Good morning, Grace Fellowship Church. Yesterday, my wife and I traveled with the Cunningham, with Corey and Sarah, to Kelowna, Iowa, and then to Cantrill, Iowa. And as most of you know, if you don't, those are both very heavily Amish and Mennonite communities. Where we went in Cantrill was a store called Dutchman's Store. That was the focus of our trip, a place to do some shopping for the month. But it's a Mennonite owned store, very Mennonite community, all the employees are Mennonites. And for those that don't know, the Mennonites like the Amish, but the women wear the same attire pretty much, different colors, but same dresses and same head coverings. And the men have a beard, no mustache and lots of things that they do that makes them noticeable. But both the Amish and the Mennonites, now they split because they couldn't see eye to eye. But they both would trace their roots back to the Anabaptists. And I'm always encouraged when I see Mennonite and Amish communities. It's very encouraging. It's almost something that I kind of aspire to be like in some strange way. They are very, they're in a gregarian economy. They grow their own foods. We went to see a guy who has meat bunnies that he raises. And meat bunnies are because they reproduce quickly and there's lots of bunnies that come and lots of meat. And if hard times are coming, he's got his meat. And they're very family-oriented and very community-oriented, and it's really encouraging to watch them. They live very pious lives from the outside looking in. They have much more of a lack. Mennonite's a little less than Amish, but they aren't dependent upon the technologies of today in the ways I am, the way we are. And yet, with all that encouragement I see, and it's something that is almost desirable, and there are desirable things about it. But I'm always saddened when I really look into or talk to or think about what the Mennonite, now this isn't every single person, but the Mennonite community and the Amish community has kind of become. They've really gone away from their Anabaptist roots in many ways and they've become very fundamentalist. They're very strict on New Testament interpretation, trying to live by the letter of the law. They're very Armenian. They work very hard because they want to keep their salvation. They believe they can lose their salvation. And so, and you know, we're down there and in the store we're shopping at, not too far from there is Nauvoo, Illinois. And Nauvoo, Illinois is a Mormon Mecca. That is one of the most important places in all of Mormonism is in Nauvoo, Illinois. And so there's all these Latter-day Saints that are over there shopping and walking around, and I'm just struck by there's a great witness of the Mennonites as you just watch how they live their lives, and yet I never hear the gospel. I never see the gospel. I see a community that, you know, the frozen chosen, which they wouldn't call, but they're very to themselves, and they're very focused on themselves. And they're not very outreaching in any gospel ministry that I can see. They're working very hard to keep their salvation. They've strayed away from, it seems to me, the Sleightheim Confession, the confession that the Anabaptists originally had. And so, while I'm very encouraged by them as a general rule, I'm very encouraged by their focus on and their commitment to family and community and self-reliance, if you will, from the land and a desire to live to the glory of God and the women to be chaste and discreet and not drawing any attention to themselves by the clothes they wear. And even in the way they speak, you go around the store and you ask for help from a Mennonite woman, you're going to get a very soft answer 100% of the time. A very reserved, soft answer. You ask them and you're going to get a not a not a loud answer, but you're going to get more direct answers. And so some of those things, they're worth looking at. But but again, there seems to be a disconnect from the world and an emphasis on works that doesn't seem to be gospel centered and doesn't seem to be helpful. But much that is admirable to look at, but remembering that we cannot ever become a people that are so self-focused on our own works, our own religion, our own families, our own community, our own Grace Fellowship Church, that we become a lack of a gospel witness and that we're putting any trust in those things. So there are admirable qualities that seem to me to have gone amiss. And I was reminded of that all day yesterday. And I would recommend going down there to shop. It's kind of fun and you get good deals on meat, bacon, $1.99 a pound. That wasn't really pulpit worthy, but it came out, didn't it? I remember when I was initially saved, when God changed my heart, and there were a number of things I found very confusing about my Bible. I still find myself in that place. figured it all out. But there were just so many things. In particular, I was more in the New Testament. I was a new Christian. All the confusion in the Old Testament hadn't hit me yet. But some of the confusion I had, one of the things that was really confusing to me about the Bible and Christianity was how Jesus would enter in on what people call Palm Sunday. He would enter into this triumphal entry of everyone shouting his praises. And then less than a week later, These same people are saying crucify him and they're putting him on a cross. It didn't make sense to me. I couldn't understand that. I know we're all more mature than that now, but this particular passage is really helpful in helping us to understand how it goes that quickly. How it changes that quickly from what was probably Monday till Friday. What we look at today, the multitude of these disciples, these people that were rejoicing and praising God, they were looking for the wrong kind of king. And that was the issue. When he wasn't the kind of king they were looking for, they had no use for