v33 As they were undoing the young *donkey, the owners said to them, ‘Why are you undoing it?’ v34 ‘The Master needs it’, they replied. v35 And they took the *donkey to Jesus. Then they threw their coats on the animal’s back, and helped Jesus to get on it. v36 As he rode on, people laid their clothes on the road. v37 Jesus came near Jerusalem, where the road went down the *Mount of *Olives. Then the large crowd of his *disciples began to thank God. And they praised him in loud voices for all the great works that they had seen. v38 ‘God *bless the king who comes in the name of the *Lord! Peace in heaven and *glory to God!’ v39 Then some of the *Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. ‘Teacher’, they said, ‘order your *disciples to be quiet!’ v40 Jesus replied, ‘I tell you this. If they keep quiet, the stones themselves will start to shout’.

Verse 29 Bethany is a village about two miles (three kilometres) from Jerusalem. Bethphage was close to Bethany.

Verses 30-31 A young *donkey that nobody had ridden was suitable for a holy or royal purpose. Jesus probably had friends with whom he had made this arrangement. The words that the *disciples should use (‘The *Lord needs it’) were the evidence to the owners. They would know that the *disciples were not stealing the animal.

Verses 35-36 The *disciples’ coats made a saddle for the *donkey. The clothes that the crowds laid on the road made a carpet for a royal procession. Luke does not mention the branches that people put on the road (Matthew 21:8). Neither does he say that people came out from Jerusalem to give him a welcome (John 12:12).

Verse 37 The road into Jerusalem goes down the hill on which there were many *olive trees. People made oil from the fruit of *olive trees.

Verse 38 The crowd used words that come from Psalms 118:26. The priests would *bless people with these words as they came into Jerusalem. Luke adds the word ‘king’. ‘*Blessed is the king’ instead of ‘*Blessed is he’. ‘In the name of the *Lord’. This means that Jesus came as God’s servant, with his authority and power. ‘Peace in heaven’ means that God has already won the war against the power of evil. The other three *Gospels use the *Jewish word ‘Hosanna’ to praise God. Luke says ‘*Glory to God’ as a shout of praise.

Verse 39 The *Pharisees were afraid that the *Romans would understand the crowd’s actions. Then the *Romans might punish Jesus and the whole nation. The people were welcoming their *Messiah. The *Pharisees could not stop the crowd from shouting. So, they asked Jesus to tell them to be quiet.

Verse 40 Nothing could stop the crowd. Jesus used a phrase that showed that. It was right that they should *praise God. Everything that God created would praise him.

Jesus weeps over Jerusalem 19:41-44

v41 Jesus came closer to the city. When he could see it, he wept. v42 He said, ‘Today your people do not know what will bring them peace. Now you cannot see it! v43 The time will come when your enemies will build up an earth wall to attack you. Armies will surround you completely. Your people will not be able to go in or out of the city. v44 The armies will completely destroy you. They will kill all your people. They will not leave even one stone in its place. You did not realise that God had come to *save you. That is why all this will happen.’

Verse 41 Jesus would have crossed the Kidron valley. Then he went to the *Mount of *Olives where there is a wonderful view of Jerusalem. Jesus saw the city from there.

Verse 42 Jesus speaks as if the city is a person. He weeps because people in the city had not accepted him as king. They wanted a king to fight the *Romans. They did not want Jesus, the prince of peace. This choice would lead to war and the people would suffer greatly.

Verse 43 If there was a war, the *Romans would completely ruin Jerusalem. Jesus knew that this would happen. It came true 40 years later. The *Romans surrounded Jerusalem. Nobody could escape from or enter the city. Many died of hunger during this time.

Verse 44 Josephus was a *Jew who lived at that time. He wrote a book called ‘The history of the *Jewish war’. He says, ‘When the *Romans seize Jerusalem, they killed all the inhabitants, young and old. Titus (a leader) ordered his soldiers to destroy the city completely. Future visitors would not believe that the city had ever been there’. All this happened because the *Jews had refused God’s Son. They had refused God’s plan to *save them.

