He Knows the Way

He Knows the Way

Luke 19:28-40

Today is referred to as Palm Sunday, it is a day that is celebrated each year the Sunday before Resurrection Sunday. It is a day that kicks off what is known as Passion Week, or Holy week. The title Passion Week is so named because of the passion with which Jesus willingly went to the cross in order to pay for the sins of His people.

Illus. Moving up. 

Read: Luke 19:28-40

Jesus and many of His followers were heading to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. This was a journey He made many times in His life. This particular trip, however, was different. Jesus was at the apex of His ministry, and it would be the last time before His death, burial, and resurrection that He would make this trip. Jesus had told His disciples what was to come, but they didn’t understand. Jesus had been preaching, teaching, and healing many. There was a growing understanding of who He was and many expectations surrounding just what He would do to deliver the Jews.

In Jesus’ day, the people were looking for a messianic deliverer, the predominant thought was that this deliverer would lead them in a revolt against Rome. Jesus was truly the One who would save, but He was not going to save them their way, and we find as the week goes on, they were not interested in being saved His way.

You may have a map that consists of the way you would like the Lord to move in your life, or in your situation. Perhaps a way in which you would have Him “save now.” But what happens to your praise when things don’t change in your timing, or according your plan? Despite what you see, there is more in store, Jesus sees more, He knows the way.

I. Allow Jesus All Access

Luke 19:28-32

• As they approach Jerusalem and stop near the Mt. of Olives, Jesus sends two of His disciples into a nearby village to retrieve a colt of a donkey that He knows is tied there.

• It was a colt that no one had ever sat on. His two disciples were to untie it and bring it to Him.

• If anyone were to ask why they were taking the colt, they were to respond by saying, ‘the Lord has need of it,’ and that it would be sent back to them after Jesus used it.

Luke 19:33-34, As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord has need of it”…

Mark 11:6, They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.

• Hearing that the Lord needed their colt, the owners were willing to let Jesus’ disciples take the colt for His use.

• The colt had never been ridden (Mk 11:2; Lk 19:30). It would seem a gesture of respect and honor to offer such an animal to someone.

• I am immediately struck by the phrase used when coming to the owner of the colt, the phrase used specifically is, “the Lord has need of it.”

• Why would the creator of all things have need of anything?

2 Corinthians 8:9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

• Am I willing to let Him break in the unbroken things I have, or use the unused things that I have been holding onto.

Illus. Borrowed things. 

Illus. Are you available?

• He who made everything laid it all down that I might become rich in Him. But not only this, He chose to put Himself in a position whereby we could partner with Him, in order to see His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

• God didn’t have to make it work this way. But He has chosen to allow us the opportunity to be a part of His story.

Luke 12:48, “…From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”

• We get to be a part of making a difference on this earth and in our lives, for Jesus.

• We would not be speaking of the items on that list, had they not been offered to and used by Him.

• This borrowed colt, would become a very famous colt. Why? Because as we see throughout scripture regarding cities, towns, mangers, tombs, talents, and anything given to and used by the Lord, He returns them with interest. In other words, they become greater.

Zechariah 9:9, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey.

• Their young donkey became the most famous donkey the world has ever known all because they gave it Jesus on loan.

A. Let Him perfect what you expect

• The owners were told, “The Lord has need of it AND it will be returned.”

Matthew 16:25, For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

• We have hopes, dreams and expectations surrounding our lives. But if the Lord has need of what He has given you and me, let us be those who allow Him access.
• The people who were following Jesus had expectations associated with who He was and how they believed His purpose would be revealed. But by weeks end, Jesus was going to perfect what they had come to expect.
• After the disciples threw their cloaks on the back of the colt, Jesus sat on it.
• In taking His seat and heading to Jerusalem, He was offering Himself as King to the people. Something He had previously avoided.

John 6:15, So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make him King, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.

• The crowds were building around Jesus. They had seen and heard of the miracles performed.

• He was at the height of His ministry and all wanted Him to ascend to His throne. They were heading to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover which commemorated God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery to Egypt.

• And it was at this time, in remembrance of deliverance that hopes for their own deliverance from Roman’s oppression ran high.

• They were looking for a political leader, one who would lead them in victory and here was Jesus, fulfilling scripture, He was the Messiah.

• He was now making it apparent who He was…And the people couldn’t help but to shout! Laying down their coats on the road in honor and palm branches on the road, He was to be elevated, celebrated, exalted.

Mark 11:9-11, Those who went out in front and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!”

• Hosanna! Save now!! Save now in the highest, in the uttermost!

• Hosanna is of Hebrew origin and the result of yasha (“deliver, save”) and anna (“beg, beseech”) combine to form the word that, in English, is “hosanna”.

• Literally, hosanna means “I beg you to save!” or “please deliver us!”

Psalm 118:25, O Lord, do save, we beseech You.

• This was a song the people would sing, set apart for the Messiah, and now, they are welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem, singing it about Him.

• They wanted Him to save them out of their situation, but not in the way He was planning to save.

• Hosanna in the highest, would “I beg you to save to the uttermost,” “I beg you to save until there is nothing left to save.”

• They were crying out to Jesus, asking Him to do exactly what He was headed to do…But they wanted salvation on their own terms.

Illus. Save now!

• It is imperative that we seek Him. But we must be reminded that He will go beyond our request.

• Oh, how often we pray, cry out to the Lord, looking for a particular result and the Lord is working, but in His own way and in His own timing.

1 Corinthians 2:9, What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love Him. These are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit.

• And Jesus had said a great deal, but the people were set only on the difficulty they could see.

• Jesus had declared to His disciples many times already that He would go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, and chief priests and scribes (Mt 16:21-23, 17:12, 20:18); that He would be mocked, scourged and crucified, but raised up on the third day.

• While Jesus was the only way and would make a way, those following and praising Him could not get beyond the difficulty of their day. And when it was clear He had a different way, they chose to divide from Him, rather than abide with Him.

Illus. Nightly Prayers.

1. Abide in Him

John 15:5, I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

• When Jesus tells us to abide, He is speaking to our will, our choices, the decision we make. That those things would reflect a closeness to Him.

Illus. Proximity.

• When things don’t go according to our expectations, it challenges us to the core, it presses on our very foundation.

• But Jesus has promises about even that, and as we continue to build our lives on His word, we will stand tall and won’t fall flat.

Matthew 7:24-27

• What I have always found encouraging about Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:24-27, is that if I build my life on His words, I will stand tall despite heavy wind, formidable flood, or falling rain.

• What I have always found interesting about that scripture is that it seems to depict the same storm hitting two different homes on different foundations.

• Jesus doesn’t say a storm, or some storm, He says the storm! It seems to be the same storm.

• That sounds a bit familiar. Same storm, different responses. Let Jesus word set the foundation of your expectation. Build your life on it, trust Him in the midst of it, you wont fall, you will stand tall if you are founded and grounded on the rock.

Illus. Solid Rock.

1 John 2:25, This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

• Don’t become silent due to the current climate!

Psalm 34:8, O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

Luke 19:39, Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”  But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”

• The idea of creation itself praising the Lord is seen in the Bible. The water supported Him (Mt. 14:25), the storm stopped for Him (Mk. 4:39), and here He says the rocks were ready to praise.

• Don’t let a rock cry out in your place or become silent due to the current climate. Keep Him foremost in your praise, He alone knows the way.

John 14:1-6

Luke 19:28-40

After He had said these things, He was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord has need of it.” They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”