him. So please stand and we are going to read, I'm going to read verses 28 through 44 of Luke chapter 19, what is called in most people's Bible the triumphal entry. And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethpage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples, saying, go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, why are you untying it, you shall say this, the Lord has need of it. So those who were sent away 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? And they said, the Lord has need of it. And they brought it to Jesus and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near, already on the way down the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out. And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you because you did not know the time of your visitation. You may be seated. I'm so drawn to or struck by Jesus weeping over Jerusalem as she didn't know what true peace with God was. They couldn't see Jesus for who He really was. The Lamb to take away the sins of His people. They couldn't see the king for who He was. Instead, they only saw Jesus as an earthly king, the promised Messiah, one who would deliver them from Roman oppression and create a kingdom here on earth where Israel, God's people, would rule and reign and be great again. They didn't see Him as the one who came to deliver them from their sins, from the penalty and the power of sin in their lives. The one who came to make them right, to make right with God, The God in heaven, the one who came to create a way to enter into the kingdom of God. They didn't see him that way. They saw him as a temporal earthly king that had come to Migah. So today's text, it says, and when he had said these things, he went ahead going to Jerusalem. Well, what things had he said? Well, the things he had just said was the parable of the Midas. Right? The parable explaining God's timing in the establishing of His Kingdom. The parable that explains the Kingdom is not... because they thought the Kingdom was coming immediately, the Kingdom of God. And he explained this parable and said, no, the Messiah, The one that's going to be king has to go away, and when he leaves to get his crown, to get his kingdom, you who are left behind are to live in a certain way. And then he will return, and when he returns, then he will rule and reign. Well, they missed that. This is what he had just told them. He had just told them that in this parable that when he goes away, what they were to do, those who were his disciples, those who were his true followers, what they would do is take these minas, the gospel truths and blessings and the gospel itself, and go out and proclaim that to create more of the same. And then when he returned, he would be the forever king, just like in the parable. So, when he had said these things, remember he was there in Jericho, He had just, the Zacchaeus thing happened, and then the parable of 10 miners there in Jericho. He went on ahead going up to Jerusalem. So leaving Jericho, we've said this before, but up to Jerusalem, it's actually coming from the east, a little bit north, northeast towards Jerusalem from Jericho. But it's a huge incline. It's an incline the entire way. And so they've just walked about, he and his huge following, about 15 miles, mostly uphill through pretty treacherous terrain. And they arrived near Bethany, Bethpage and Bethany. So he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethpage and Bethany at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples. So comes up the Mount of Olivet, which is actually where the Olivet discord is going down is where the Garden of Gethsemane is. But as you come up the Mount of Olivet on the upside, you have Bethany, Bethpage. And then as you hit the crest, A mile and a half or so, you have a half a mile down into Jerusalem where you can see Jerusalem. So they haven't yet seen Jerusalem. They're still coming up and they're now in Bethpage, Bethany, a couple of miles away. And in John's gospel, it tells us six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So on Sunday, they came to Bethany six days before And when they got there, we know from John's gospel that Martha fed him. They made supper for him. Mary anointed his feet with oil, wiped his feet with her hair. And then it says in John, the next day they would leave for the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. So just five days before the cross is what we're looking at. This is the very end of Jesus' life here on earth. And so when they get there, he sends two of his disciples on an errand. When he gets there, he sent two of his disciples saying, go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. So we see God's deity here, his omniscience. He's basically telling two of his disciples, he said, look, you go ahead up there in that village. And when you get there, there's going to be a cult, a cult that's never been broken. You're going to be a cult that's never been ridden. And when you see this cult, you're to untie him it and bring it back to me. If anyone asks you, So he knows they're going to be asked. So he tells them, if anyone asks you, why are you untying it? You shall say this, the Lord has need of it. So a couple of things we see there is we see Jesus, his omniscience, his deity. He knows this cult's going to be there. He knows the plan. He knows the plan that was devised before all time began that was going to be worked out perfectly. He knows he's weak to die. He knows the cult's going to be there. And he tells them, look, My word's gonna go with you. You tell them the Lord has need of it, they're gonna let you have it. Verse 32, so those who were sent away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, why are you untying the colt? And they said, the Lord has need of it. So the owners of the colt ask, why are you taking the colt? And they tell him simply, the Lord has need of it. And