JESUS IS OUR KING
Luke 19:1-48
Key Verse: 19:38
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
In Luke 18, last week’s passage, we learned from Rhoel about the kind of person whom God exalts and lifts up. In brief, God exalts the one who is humble, while humbling the one who is proud (18:14). Among the many attributes of the humble, we learn that God exalts the one who knows he is a sinner in desperate need of God's mercy. While the proud Pharisee always thinks that he is much better than other sinners, the humble tax collector only knows how sinful he is before God. So his only thought is “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (18:13).
In today’s passage, Jesus approaches Jerusalem where he makes his triumphal entry as king. Let us exalt Jesus as our king as we think about several different aspects of his kingship.
First, Jesus our King came to seek and save us (1-10)
Let’s read verses 1-4, “He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.” Jesus was passing through the city of Jericho on his way to Jerusalem, where he would die on the cross for the sins of the world. In Jericho, there was a short man named Zacchaeus, who was a wealthy chief tax collector. His name meant “righteous one”, but he was far from living up to it. Tax collectors were notorious for collecting more taxes than required in order to enjoy a wealthy income at the expense of the poor citizens. As chief tax collector, Zacchaeus supervised the other tax collectors and extracted additional surcharges from all of them. In this way, he was a very wealthy man. But in his deep heart, Zacchaeus was not happy with all his wealth. Because of his dishonesty, he was despised by others. More than this, he was a selfish sinner who needed God. He had cheated many people, abused the poor, and was not right with God. But one day he heard that Jesus was coming and he wanted to see Jesus. The problem was that he was too short. He was too short physically and spiritually to see Jesus, so he ran and climbed a sycamore-fig tree so that he could see Jesus. Like Zacchaeus, we are all spiritually too short. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Each of us fails to meet God’s high standard for moral living according to the Ten Commandments. Each of us fails to truly love God, for we love something else more. As a result, we are all condemned by the law and cut off from God. But like Zacchaeus, we can look for Jesus, not by climbing a tree, but by studying his words in the Bible. Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Through the living Word of God, Jesus is passing our way and we can see him as he truly is when we sincerely study the Bible.
Let’s read verses 5-10, “And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’ And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’” King Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Worldly kings never ever seek their subjects, but they wait for their subjects to come and humbly bow down before them. But Jesus’ kingship is quite different. In this account, we see that it was Jesus who had been seeking Zacchaeus. Luke chapter 15 described how God seeks lost sinners like a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to find one lost one, like a woman who sweeps her entire house to find 1 lost coin, and like a father who waits for his prodigal son to return. Jesus had the busiest schedule of anyone in world history, but Jesus had time to visit a sinner like Zacchaeus at his house. That is why Jesus came. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” The evidence that Zacchaeus met Jesus was his changed life. According to Jewish law, to pay back four times the amount stolen was the highest penalty for theft, but Zacchaeus gladly offered to pay the highest penalty. He also made the drastic decision to give half of his possessions to the poor. This is not the lifestyle of one who is religiously trying to win God’s approval. This is the lifestyle of one who met Jesus and is overflowing with love and thankfulness. The joy of salvation was a greater affection which destroyed the love of money in his heart. Like Zacchaeus, our King Jesus is seeking us. May we open the doors of our hearts and let Jesus come in as our King. May each of us experience a changed life that comes from finding and being found by Jesus.
Second, Jesus our King entrusted us with talents and gifts to glorify Him (11-27)
Let’s read verses 11-13. “As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, 'Engage in business until I come.'” According to Luke 17:20, Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. Many thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. Especially since Jesus was nearing Jerusalem, expectations of a political messiah were high. They had a wrong impression that the kingdom of God would come quickly and solve all their personal problems: money problems, marriage problems, math problems, etc. As a result, they began seeking signs rather than seeking God. So Jesus told this parable so that they would understand the purpose of their lives and know how to prepare for his kingdom. In this parable, the man of noble birth is Jesus himself, the distant country is Jesus’ ascension into heaven, and his return is Jesus’ second coming. His ten servants represent all of Jesus’ disciples. He gave them each ten minas, totaling about 2.5 years’ wages. So, if you make $40,000 a year, Jesus gave you a stimulus check for $100,000. But the minas here represent the gospel message in the sense that it is the same gift that we all receive freely from God. The minas may also represent the various talents and gifts God has given each of us. “Engage in business” is translated in the NIV as “Put this money to work.” It means that God expects us to be faithful stewards and to invest our lives for God’s glory. The first two servants were greatly rewarded for their fruitfulness. This parable teaches us that God has given each of us great opportunities to glorify God with our lives, by creatively using our God-given talents and gifts. Let me ask you a few questions: Have you accepted the gospel and invested your life for it? Do you know what your talents and gifts are, and do you have some ideas about how you can use them creatively and excellently for God’s glory? God does not expect from us what we don’t have. But God does expect us to use his gifts in ways that glorify him. What does it mean to glorify God? It means to reveal how great he really is. God is glorious. But we sinful people tend to minimize his greatness while inflating the greatness of someone like Brad Pitt or Robert Pattinson. We need to use our talents and gifts to reveal how great God is to those around us so that they can see God’s glory.
