by Samuel E. Ward Part 3: Jesus' Journey to Heaven by Way of Jerusalem Luke 19 Introduction Mention Jericho and most people acquainted with Bible stories will naturally think of Joshua and his army marching around its walls seven times, blowing trumpets, and then watching God cause its walls to tumble down. However, the events of the first half of this chapter take place about 1,500 years later. In Luke 19:1-10 we find the story of a man who is short in stature. We will be impressed by Zacchaeus' determination to meet Jesus and then with Jesus' earnest desire to meet with him. The parable of the stewards and the minas follows in Luke 19:11-27. Lessons about two groups of people will be learned here. The first lesson concerns those in the kingdom of God and their responsibility to invest their lives and gifts in that kingdom. The second lesson is about those who want nothing to do with the kingdom and especially its Ruler. Luke continues this chapter with three memorable scenes: 1) Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, 2) His lament over the city as He first catches sight of it, and 3) the cleansing of the temple of its crooked money-changers. The verses that close the chapter set up the events in the rest of the book. They simply state, "(47) Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. (48) Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words." XXXI. Jesus in Jericho, Luke 19:1-27 A. The Encounter with Zacchaeus: The Man Who Wanted to See Jesus, Luke 19:1-10. Luke 19:1-4 (NIV) (1) Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. (2) A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. (3) He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. (4) So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore–fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 1. The possible reasons for Zacchaeus' curiosity: a. He was curious about accounts of Jesus' healings and miracles. b. He was curious about Jesus' teaching. c. He was curious about the popular belief that Jesus might be the Messiah. 2. It really doesn't matter why someone looks to Jesus, just that they give Jesus an opportunity to make soul contact, Luke 19:5-6 . Luke 19:5-6 (NIV) (5) When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." (6) So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 3. The reasons for the people's reaction to Jesus' visit with Zacchaeus, Luke 19:7.
Luke 19:7 (NIV) (7) All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'"
4. The response of Zacchaeus to his encounter with Jesus, Luke 19:8. Luke 19:8 (NIV) (8) But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." 5. The response of Jesus to His encounter with Zacchaeus, Luke 19:9-10.
Luke 19:9-10 (NIV) (9) Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. (10) For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
It is not the means by which we encounter Jesus that are important, it is the results of those encounters because of their eternal consequences. Whether by curiosity, personal need, guilt, invitation, or some point of desperation, these are only points of contact and opportunities for Jesus to reveal Himself to the person seeking. We are not told what motivated Zacchaeus to seek out Jesus, only the results of that meeting. He was changed, repentant, and made right. He made restitution to those he had wronged not because he was told to, but because his new heart demanded it of him. When Jesus enters our hearts by faith, a spiritual cleansing takes place. We are made aware of all the reasons why God would be justified in judging us. Then we seek forgiveness and find it. From start to finish the Holy Spirit guides the heart of the one who has found Jesus not only to be made right, but to make things right. The results of submission to Christ are eternal life and entrance into Christ's kingdom where things will one day be forever right. Ask yourself these questions. What has been my responses to my encounters with Jesus.? What have I done with the sermons and testimonies I have heard and the Scriptures I have read? Did it cause me to seek a better view of the One who was also seeking me? Or did I pass Him off or put Him off until a more convenient time? Did I ignore Him or decide that because I knew someone who claimed to be a Christian but didn't live like one it meant that Christ was bogus, as well. Because Jesus is all about saving the lost, it is only natural that He is going to try to get close to them just because He loves them. Some might mistake this for approval. Be careful of the excuses you use to reject Christ. He knows the truth about Himself and you. B. The Expectations of God: The Parable of the Servants and the Minas, Luke 19:11-27 1. The reasons for the parable, Luke 19:11
Luke 19:11 (NIV) (11) While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
a. He was near Jerusalem, and thus His ministry was coming to a close. b. He wanted to plant some thoughts in their minds concerning the appearance of the kingdom of God. 2. The characters of the parable, Luke 19:12-14.
Luke 19:12-14 (NIV) (12) He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. (13) So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
(14) "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.' a. A man of noble birth coming to a country to be appointed king. b. Ten servants of the nobleman who had been given each a mina to invest. c. The subjects of the newly appointed king who did not want his rulership 3. The accounting of the servants, Luke 19:15-27. Luke 19:15 (NIV) (15) "He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. a. The first servant and his reward: ten minas gained from one earned him charge over ten cities, Luke 19:16-17.
Luke 19:16-17 (NIV) (16) "The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' (17) "'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
b. The second servant and his reward: five minas gained from one earned him charge over five cities, Luke 19:18-19.