Jesus sends the merchants out of the *Temple 19:45-48

v45 Then Jesus went into the *Temple. He began to force the merchants out of the *Temple. v46 He said to them, ‘The *Scriptures say, “My house shall be a house for prayer”. But you have made it into a place where thieves can hide’. v47 Every day Jesus was teaching in the *Temple. The chief priests, the teachers of the Law of Moses and some important citizens wanted to kill him. v48 But they could not find a way to do it. This was because all the people were eager to listen to every word that Jesus said.

Verse 45 In one part of the *Temple, merchants had erected stalls. Animals for the *sacrifices had to be perfect. People could buy them in the city for a much cheaper price. But it was safer to buy them in the *Temple. Here, the merchants said that the animals were perfect. People had to pay the annual *Temple tax in special coins. There were stalls where people could exchange their money for the special coins. The men who changed money were charging far too much. All these stalls belonged to the family of the chief priest.

Verse 46 God had said that the *Temple would be a place for prayer (Isaiah 56:7). Jesus was angry because it had become a noisy market. It was impossible to pray there. The merchants and the men who changed money were cheating people. They were making huge profits for themselves. Jesus was also angry with that. He repeated words from Jeremiah 7:11. Jeremiah described the *Temple as a ‘place where thieves could hide’.

Verse 47 Jesus continued to teach in the *Temple courts. The *religious leaders wanted to kill him for his action in the *Temple. But they were unable to do anything. Many people wanted to listen to Jesus. So, it would have been impossible for the leaders to arrest him.

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words)

tax-collector ~ man who received taxes for the government.
tax ~ money that people must pay to the government.'sin/sinner ~ when people do things against God or other people.
Lord ~ name for God in the Bible; name that we use for Jesus when we obey him.
salvation ~ when God saves a person from the results of, and punishment for, sin. When a person is sorry for their wrong ways; God forgives them and they follow Jesus.

save/salvation ~ rescue from the power and result of sin.

sin/sinner ~ when people do things against God or other people.
descendants ~ future members of a family or nation.'Son of Man ~ special name that Jesus used of himself.'save/salvation ~ rescue from the power and result of sin.

sin/sinner ~ when people do things against God or other people.
tax ~ money that people must pay to the government.
Roman ~ person or thing that belongs to Rome.
Rome ~ capital of a great empire in *New Testament times.
empire ~ group of nations under one ruler (emperor).
emperor ~ king who rules over many countries.
faith ~ trust.
spiritual ~ belonging to the spirit.
spirit ~ the part of a person which is alive, which we cannot see. It can speak to other spirits and the soul.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see, that is in us during our life on earth. It continues to live after the body dies.
parable ~ a story with a moral meaning.
kingdom ~ land that a king rules.
Rome ~ capital of a great empire in *New Testament times.
empire ~ group of nations under one ruler (emperor).
emperor ~ king who rules over many countries.
emperor ~ king who rules over many countries.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
follower ~ person who follows a leader.
disciple ~ one who follows another and learns from him; a person who believes in Jesus; a person who follows the things that he teaches.'Christ/Messiah ~ the Jews’ word for the king whom God would send to rescue them.

Messiah/Christ ~ the Jews’ word for the king whom God would send to rescue them.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
religious ~ leaders belonging to a religion.
donkey ~ animal like a small horse.
Mount ~ small mountain.
olive ~ a kind of tree that has fruit.'bless, blessing ~ to say or to do much good to a person; to call something holy; to ask God for good things to happen; to guard and to keep from evil things.
glory ~ everything that makes God beautiful and great; like a great light from God.
Pharisees ~ group of Jews who were very strict about the law of Moses.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
olive ~ a kind of tree that has fruit.'bless, blessing ~ to say or to do much good to a person; to call something holy; to ask God for good things to happen; to guard and to keep from evil things.
gospel ~ good news about Jesus.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything to do with a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
glory ~ everything that makes God beautiful and great; like a great light from God.
praise ~ to say how good a person is; to tell God how great he is, as when we are praying or singing to him.
Temple ~ special building in Jerusalem where Jews worshipped God.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
worship ~ show honour and respect to God and praise him.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or to thank him for something.