they let him, they let them take the colt. So Jesus rides in on the colt of a donkey. Now, why do I say colt of a donkey? Because it just says colt here. Well, The word for colt, it means a young horse or a young ass or an ass's colt. It either means a young horse or it means a young donkey or it means the offspring of a donkey. And why this is important is we see in Matthew's accounting 21 verse 3, If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord needs them, and He will send them at once. Which is what they did. This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, Save the daughter of Zion. Behold, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt. the foal of a beast of burden. There was prophecy that Zechariah had given 500 years earlier. And this is the prophecy that's being quoted there in Matthew. This prophecy describes the entry of the king into Zion, the Messiah, the anointed one of God. His entry into Jerusalem or Zion, he would come on a donkey, a beast of burden. Donkeys normally carried packs, carried a burden. Mark's Gospel, more clarity on the interaction with the owners. If anyone says to you, Mark 3, 11, 3, why are you doing this? Say, the Lord is in need of it and will send it back here immediately. So in Mark's Gospel, we see they didn't go steal the colt. They went, we're going to take this colt. We're going to use this colt, but you'll get it back. The Lord needs it. And they went away and found a colt tied to the door outside the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, what are you doing? Untying the colt. And they told them what Jesus said, and they let him go. So the disciples go ahead of the travel party, and they go get this young male donkey that had never been ridden. And they bring back this donkey. Now, one of the things that we might be thinking, or they might be thinking, why are we going to get a donkey? Why are we not going to get a horse? Because you're a king. And kings ride on horses. Kings don't ride on donkeys. Well, it's true. Kings going to war rode on horses. Kings riding in peace rode on donkeys. So we see in 1 Kings 1, when Solomon was coming to David to be anointed the next king, how did he ride? And the king said to them, take with you the servants of your Lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule and bring him down to Gihon. So when Solomon was coming to be anointed as king, he rode on a donkey. You're not riding a horse. So we won't spend any time on this, but in the book of Matthew you see actually two animals were brought. A donkey and a colt. The mother and the son, if you will. Which speaks to the fact that this was a colt that had never been ridden. So it would have been very wild. And the mother coming along would help to keep that colt tame. But it had to be donkey. It had to be a colt of a donkey. It had to be a young, male, unbroken, unridden donkey to fulfill the prophecy. So, they brought it, the donkey, to Jesus and throwing their cloaks on the colt, so they threw their cloaks on the colt, basically making kind of a saddle, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. So get the picture. Remember, they're in Bethany, Bethpage. The next day, they're going to leave. The day before, he tells them, go get this young donkey, this male donkey. Bring it back. They bring it back. They saddle it up with their cloaks. He gets on it. And now he starts riding that last little crest, then to go down into Jerusalem. And as he's going, they're throwing their cloaks in front of him. Remember, there's a multitude, as we'll see in a minute, of his disciples. There's thousands of them. And they're throwing their cloaks. And remember, the cloak was a very important object for them. It's what kept them warm at night. But this dropping of their cloaks, we see back in Jehu. Now, Jehu was a good king, one of the very few good kings in Israel. And after he is anointed as king over Israel, we see this in 2 Kings 9. Then in haste, every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps. And they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, Jehu is king. So the throwing the cloaks in front of the mule, in front of the donkey, and putting it as a saddle, they're basically, it's a picture of they are surrendering themselves to the kingship. They're making a way for the king with their own cloaks. So, he's being acknowledged as the king. They're saying, this is our king, when they're throwing those cloaks down. They're anointing him, if you will. They're confirming him as their king. Again, this is the fulfillment of Zechariah 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your King is coming to you. Righteous and having salvation is He. Humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. These thousands and thousands of followers of Jesus are preparing the way for the King who is soon going to bring them salvation like was promised in Zechariah. He's going to bring us salvation. He's going to bring us salvation from the oppression of Rome. He's going to take us out of our hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and thousands of years of misery. And he's going to he's going to come and he's going to he's going to be our king. Let's throw down our cloaks. Let's we know he's coming on a donkey because that's what Zechariah said. And the whole multitude of his disciples praise God. They're so excited. Their king has come. Verse 37, as he was drawing near, remember, get now up this last two-mile journey, coming up over the crest of the Mount of Olivet, now heading down into where you can see Jerusalem. If you've ever been there, it's how you ride up a bus. You ride up a bus on that side, and then all of a sudden you come over this mound, then boom, there's Jerusalem. If you stand over the Garden of Gethsemane and look upwards, you can see behind you where Bethany would be, and in front of you, you can see the temple. Well, this is