Luke 19:18-19 (NIV) (18) "The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' (19) "His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
c. A third servant and his reward: zero minas gained from one earned him the loss of even the mina he had, Luke 19:20-26. Luke 19:20-26 (NIV) (20) "Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. (21) I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' (22) "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? (23) Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' (24) "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' (25) "'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' (26) "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 4. The judgment of the enemies of the king, Luke 19:27.
Luke 19:27 (NIV) (27) But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.'"
Especially important to understanding this parable are how its details relate to the imminent entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as king and the popular understanding of the kingdom of God at that time. Jesus was coming to Jerusalem to offer Himself as king but he would be returning to a "distant country"—to heaven where He would reside with His Father for a time. While away, Jesus would empower and appoint believers to minister as servant/subjects. They were to be stewards of the proclamation of the gospel, the ministry of which he would hold each accountable upon His return. At that time He would reward each one according to their work. His enemies (those who rejected His rule) would be judged as a result of that rejection. Here again (as with the rich ruler) we are brought to understand that judgment is not based upon our own goodness or righteousness, but on our submission to Jesus Christ as King over our lives. Righteous living is the by-product of life lived in the Spirit of God. XXXII. The King Is Coming, the First Time, Luke 19:28-48 A. The Instructions to the Disciples in Preparation of His Coming, Luke 19:28-31.
Luke 19:28-31 (NIV) (28) After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. (29) As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, (30) "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. (31) If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'"
B. The Obedience of the Disciples to the Instructions Concerning His Coming, Luke 19:32-34.
Luke 19:32-34 (NIV) (32) Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. (33) As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" (34) They replied, "The Lord needs it."
C. The Reactions to the Sight of His Coming, Luke 19:35-44. 1. The reaction of the crowd: Excited praise, singing, and expectation, Luke 19:35-38.
Luke 19:35-38 (NIV) (35) They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. (36) As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
(37) When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: (38) "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 2. The reaction of the Pharisees and Jesus' reply: Demand for the crowd's rebuke, Luke 19:39-40 Luke 19:39-40 (NIV) (39) Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" (40) "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." D. The Reaction of Jesus to the Sight of Jerusalem: Great sorrow, Luke 19:41-44. 1. He wept for her blindness that kept her from her peace, Luke 19:41-42.
Luke 19:41-42 (NIV) (41) As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it (42) and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.
2. He wept for the destruction that would come from her enemies, Luke 19:43-44.
Luke 19:43-44 (NIV) (43) The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. (44) They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
E. The Wrath of Jesus Upon the Thieves in the Temple, Luke 19:45-46.
Luke 19:45-46 (NIV) (45) Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. (46) "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"
F. Let the End Begin, Luke 19:47-48.
Luke 19:47-48 (NIV) (47) Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. (48) Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.
Much speculation has been written about what would have happened if Jesus had been accepted by His people when He presented Himself as their King and Messiah at this time. It is interesting to contemplate but probably of little value since they did reject Him and now we are awaiting His second return as King. The questions we as Christians need to ask ourselves are these. 1) Do we know our instructions concerning the preparation that needs to be done before Jesus appears the second time? 2) Are we being obedient to those instructions? 3) Are we excited about His return? If one is not a Christian, then they must be warned about attitudes similar to those which the Pharisees had concerning Jesus' return: 1) Do they think all the talking the Church does about it is just too much noise? 2) Is it possible that their unbelief has blinded them to the teachings of Scripture concerning His return? 3) Are they among those who believe that if the Church would just go away, then all would be right with the world? 4) Are they ready to face the wrath of God for willful unbelief? To be like Jesus . . . 1. We must understand that the best prospects for new members in the kingdom of God are not to be found so much among those who are depending upon their own goodness, as those who have been convinced of their own badness. 2. We must have the same view of the stewardship of our lives and gifts as Jesus did His. He came to fulfill His Father's will, not His own. He did so perfectly and as a result received the throne at the right hand of His Father on high. We may not fulfill God's will so perfectly, but to the degree that we do, we shall be rewarded when Jesus returns for the investment of our lives and gifts into the kingdom of God. We will also be held accountable for that which we held back. 3. We must have the heart that aches over the blindness of men and women who will not accept the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a gospel, i.e., a proclamation of good news that there is eternal life beyond this life in a kingdom where all the things that we hate about this world (evil and suffering) no longer exist. 4. We must expose those who promote the gospel for purely material gain; those who find in it a way to fleece God's sheep and lead them along a false path. __________________________________________________________________ | 
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