Luke: The Man Christ Jesus

Jesus on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem

Luke 9:51-19

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 19

Zacchaeus – Luke 19:1-10

v1 Jesus had entered the city called Jericho and he was passing through it. v2 A man was there whose name was Zacchaeus. He was a chief official among the men who collected taxes. And he was wealthy. v3 He wanted to see who Jesus was. But Zacchaeus was a small man, and he could not see Jesus because of the crowd. v4 He ran ahead to a place where Jesus would come. And he climbed a *sycamore tree so he could see Jesus.

v5 When Jesus came to that place, he looked up. He said, ‘Zacchaeus come down quickly. I must stay at your house today.’ v6 Zacchaeus came down at once. And he was glad to have Jesus come to his house.

v7 All the people saw this. They began to complain. They said, ‘Jesus has gone in to stay with a *sinner.’

v8 Zacchaeus stood up. He said to the *Lord, ‘Look *Lord. I give half my possessions to the poor people. And if I have cheated anyone, I pay back 4 times as much.’

v9 Jesus said to him, ‘Today *salvation has come to this house, because even this man is a *descendant of Abraham. v10 The Son of Man has come to find *lost people and to save them.’

Verses 1-4 Jesus was going through Jericho. Jericho is a city with a long history. It is one of the oldest cities in the world. It is in the Jordan plain at about 700 feet (250 metres) below sea level. The plain was and still is very good for agriculture. Jericho means the city of *palm trees. Jerusalem is about 17 miles (25 kilometres) away. The first mention of Jericho in the Bible was when the *Israelites camped by the river Jordan opposite Jericho (Numbers 22:1). Later they attacked Jericho and they destroyed it (Joshua 5:13-6). Joshua cursed (declared a terrible punishment for) anyone who built Jericho again (Joshua 6:26). A man called Hiel did so. And as Joshua had said, Hiel’s first son and his youngest son died (1 Kings 16:34).

Zacchaeus lived in Jericho. He was a *Jew; his name is *Jewish. He was a chief of the men who collected taxes. So probably, he was responsible for the men who collected the taxes in that region. Perhaps it was his job to pass on the taxes to the *Romans. He was a rich man but not all of his wealth came from honest deeds.

Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus. And he wanted to see Jesus. But he was a small man and he could not see over the heads of the crowd. So, he climbed a tree on the route that Jesus would take. Then he was in a good position to see Jesus as he came along.

Verses 5-8 Zacchaeus hid in a tree but Jesus saw him there. Jesus knew who Zacchaeus was. Jesus spoke to him by name. He did not ask if he could stay at Zacchaeus’s house. Jesus told him that he must stay with him. Perhaps that was because Jesus wanted to speak with him in private. Zacchaeus was happy with this.

In the opinion of most of the people, the men who collected taxes were the lowest in society. They were *sinners. Jesus had gone to stay with such a person.

The visit of Jesus had a great effect on Zacchaeus. He promised to give half of his wealth to the poor people. He promised to pay 4 times as much to anyone that he had cheated. The law ordered a person to pay the original sum plus a 5th (Leviticus 6:4-5; Numbers 5:5-7). The word ‘give’ is in the present tense. This was not a promise for some future date but for actions now. This showed that he had changed.

Verses 9-10 Zacchaeus was a *Jew. The *Jews came from the family of Abraham. But not all *Jews shared the *faith that Abraham had. Jesus said that Zacchaeus was a *descendant of Abraham. This must mean that Zacchaeus had that *faith. In other words, he now believed and trusted in God. *Salvation had come to that house by *faith and not because of the good deeds that Zacchaeus did. Probably Jesus said this about Zacchaeus to the crowd that followed him.

