Does Praising Jesus Mean We Recognize Him as King?
Welcome to Day 289 of our journey with Jesus. Today, we consider what Jesus calls us to question in our beliefs or lives. The main truth for today is this: Public excitement about Jesus does not necessarily mean we recognize who he is or accept the peace he offers. Let’s begin.
Current details of the journeyView the calendar, Episode and passage
Jesus in Action
Luke 19:28–44
Step 4 of 5
Examine what Jesus calls us to question in our beliefs or lives.
Nígbà tí ó sì ti wí nǹkan wọ̀nyí tan, ó lọ síwájú, ó ń gòkè lọ sí Jerusalẹmu. Ó sì ṣe, nígbà tí ó súnmọ́ Betfage àti Betani ní òkè tí a ń pè ní òkè olifi, ó rán àwọn méjì nínú àwọn ọmọ-ẹ̀yìn rẹ̀. Wí pé, “Ẹ lọ sí ìletò tí ó kọjú sí yín; nígbà tí ẹ̀yin bá wọ̀ ọ́ lọ, ẹ̀yin ó rí ọmọ kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ kan tí a so, tí ẹnikẹ́ni kò gùn rí, ẹ tú u, kí ẹ sì fà á wá. Bí ẹnikẹ́ni bá sì bi yín pé, ‘Èéṣe tí ẹ̀yin fi ń tú u?’ Kí ẹ̀yin wí báyìí pé, ‘Olúwa ń fẹ́ lò ó.’ ” Àwọn tí a rán sì mú ọ̀nà wọn pọ̀n, wọ́n sì bá a gẹ́gẹ́ bí ó ti wí fún wọn. Bí wọ́n sì ti ń tú ọmọ kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ náà, àwọn Olúwa rẹ̀ bi wọ́n pé, “Èéṣe tí ẹ̀yin fi ń tu kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ náà?” Wọ́n sì wí pé, “Olúwa fẹ́ lò ó.” Wọ́n sì fà á tọ Jesu wá, wọ́n sì tẹ́ aṣọ sí ẹ̀yìn ọmọ kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ náà, wọ́n sì gbé Jesu kà á. Bí ó sì ti ń lọ wọ́n tẹ́ aṣọ wọn sí ọ̀nà. Bí ó sì ti súnmọ́ etí ibẹ̀ ní gẹ̀rẹ́gẹ̀rẹ́ òkè olifi, gbogbo àwọn ọmọ-ẹ̀yìn bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í yọ̀, wọ́n sì fi ohùn rara yin Ọlọ́run, nítorí iṣẹ́ ńlá gbogbo tí wọ́n ti rí, wí pé, “Olùbùkún ni ọba tí ó ń bọ̀ wá ní orúkọ Olúwa!” “Àlàáfíà ní ọ̀run, àti ògo ni òkè ọ̀run!” Àwọn kan nínú àwọn Farisi nínú àwùjọ náà sì wí fún un pé, “Olùkọ́ bá àwọn ọmọ-ẹ̀yìn rẹ wí.” Ó sì dá wọn lóhùn, ó wí fún wọn pé, “Mo wí fún yín, bí àwọn wọ̀nyí bá pa ẹnu wọn mọ́, àwọn òkúta yóò kígbe sókè.” Nígbà tí ó sì súnmọ́ etílé, ó síjú wo ìlú náà, ó sọkún sí i lórí, Ó ń wí pé, “Ìbá ṣe pé ìwọ mọ̀, lónìí yìí, àní ìwọ, ohun tí í ṣe tí àlàáfíà rẹ! Ṣùgbọ́n nísinsin yìí wọ́n pamọ́ kúrò lójú rẹ. Nítorí ọjọ́ ń bọ̀ fún ọ, tí àwọn ọ̀tá rẹ yóò mọ odi bèbè yí ọ ká, àní tí wọn yóò sì yí ọ ká, wọn ó sì ká ọ mọ́ níhà gbogbo. Wọn ó sì wó ọ palẹ̀ ìwọ àti àwọn ọmọ rẹ pẹ̀lú rẹ; wọn kì yóò sì fi òkúta kan sílẹ̀ lórí ara wọn; nítorí ìwọ kò mọ ọjọ́ ìbẹ̀wò rẹ.”
Biblica® ní oore ọ̀fẹ́ láti lo Bíbélì Mímọ́ ní Èdè Yorùbá Òde-Òní™ Ẹ̀tọ́ àdàkọ © 2009, 2017 Biblica, Inc. Biblica® Open Yoruba Contemporary Bible™ Copyright © 2009, 2017 by Biblica, Inc. “Biblica” ni àmì ìdámọ̀ tí Biblica, Inc. fi sílẹ̀ ní United States Patent àti ní ilé iṣẹ́ tí wọ́n ti ń fúnni ní àmì ìdámọ̀. Gba àṣẹ kí o tó lòó. “Biblica” is a trademark registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.
Luke 19:28–44 describes a joyful welcome for Jesus as he approaches Jerusalem. Someone might assume that public praise and Jesus’ acceptance of it mean everything is well. Yet the same account includes his tears and a warning of destruction. What should we make of that contrast?
A Welcome Jesus Accepts
Jesus approaches Jerusalem riding on a colt, a young donkey. People spread their cloaks on the road. Cloaks are outer garments. The crowd of disciples, his followers, praises God joyfully and loudly for all the miracles they have seen. They declare, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” and “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some Pharisees, members of a Jewish religious group, object. They tell Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” They want him to order his disciples to stop. Jesus replies, “I tell you,” “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” With this answer, Jesus refuses their request to silence the praise. He accepts the disciples’ royal welcome.
A Warning Alongside the Welcome
Jesus then approaches Jerusalem and sees the city. He weeps over it and says, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 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. 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.”
Jesus addresses Jerusalem in this warning. He connects its coming destruction to its failure to recognize the time of God’s coming. His words give us more to consider than the joyful welcome alone. The disciples praise God and call Jesus king. Jesus accepts their praise, but the city’s failure to recognize what would bring peace remains serious.
Does Celebration Mean Everything Is Well?
The disciples’ praise is genuine, and Jesus refuses to silence it. Yet their joyful welcome does not mean that everything is well in Jerusalem. The praise he accepts and the warning he gives both matter. Paying attention only to the celebration would leave us with an incomplete understanding of this moment.
For Jerusalem, the consequences are concrete. Jesus describes enemies surrounding the city and destroying it. His tears do not make that warning less serious, and the disciples’ praise does not erase it. The joyful welcome and the city’s failure to recognize God’s coming belong to the same account.
When a scene appears joyful or successful, do we still listen to Jesus’ words of warning? Could concentrating on the celebration cause us to overlook his grief and what he says about peace? What changes in our understanding when we give attention to both?
The joy of the welcome does not cancel the seriousness of Jesus’ warning. This is the Question step in the Jesus365 Journey for Luke 19:28–44. Next, the Respond step considers how to respond to Jesus’ words and actions in this passage.
Consider this.
Which assumption does Jesus confront in you?
Examine your assumptions
Do not confuse admiration, religious excitement, or familiarity with truly recognizing Jesus.