where they were. They're coming down. There's a road over there where he came into town, and that's where they are. already on the way down the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for the almighty works 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. Blessed is the King who comes in the name of Kurios, peace in heaven and glory in the highest. The whole multitude. There's another thing that I didn't used to understand. It wasn't everyone. There would have been arguably, not on this one road, but what was coming for Passover would have been a million and a half, two million Jews would be descending upon Jerusalem for Passover. There's a report of the couple of Passovers later, 250,000 some lambs were slaughtered. Well, a lamb was slaughtered for a whole family. So there's all these people, but the people that were rejoicing were not everyone. They were the ones who had seen the miracles. So some of them would have been from Galilee. Some of them would have followed Him this whole time. He would have picked some up in Jericho. But the multitude, the hapas, all, the whole multitude, plethas, a multitude, a great number of men or things, of His disciples, mathetes, a person who was a disciple or follower of Jesus. So not all of the hundreds of thousands of people, but a huge number, all of His disciples rejoicing and praising God. So you got lots of noise, lots of people, lots of attention. In the other Gospels, we know there's palm branches. They are celebrating this king. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king. What they're referencing there is Psalm 118. Psalm 118, verse 24 through 26 says this, this is a day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. You know, people use that word really quickly. People like to use that line. It's a great line. When you're saying that, understand what you're saying. You're recognizing this day, this day, the day of salvation, this day is the day of the Lord. We should rejoice and be glad in it. It's a special day. Save us, we pray, O Lord. O Lord, we pray, give us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. This is what they're referencing. This statement, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, again, coming from Psalm 118. They're praising God. Save us, we pray, O Lord. O Lord, we pray, give us success. They're praising the God for the salvation that was imminent. They're praising God for the success they believe is coming. Our king is here. We're done with this earthly oppression. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Salvation and success over Rome by this victorious king. This is what they're celebrating. But it's interesting because the king they're looking for was a king that was going to do battle. That's why they thought he should be on a horse. They thought this king was going to do battle to make Israel great again. But look at the second half of Zechariah 9 verse 10. Let's say the next verse. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim. The vehicles of war won't be necessary. And the war horse from Jerusalem. No need for a war horse I'm on a donkey. I'm coming in peace. And the battle bow shall be cut off. No reasons for bows because there's no fight. There's no physical fight. There's no physical battle. And He shall speak peace to the nations. He'll speak true peace. Peace between God and people. True peace with reconciliation found through Him for the forgiveness of sins. His rule shall be from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. He will build his rule over the whole world by peace with God via him. So while they're remembering Zechariah 9, their king is coming, they're celebrating, they're looking for the wrong king. They're not looking for the king that won't be a warrior king. In Matthew, we see how they speak about him at this time. 21.9. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, Hosanna to the son of David. Son of David. Son of David was... Who was David? He was the last great king. There was an army king. You know, Solomon, not a lot of wars for Solomon. Israel was great. They were kind of ruling everything. And then, after Solomon, it split. Israel is no more, because after Solomon, you had the splitting of the kingdom, the ten tribes from the two tribes. David was the last great warrior military king. Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Same as in Luke. Hosanna in the highest, they say, though. They're proclaiming Hosanna to the Son of David in Mark 11, 10. In his accounting, blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest. The kingdoms are here, a king like David, a warrior king, the king that was going to make Israel the greatest power in the world just like David had done. Hosanna, this word Hosanna, it's an Aramaic expression meaning help I pray or save I pray, had become a strictly liturgical formula of praise. So it's just a liturgical thing they were saying, but what they're actually saying with Hosanna is help I pray, save I pray. They're proclaiming the help and the salvation from this horrible life they're living. From this horrible government they're under. This promised kingdom of God that the Messiah would bring. The Jews believed the Messiah would bring an earthly kingdom. Remember, that's how this whole thing started when he was talking back in 19. When he was talking about the parable of the ten minus. Because they suppose that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. This is what they're still looking for. And here's why they thought he would provide that. Already on the way down to Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice. Why? For all the mighty works they had seen. For all the mighty works they had seen. Dunimas. Mighty deeds. Miracles. Strength. Power. Ability. This strong king had the power and the strength and the ability to remove us from our oppressors, to help us, to save us. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. Peace is here. This is the bookend of the beginning of gospel. When Jesus was born in Luke's gospel, we see an angel proclaiming and suddenly, Luke 2.13, and suddenly there was an angel with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased. Peace has returned. Israel, God's people, were now going to be saved immediately. They missed the whole point of the parable of Linus. They still supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So this is what you have. You have this scene of Tens to hundreds of thousands of people following him, some in front and some behind, it says. He's in the middle of this huge crowd and this crowd is saying, blessed. They're saying, blessed is the King who's coming in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The Son of David has arrived. They're showing him all kinds of praise and adoration. The man who had been correcting the Pharisees everywhere he went. calling them to repentance, calling them names, telling them their religion couldn't save, telling them they were full of dead men's bones. The Pharisees wanted the praise stopped. And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. Tell your disciples to stop calling you the son of David, the Messiah. Stop calling you God himself. Tell them to stop it. He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out. I'm not going to tell them to be quiet. It's time for them to announce who I am. You see, all throughout Loose Gospel, all up until this point, when we're actually coming into Passion Week, what has Jesus done? Hey, keep it on the down low. It's not my time yet. All the way back to the first miracle, Jesus said to her, woman, what does it have to do with you? When she wanted him to turn water into wine. My hour has not yet come. I don't want people to know who I am yet. It's not time for me to die. Luke 9.20, after Peter rightly identifies Jesus, he's in Luke 9 20, then he said to them, but who do you say I am? And Peter answered the Christ, the Messiah of God. And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one. It was still not time back in Luke nine to tell everybody this was the Messiah. That's not for, because when it's, when it comes out, it's going to make the Pharisees so mad at me and that eventually they're going to have me killed and it needs to happen at Passover. needs to happen so I can be the lamb that was slain. The sacrifice needs to happen at that time, so it's not time. But ever since 951, when Jesus, when the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. Remember he had his face like flint towards Calvary. Now he's there, he's arriving. Now it's Passover. Now it's the time for the sacrificial lamb to be killed. So now it's time to expose who I am and no, I won't tell them to be quiet. They're rightly saying who I am. They don't understand it, but what they're saying about me is true, and it's irritating you. It's exactly what it's supposed to do. It's time to tell. Teacher, rebuke your disciples. Tell them to stop this praise and this adoration. I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out. If these disciples were silent, then if they were not going to praise me and announce me and glorify me as the Messiah, as the Son of David, as the King, then stones would tell everyone. Remember, God is able to make stones out of the children of Abraham. God is able to make stones speak. So it's possible that's what he was saying, but I don't think that's what he's saying. I think what he's saying about the stones crying out, he'll tell us later in this very conversation. What it actually means, the stones crying out, we're going to see as we get to the second half of verse 44. But back to the text. And when he drew near to the city, again, coming down to the city, overlooking it, looking down into Jerusalem, He wept over it. The word there is kla-a-o. It's a very strong word for weep. This wouldn't just be kind of a soft little tear running down your cheek like I do at the movies and trying to let my family know I'm crying. It wouldn't be like that. This would be to weep, to wail, to lament, weeping, crying. This was a wail. This was a lament, not little sniffles. Why was he weeping? What had him to be weeping as he's coming into all their praises? Saying, would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace." He's weeping because these hundreds of thousands of Jews that had gathered for the Passover, and these hundreds of thousands that are now worshiping Him, glorifying Him with their name, calling Him by the right name, but looking for a King for now because they supposed the Kingdom of God was coming immediately. He's weeping because they just don't get it. You're going to be destroyed. And if you just would understand what makes for peace, true peace. But now? They're hidden from your eyes. The things that make for peace are hidden from your eyes. And Jesus is lamenting over that reality. That these people, all of these millions, but the tens to hundreds of thousands of people that are praising his name as he's entering into Passion Week, where he knows he's going to die, it's not going to help them any. Because they're looking for the wrong kind of king. You're blind to who I truly am. The salvation of God from His wrath, not the salvation from your earthly troubles. If you only knew. But you don't. You're worshiping me wrongly. You're looking for a different king than I am. He's weeping. And as He's weeping, He prophesies over Jerusalem. And here's what He prophesies. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation." This is exactly what happened to this very city that he's going down into, that he's weeping over, the very thing that actually happened to them in AD 70. See, in AD 66, the Jews revolted against Rome. And Rome came and besieged Jerusalem. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side. Josephus writes about the besieging of Jerusalem by the Romans. They surrounded the city, starting at about AD 66, late AD 66. And what happened when you surround the city? No one gets in or out. You try to get out, we kill you. And guess what can't get in or out? Supplies. Food. They're starving tens of thousands of Jews to death as they besiege the city. It's exactly what they did. He's telling them, he's weeping, because y'all, this generation, you, you Jews, you don't see who I really am. You want peace to be made as we would get the Romans out of here. No! They're going to come and destroy you. And tear you down to the ground. You and your children within you. The word tear down, shatter against the ground to smash. It's exactly what they did. Rome came in and they flattened, they leveled the temple, they leveled all of Jerusalem. They completely smashed it to irreconcilable. There was nothing recognizable. They destroyed Jerusalem completely. The temple was destroyed. Jerusalem was destroyed and Judaism was destroyed. All the records of all the tribes were in the temple when it was destroyed. Judaism was destroyed and they all scattered from there never to be together again. And this is what he was weeping over. If you would just know what true peace is and what kind of king I am. But you want something different. You think the kingdom of God is coming here on earth right now. And you're going to be destroyed. The judgment of God is going to come upon you through the Roman Empire as they besiege this city and they snuff you out. The stones will cry out. I will not leave one stone upon another in you Jerusalem There won't be one stone the stones will cry out as they're being smashed against the ground and destroyed Because you did not know the time of your visitation You did not know that when I came I am the forever King to give you true peace you didn't want that You wanted a kingdom here on earth Would that you, even you, had known on this day things that make for peace. Irene, peace, harmony, tranquility, Old Testament concept of Shalom. What makes true peace is reconciliation to God in heaven by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Shalom is not achieved by national greatness or holiness. It is achieved by faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. That is what true peace is. John 14, 27, peace I leave with you, Jesus says. My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. I'm not coming to bring us back to post-Davidic Israel that was so great. That's what you're looking for. That's what your eschatology says, Jews. It's not true. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let them be afraid. You're going to save all kinds of persecution and trials and struggles on this earth. But I've overcome all of this. I'm giving you peace with God for all eternity. If they only knew what made for peace. The peace of Jesus, the peace that Jesus brings is eternal, not temporal. Luke 2.14 again, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom He, God, is pleased. With whom is God pleased? Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Him and seek Him through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Hebrews 11, 6, "...and without faith it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him." Now, you might say, okay, hold on a minute. The multitudes that day, they're calling Him the Son of David. They're blessing Him and praising God for Him. Is that not faith? Isn't it just a little misguided? Aren't they actually acknowledging rightly? Well, let's see how it turns out. Luke 23, 18. But they, all, these same Jews, cried out together, away with this man and released to us Barabbas, a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they, these Jews, they kept shouting, crucify him, crucify him. Third time he said to them, why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him. But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. These same people who were saying, Hosanna in the highest. Bless me the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Five days later they're saying, crucify him. He's not what we wanted. We're already right with God. We just got to have a better earth now. We need to have our suffering and our pain now. We don't want Him. Kill Him. It's not the King we're after. They wanted salvation now. He did not satisfy what they demanded. Immediate help. Deliverance from oppression and suffering. Kingdom of God now. They wanted him dead. They had no interest in a future kingdom of God. They wanted a kingdom of God now. There's a great warning in text, in this text, for everyone. Everyone here today that might hear my voice on this recording. You see, look at Isaiah 55.6. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. How much nearer could he get than on a donkey riding into Jerusalem when they're all surrounding him. They should seek him, seek him where he can be found, while he can be found. Call upon him while he is near. How much closer can he get to you than every Lord's Day and all throughout the week you hear about how to enter into the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord that he may have compassion on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Seek the Lord for salvation of your soul, for eternal life. Forsake your wicked ways. This is also what they forget. They know their Old Testament. In Isaiah 55, here's how you find the Lord. You forsake your wicked ways and your unrighteous thoughts. And you return to the Lord that He may have compassion. The Lord will have compassion on you. They were not interested in forsaking their wicked ways. They were not interested in changing their thoughts. They were interested in the God they wanted, the Savior they wanted, the Messiah they wanted. 