*Salvation came to that house. The ‘house’ would mean those persons who live in that house. This could mean that other family members also had *faith.

Jesus came to find *lost people. *Lost people are those people who have not yet put their trust in God. Zacchaeus was one of those that Jesus came to save.

The story about the king’s servants – Luke 19:11-27

v11 While the people listened to this, Jesus told them a story. They were near Jerusalem. So, the people thought that God’s *kingdom would appear at once. v12 So he said, ‘A very important man went to a country far away. He went to become the king of his country and then he came back. v13 Before he went, he called to him 10 of his servants. He gave to each of them a *mina. He told them to trade with the *minas until he came back.

v14 But some of his people hated the man. So, they sent a group of people after him with this message: “We do not want this man to be our king.”

v15 The man did receive the *kingdom and he came back. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to know what each of them had gained with it.

v16 The first servant came. He said, “*Lord, your *mina has gained 10 *minas.”

v17 The master said to him, “You have done well. You are a good servant. Because you were loyal in this small matter, you will have authority over 10 cities.”

v18 The second servant came. He said, “*Lord, your *mina has gained 5 *minas.”

v19 The master said to this servant, “You can rule over five cities.”

v20 Then another servant came. He said, “*Lord, here is your *mina. I have kept it safe in a piece of cloth. v21 I was afraid of you because you are a severe man. You take what is not yours. In addition, you harvest crops that you did not plant.”

v22 His master replied, “With your own words you have declared the judgement that I will make against you. You are a wicked servant. You knew that I am a severe man. I take what is not my own. I harvest where I have not planted. You knew these things. v23 You should have put my money in the bank. Then when I came back, my money would have earned some more.”

v24 There were men who stood there. The master said to them, “Take his *mina away from him. Give it to the man who has 10 *minas.”

v25 They said, “*Lord, that man has 10 *minas already.”

v26 He replied, “I tell you this. Everyone who has will receive more. But a person with nothing will lose all that he has. v27 Bring those enemies who did not want me to be their king. Kill them here in front of me.” ’

Verses 11-14 The crowd came near to Jerusalem. They expected that the *kingdom of God would come. Maybe they expected Jesus to declare that he was the king. Therefore, Jesus told this story about an important man. The man went to a country a long way from home. He went to receive a *kingdom.

The idea for this story may have come from the history of Archelaus. When Herod died, he left a part of his *kingdom to his son Archelaus. But the *Romans controlled the whole *kingdom. So, Archelaus had to go to Rome to ask Caesar Augustus to make him king over Judea. Many *Jews in Judea did not like Archelaus. They sent men to Rome to try to persuade Caesar Augustus that Archelaus should not be their king.

Jesus would soon go away by means of his death. But he will return in the future. He will have received his *kingdom. And he will come back to rule. In the meantime, many people do not want Jesus to be their king.

The man gave to each of 10 servants a sum of money. He told them to trade with this money while he was away. This was a test to see whether he could trust them with larger tasks.

A mina was about the wages that a worker would earn in three months.

Verses 15-19 The man got his *kingdom and he came back home. He told his servants to give to him an account of what they had done. The first one had gained 10 more *minas. The second one had gained 5 more *minas. The king gave them control over cities in his *kingdom.

Verses 20-23 The third servant out of the 10 gave his account. We do not know what happened to the other 7 servants. The third servant gave to the king the *mina that he had kept safe. He had done nothing with it. He did not trade with it, as his master had ordered him to do. He hid it because he was afraid of his master. He was afraid that he might lose his master’s *mina.

The servant’s explanation was that his master was a very severe man. His master took profit where he had not earned it.

The master used what the servant had said against him. The servant knew what kind of man the master was. Therefore, he should at least have put the money in the bank. There it would have earned profit.