Let’s read verses 20-27. “Then another came, saying, 'Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas!' 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'" The third servant had a bad attitude toward God. He had a warped view of God’s character and expectation. A.W. Tozer said, “Nothing twists or deforms the soul more than a low or unworthy conception of God.” This servant claimed to be afraid to take a risk with the master’s money. But his complaint was just an excuse for him to do nothing for God with his life. The problem was not his low productivity, because no one can earn their salvation. However, everyone who is saved will show evidence of God’s work in their lives. Philippians 2:12b-13 says, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The problem was that the servant did not accept the gift God gave him. He just hid it away untouched. We can assume that he didn’t accept the gospel, nor give his heart for God’s purpose. Those who hear the gospel and leave it untouched are those who will have it taken away from them. May God bless you to use your mina, which is the gospel and your God given talents to reveal God’s greatness.
Third, Jesus our King is humble (28-40).
In verses 28-35, Jesus approached Jerusalem. Jesus told his disciples to go ahead to the village and take a colt. When the colt’s owner asked them why they were untying it, they were to tell him “the Lord has need of it” (31,34). In this intriguing story, there is only one reason why Jesus’ action was not stealing. It was because Jesus is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He was the true owner of the colt. So he was entitled to take it. There is deep meaning why Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a colt. First, it was to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 which says, “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.” Furthermore, he rode on a donkey to show that he is a humble king. Worldly kings are proud. They enter a city on a stallion and punish those who don’t bow as they pass by. But Jesus is different. Jesus is a humble king. Jesus is gentle and approachable, as we learned from Zacchaeus. Jesus did not come with bodyguards. Jesus rode on a low donkey’s back so that even little children could approach him. Let’s read verses 36-38. “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 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!’” Jesus our humble king brings peace and joy. The world’s peace and joy are temporary and fading, but Jesus rules with eternal peace and joy. May we live under the rule of King Jesus and receive his peace and joy in our souls.
Fourth, Jesus our King weeps because of our rebellion (41-44).
Let’s read verses 41-44, “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.” While the crowd was rejoicing, Jesus was weeping. Jesus wept that the nation of Israel was ignorant of his messianic visitation. Jesus wept over the spiritual blindness of the people and the leaders, who ignored God’s Word and the prophets who had prepared the way for his coming. Jesus wept that terrible judgment awaited the nation, the city, and the temple. In 70 A.D., just a few decades after Jesus’ lament, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and Israel ceased to be a nation. In the last several passages, we may have wondered why Jesus made some harsh statements about those who will be judged and not allowed to enter God’s kingdom. However, from this event, we can see clearly that it is not from a cruel heart that Jesus said these things, but rather from a weeping and lamenting heart. Worldly kings laugh at the defeat and destruction of their enemies. But King Jesus weeps with sorrow, like a mother weeps for her wayward child. Let us weep like Jesus over the spiritual condition of our nation, our city, and our neighborhood.
Fifth, Jesus our King is holy (45-48)
Let’s read verses 45-46. “And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, It is written, “My house shall be a house of prayer” but you have made it a den of robbers.’” Moving on from his weeping lament, Jesus entered the temple and saw an abominable disgrace. The temple was filled with merchants. Isaiah 56:7b says, “…For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The temple was the place where God met his people in Israel. God’s purpose for the temple was to be a house of prayer, not only for Israel but also for all nations. The temple was holy because God is holy. However, the temple Jesus saw was like the crazy stock market. Imagine Chicago’s Maxwell Street market happening inside of St. Peter’s Cathedral! Of course, we need gifts for offering and articles for worship. But they should never supplant worship and prayer. Thus, Jesus’ weeping lament for Jerusalem exploded into holy indignation against the temple. Verse 47 says that “Jesus was teaching daily in the temple…” We learn from Jesus here that the way to restore the holiness of the temple is to teach the word of God. Verses 47b-48 say, “The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.” The corrupted leaders had defiled God’s temple and now they wanted to kill Jesus. There is no longer a temple in Jerusalem for 2,000 years. However, God has relocated his temple in the hearts of all who believe in Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” We should know that we don’t need physical house-cleaning as much as spiritual house-cleaning. We need to cleanse the temples of our hearts from our idols of money, lust, and selfishness. The way to cleanse our hearts is by inviting Jesus to come in. Only the holiness of Jesus drives our sins away so that we can pray and serve God. At West Loop, we want to minister to college students. We also pray for our coworkers in Philippines, Turkey, and Ukraine. These precious things can only be done through the holiness of Jesus.
Today we thought about Jesus’ kingship in sharp contrast to worldly kings.
1. Our King Jesus came to seek and save us. Like short Zacchaeus, we are too spiritually short to come to God. But Jesus seeks us and invites us to let him come into our hearts.
2. Our King Jesus entrusted us with talents and gifts to glorify Him. When we let the gospel take root in our lives, we can reveal God’s greatness. We can also think about how to creatively use our God-given talents for his glory.
3. Our King Jesus is humble. He entered Jerusalem on a lowly donkey so that common people and even little children could approach him freely.
4. Our King Jesus weeps because of our rebellion. Jesus loved and wept for the people of Jerusalem in spite of their corruption, and Jesus still weeps for our nation, our city, and our neighborhoods today.
5. Our King Jesus is holy. Jesus was angry that the holy temple of God had become like a den of robbers. Jesus expects us to be holy, because God is holy. Unless we live a holy life, God’s greatness cannot be seen in the world. But we can show God’s greatness when we live a holy life before Him.