2 Corinthians 6 1 working together with him Jesus God then we appeal you to you do not receive the grace of God in vain for he says in a favorable time I listen to you and in a day of salvation I have helped you behold now is the favorable nine betold now is the day of salvation just as it was a favorable time and the day of salvation as Jesus was amongst them it is now a favorable time in the day of salvation seek The Lord will ha'en me be found. Call on him while he's near. He's near to every one of you. You hear his word spoken to you constantly. Now is a day of salvation. And look, look at this. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord that he may have compassion on him. And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. Jesus will have compassion on you, and God will forgive your sins. Forsake your sin. Turn in contrition to God through Jesus Christ, and He will have compassion on you. He will pardon your iniquities. Romans 10.8, but what does it say? The word is near you and in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith that we proclaim. Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But you can't look for the wrong kind of king. You see, they were calling on the name of the Lord that very day when He's coming into Jerusalem, weren't they? But what they wanted, they were interested in now-ness. They were interested in Fix me now, save me now, help us now. They weren't interested in salvation because of their sins. They weren't interested in forsaking their wicked ways or changing their evil thoughts. It is true, if you look to the right kind of king, if you look to a forever king, One to whom you will bow down to today and call Lord, and you will bow down to for all eternity. You look to Him to be King of your life, to be Lord of your life. As you forsake your sins and change your wicked thoughts, you will be saved. And brothers and sisters, Christians, it was that simple, wasn't it? Now what kind of king are you telling people of? What kind of king are you witnessing to? A king for today? Or a king for eternity? A king for this earth? Or a king for eternal glory in heaven? The one who's away, who's right now away and watching how we use the minus he's giving us. Closing thought. Jesus wept over the judgment God would pour out on Jerusalem for her rejection of him as the forever king. Instead, only wanting him to be their earthly savior to deliver them from Roman oppression. Like Jesus, I weep over the wrath of God that is coming upon those who have a mental ascent to Jesus as Lord. Trust Him for today's needs. And you have not believed into Him as the salvation of God for the eternal soul. It is not enough to acknowledge and say, yep, God gives me everything I need today. Jesus provides everything I need today. And I will keep trusting Him for my provision today. If you haven't trusted in Him for the provision of your eternity. For the salvation of your soul. Those who even today praise him in song and prayer, but have not believed in him for who he truly is. That is why I'm pleading with each of you to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ while it is still today, since there is no promise of tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. to protect you from the wrath of God. Not so that if hard times come, you'll be safe. Because I would argue the harder times get, the more we stand on truth, the more persecution will come. There's not, I think I talked about this a lot, but there's not many, if any, in here who would out and out reject Jesus as the Son of God and the forever King. I think everyone would give mental assent to that reality. Everyone would say that he is the son of God and he is the forever king. But there are those who are in that category of the third slave that confess Jesus as Lord, acknowledge him as that, but don't live their lives consistently with him being Lord and don't do anything to spread the gospel message that it may go further. Acknowledging Jesus as Lord, believing in some extent in God for life and on earth, but not believing in Him as Lord and Savior of your life. That's the wrong king. And when he had said these things, he went on ahead going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near Bethpage and Bethany at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples saying, go into the village in front of you where on entering you will find a colt tied on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, why are you untying it? You shall say this, the Lord has need of it. So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owner said to them, why are you untying the colt? And they said, the Lord has need of it. And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as He rode down the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying, blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, teacher, rebuke your disciples. He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, and they will be, the very stones would cry out. And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace, but now they're hidden from your eyes. The things that made for peace is Jesus Christ to make peace with God for you. And there will be a day when it will be too late. For the days will come upon you when your enemies shall set up barricade around you and surround you and have you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you because you did not know the time of your visitation. You did not know it was the day of salvation. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for this, this, this entry, this final week of Jesus life where he comes into the the shouts and praises for the king they thought they were getting, and then your perfect plan that had them rejected and crucified because you were a different kind of king. Father, you are the Lord of the universe. Your Son, Jesus, is the King of all. Father, He will return to rule and reign. Make Him Lord in more hearts. help more people to enter into the kingdom of God through him for all eternity. We pray in his matchless name. Amen.