The master had told the servants to trade. He expected them to take that risk. The third servant did not obey his master, so the master was angry with him.

Verses 24-27 The master took the *mina from the third servant. He gave it to the servant who had 10 *minas. The servant with 10 *minas had proved that he was loyal and responsible. So, his master could trust him with much greater responsibility. The servant who returned his *mina did not trade with it. He had neglected to use it as his master had ordered. He had shown that he was neither loyal nor responsible.

So, the one who has will receive more. The one who does not have will lose everything.

God has given gifts to his people. For example, he has given them skills and opportunities to serve him. If they do not use those gifts, they will lose them. If they use the gifts well, then they will receive greater gifts.

The king killed those people who did not want him to be their king. Jesus will come as the king. He will be the judge of those people who will not have him as their king. Our attitude to Jesus is a matter of life or death, and the results of that will be *eternal.

Jesus enters Jerusalem – Luke 19:28-44

v28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead. He was on his way to Jerusalem. v29 Jesus came near to Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the *Mount of Olives. Then he sent two of his *disciples. v30 He said to them, ‘Go into the village over there. As you enter the village, you will find a young *donkey. Its owner has tied it up. Nobody has ever ridden on it. Undo the young *donkey and bring it to me. v31 Someone may ask you why you are undoing the young *donkey. Tell that person, “The *Lord needs it.” ’

v32 The two *disciples went and they found the young *donkey. It was as Jesus had told them. v33 As they undid the young *donkey, the owners of it said to them, ‘Why are you undoing the young *donkey?’

v34 The *disciples answered, ‘The *Lord needs it.’

v35 So, they brought it to Jesus. They threw their coats on the young *donkey and they put Jesus on it. v36 As Jesus went along, people spread their coats on the road in front of him.

v37 Jesus came near to the place where the road goes down the *Mount of Olives. The large crowd of his *disciples began with joy to thank God. They praised God in loud voices because of all the great things that they had seen.

v38 They said, ‘God *bless the king who comes in the name of the *Lord. Peace in heaven, and *glory in the highest places.’

v39 Some of the *Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell your *disciples not to say these things.’

v40 ‘I tell you this,’ Jesus replied. ‘If they were silent, the stones would cry out.’

v41 As Jesus came near to Jerusalem, he saw the city. And he wept when he saw it. v42 He said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day the things for your peace. But your eyes cannot see those things. v43 The time will come when enemies will build against your walls to attack you. They will surround you on every side. You will not be able to escape. v44 They will destroy you and they will kill the people in you. They will not leave one stone upon another stone. This is because you did not recognise the time of God’s visit to you.’

Verses 28-34 The chief priests and the *Pharisees in Jerusalem wanted to arrest Jesus. They did not know where he was. Jesus was not yet in Jerusalem. But they gave orders to the people about him. If they found Jesus, they must tell the leaders of the people (John 11:55-57). Although there was this danger, Jesus came openly toward Jerusalem. He was not afraid of these enemies. While the crowd was with him, the leaders would not arrest him. Jesus knew what would happen soon. He knew that he would die in Jerusalem. He went to Jerusalem for that purpose.

Jesus came to the hill called the *Mount of Olives, near to Bethphage and Bethany. Bethany was a village about two miles from Jerusalem on the east slopes of the *Mount of Olives. Bethany was where Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived (John 11:1). Bethphage was near to Bethany but we do not know exactly where. The name Bethphage means ‘house of *figs’.

Jesus sent two *disciples to go into a village. The village could have been Bethphage. From there, he told them to fetch a young *donkey for him to ride. Nobody had ever ridden on this animal. Nobody had trained it to carry a rider. However, it was tame when Jesus rode on it. It was as if the young *donkey was familiar with its rider.

Jesus gave careful instructions to the two *disciples before they went to fetch the *donkey. Someone may ask them what they were doing with it. If so, Jesus told them what to say. They must reply that its *Lord needs it. It happened as Jesus had told the *disciples. We may ask whether Jesus arranged this in advance. Otherwise, the owners would not have let the *disciples take the young *donkey. However, maybe Jesus had not arranged it. He knew that the animal was there. And he knew that the owners were ready for the *Lord to ask for it. Perhaps Jesus knew these things by the power of the *Holy Spirit.

The *prophecy in Zechariah and the account in Matthew show that there were two animals. There was a *donkey and a young *donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1-7). The Books of Mark and Luke refer only to the young *donkey as probably Jesus rode on that animal (Mark 11:1-7).

Verses 35-38 The *disciples brought the young *donkey to Jesus. They put some of their coats on the *donkey instead of a saddle. Then they lifted Jesus onto the *donkey. Other people spread their coats on the road in front of Jesus. Matthew, Mark and John tell us that the people cut down branches from trees. They spread these branches on the road (Matthew 21:8; Mark 11:8; John 12:13). John writes that the branches were from *palm trees.

By tradition, we now call the Sunday before Easter ‘*Palm Sunday’.

Jesus rode down the hill called the *Mount of Olives to go into Jerusalem. The crowds of *disciples were excited and they praised God. They praised God because of all the great things that they had seen. They saw Jesus as the king whom God had sent to them. They believed that their king was coming to his capital city. He was coming to receive his *kingdom. Matthew and John refer to the *prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, “Look. Your king comes to you. He is gentle and he rides on a *donkey, a young *donkey.” ’

In that *prophecy, the *Christ would come as the prince of peace (see Isaiah 9:6). So, the crowds spoke about peace in heaven and *glory in the highest places.

Verses 39-40 There were some *Pharisees in the crowd. They did not like what the *disciples said. They could not accept Jesus as the king or as the *Christ. They came to Jesus. They asked him to tell his *disciple not to say these things.

Jesus would not do as the *Pharisees wanted. Instead he answered them with words similar to Habakkuk 2:11. If the *disciples were quiet, the stones would cry out.

Verses 41-44 From the hill called the *Mount of Olives, there was a magnificent view of the entire city. In the middle of that view across the Kidron Valley, there was Herod’s *temple. The sight was impressive. But Jesus saw into the future. He wept when he saw the city. He wept because the people had not put their trust in God. If they had done so, God would have brought peace to Jerusalem. Jesus could see the terrible events that would happen there. But the people could not see it.

Jesus knew that the *Romans would attack the city. And they would destroy it. They would not leave one stone on top of another stone. The people who remained in the city would not be able to escape.

All this happened. In 70 *AD, the *Roman army came; its leader was an officer called Titus. The army surrounded the city. And then they destroyed the *temple and the city. They killed most of the people. They sent away those people who remained alive into foreign countries.

Most of the people in Jerusalem had refused to believe in Jesus. God had sent Jesus as the *Christ. But the people did not recognise the *Christ when he came to them.

1. Jesus at the *temple – Luke 19:45-48

v45 Then Jesus went into the *temple area. And he began to force out the men who were selling things there. v46 He said to them, ‘The *scriptures say this. “My house will be a house of prayer.” But you have made it a place where thieves meet.’

v47 Jesus taught in the *temple every day. The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people tried to kill him. v48 But they could not find a way to do it because all the people were eager to hear him.

Verses 45-46 Jesus had come into Jerusalem on the previous day. He went into the *temple and he had a look round. Then he left the city and he spent the night in Bethany (Mark 11:11). The next morning, Jesus came again to the *temple.

In the *temple area, there was a market. This part of the *temple area was open to people who were not *Jews. It was the only part of the *temple where they could pray to God.

On a previous occasion, John tells us that the traders sold *oxen, sheep and *doves (John 2:14). Also, there were traders who changed money. These animals and the *doves were for the *sacrifices. The *Jewish people had to give these *sacrifices. It was easier to buy the animals here rather than to bring them from home.

Every *Jew had to pay a *temple tax. This was a half *shekel. If they did not have *shekels, they had to change some money into *shekels. All of these activities were necessary. However, they should not have happened in the *temple area. The *temple was a place to pray, not to carry on trade.

Jesus was angry. He forced out of the *temple those men who sold things. He chased out the men who bought. He pushed over the tables of the men who changed money. He pushed over the seats of the men who sold *doves (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15). Nobody had the courage to oppose him.

Jesus taught that the *temple was God’s house. It was where people should come to pray (Isaiah 56:7). It was not a market place. Jesus called the traders ‘robbers’ because they were not honest. They were greedy. They charged more than they should have done (Jeremiah 7:10-11).

Verses 47-48 Jesus taught in the *temple each day until the leaders arrested him in Gethsemane. Gethsemane is a garden below the hill called the Mount of Olives. All this time the chief priests and other leaders looked for a way to kill Jesus. But they were afraid of the people. The ordinary people wanted to hear the things that Jesus was teaching.

sycamore ~ a type of tree.
sinners ~ people who sin.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things. In the Old Testament, LORD was a special name for God.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Jesus’ birth.
salvation ~ the result when God saves us from sin and punishment; the new life that God gives to those people who believe in the Lord Jesus.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things. In the Old Testament, LORD was a special name for God.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Jesus’ birth.
lost ~ a description of someone or something that has wandered away from its owner or is not in its proper place.
palm ~ a type of tree.
Israelites ~ Jewish people.
Jewish ~ people or things that are from the Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the families of their children.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the families of their children.
Jewish ~ people or things that are from the Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the families of their children.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. Anything that belonged to Rome was Roman.
faith ~ trust in someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son.
salvation ~ the result when God saves us from sin and punishment; the new life that God gives to those people who believe in the Lord Jesus.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things. In the Old Testament, LORD was a special name for God.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Jesus’ birth.
lost ~ a description of someone or something that has wandered away from its owner or is not in its proper place.
kingdom ~ the place or territory where a king rules. In the New Testament, this is nearly always the people over whom the king rules and not a territory on earth.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on earth.
mina ~ a sum of money that was worth the same as a workmen could earn in three months.
eternal ~ something that will always be and will never end.'Mount of Olives ~ a hill near Jerusalem. The word ‘mount’ means a mountain or hill. Olives are a type of oily fruit that grow on trees. Those trees grew on the hill near Jerusalem called the Mount of Olives.
disciple ~ a person who follows a leader, especially the 12 men that Jesus chose to be with him.
donkey ~ an animal with long ears. It is like a small horse. People use donkeys to ride on or to carry goods.
bless ~ to show kindness to someone.
glory ~ great honour and beauty.
Pharisees ~ a group of Jews who tried to obey all God’s rules. Many of them did not approve of Jesus.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the families of their children.
figs ~ a kind of sweet fruit.'Holy Spirit ~ God’s Spirit whom Jesus sent to help his people. It is another name for God, also called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ and the comforter. The Holy Spirit is a person but not human. He lives and works for God, he is God, equal with God the Father and with God the Son.
prophecy ~ a message from God; a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit ~ God’s Spirit whom Jesus sent to help his people. It is another name for God, also called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ and the comforter. The Holy Spirit is a person but not human. He lives and works for God, he is God, equal with God the Father and with God the Son.
palm ~ a type of tree.
Christ ~ the Christ is the name for the person whom God would send to be the Saviour of his people. Jesus is the Christ and he was called Christ.
Saviour ~ a title for Jesus, who saves his people from their sins.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God.
temple ~ a special building for the worship of God. The Jews had a temple in Jerusalem for the worship of the real God. But at other temples, people worshipped false gods.
worship ~ the act when someone gives honour to God. Someone who worships, praises God. That person thanks God. And that person respects God.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the families of their children.
AD ~ years after Christ.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins or to thank him for something. To sacrifice means to make a sacrifice.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God.