Luke

19:28-44

The teachings of Messiah, 9:51-19:44

6. Discipleship and the rejected king, 18:15-019:44

vi] Jesus enters Jerusalem

Synopsis

Luke now records Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as the long awaited messiah. Borrowing or renting a colt, possibly from someone in Bethany, Jesus rides the last four kilometres into Jerusalem. Jesus' disciples recognise the import of this symbolic act and so lay out pieces of clothing in front of the coming messiah. The Pharisees react, telling Jesus to quieten his disciples, but Jesus ignores them and, in a prophetic word, speaks of the coming judgment that will befall Jerusalem.

 
Teaching

Jesus is the long-promised messiah, the king of Israel - good news for those who welcome him; bad news for those who don't.

 
Issues

i] Context: See 18:15-17. The entry of Jesus to Jerusalem is the sixth episode in the teaching unit Discipleship and the Rejected King, 18:15-19:44. This series of studies depict Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem, revealing something of his messiahship, and his teachings on discipleship. Having explained that discipleship is grounded in divine grace and appropriated through faith, a faith that perseveres, Luke now turns his attention to the messiah at journey's end; Jesus is God's long-promised king, yet even so, rejected by his own.

 

ii] Background: On reaching Jerusalem, Luke describes Jesus teaching in the Temple during the day and retreating to the Mount of Olives in the evening. In tradition, certainly from the 4th century, Jesus spent a week in Jerusalem (Palm Sunday to Easter). The text does not demand this conclusion and so it is quite possible that Jesus spent weeks, even months, in the environs of Jerusalem. Some commentators have argued that Jesus came to Jerusalem for the feast of Tabernacles and was arrested and crucified at the feast of Passover.

 

iii] Structure: Jesus approaches Jerusalem:

Setting, v28;

Preparing for the way of the Lord, v29-36;

Jesus approaches Jerusalem, v37-38;

The Pharisees complain, v39-40;

A lament / prophetic word for Jerusalem, v41-44;

"you did not recognise your time ......"

 

iv] Interpretation:

The progress of messiah to his enthronement now moves into its final phase - the king progresses to his citadel for his crowning. To this end, Luke unveils Jesus' messianic credentials. The messianic significance of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem is marked by pointed observations which reveal Jesus' royal status: the requisitioning of a ride into Jerusalem appropriate for a coming king, Gen.49:11, 1King.1:38-40, Zech.14; the placing of the disciples' outer garments on the colt to form a throne; the laying of a carpet of clothing on the road to set his way, 2King.9:13; the proclamation of the king's coming in the terms of Psalm 118:16. These events depict a moment of triumphant messianism; the coming of the king in the terms of Zechariah 14.

As Ellis notes, Luke doesn't record an entry into Jerusalem as such; Jesus is close, at the gates, but still "on the way." Luke's entry is climaxed with a lament. The foregoing parable of the ruthless king frames Luke's story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Other than Jesus' disciples, and possibly some pilgrims, Jerusalem does not welcome its coming king; the representatives of Israel's religious establishment seek to silence those who dare to proclaim their coming messiah. Nothing but disaster can follow this rejection, a disaster caused by failing to recognise God's day of visitation. So, "even what they think they have will be taken away", v26.

 

v] Synoptics:

See 3:1-20. Luke's account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is very similar to that of the other gospel authors, Mark 11:1-10, Matthew 21:1-9, and John 12:12-16. Most scholars, when addressing the Synoptic Problem, argue that Luke has used Mark as his source, although other independent sources are suggested. In fact, it is interesting how Luke's account "has some affinity with the Johannine account", Fitzmyer. By the time Luke composed his gospel, this story, as with all the events surrounding the last days of Jesus' life, would be well established in the oral tradition of the early church.

Peculiar to Luke is his transitional introduction, v28, his omission of Mark's reference to branches cut from the fields and laid on the ground along with the garments, the omission of the proclamation "Hosanna", but the addition of "king" in the place of "the coming kingdom of our father David." Verse 37 is also peculiar to Luke, and serves "to emphasise the locality at this crucial part of his gospel", Fitzmyer.

Verses 39-44 are peculiar to Luke, usually identified as an L source.

 
Text - 19:28

Jesus approaches the city of Jerusalem, v28-44. i] Setting. Luke links Jesus' "going up to Jerusalem" with the parable of the ruthless king. The warning to hear the gospel aright, applies with equal force to reading "the time of God's coming to you"; "to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what (they think) they have will be taken away."

kai "-" - and. This coordinate conjunction is transitional here, but at the same time, it serves to link the following narrative to the previous parable.

eipwn (legw) aor. part. "after Jesus had said [this]" - having said [these things]. The participle is adverbial, best treated as temporal, as NIV.

anabainwn (anabainw) pres. part. "going up" - [he was going before in front of] going up [into jerusalem]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to go before"; "he took the road and led the way up to Jerusalem", Rieu. Possibly adverbial, expressing manner, as NIV. There is a sense of urgency, or determination, expressed in these words, with Jesus out in front of the group leading the way; he "headed straight up to Jerusalem", Peterson; "he went on ahead", Barclay. Note that it is "up to Jerusalem", given that Jericho is in the Jordan valley and Jerusalem is in the highlands of Judea.

 
v29

ii] Preparing for the way of the Lord, v29-36: Jesus is travelling on the pilgrim's road from Jericho, a road which climbs some 800 meters to Jerusalem. The road passes near to Bethany, over the Mount of Olives, down to the Kidron Valley and by the small village of Bethphage just outside of Jerusalem (more properly a suburb of Jerusalem). On reaching the Mount of Olives, Jesus gets his disciples to go to one of the nearby villages and collect a colt. The fact that "no one has ever ridden" it, serves to highlight its sacred task, Num.19:2, Deut.21:3. Presumably Jesus has prearranged the use of the colt, so indicating his messianic consciousness and willingness to now openly reveal his claims to the people (prearrangement is disputed by Nolland, Bock, Fitzmyer, Marshall, ....). The detailed recording of this, along with the other seemingly unimportant observations, serves to provide clues on how Jesus' entry into Jerusalem fulfils messianic prophecy, eg., Jesus is the king who comes with a shout of acclamation, cf., The Oracle of Judah, Gen.49:8-12. So, by his record of the gospel tradition, Luke lets us into the secret that Jesus is the long-promised messianic king. The disciples follow Jesus' instructions to the letter - they go, they untie, and they say ....

kai egeneto (ginomai) aor. "-" - and it happened. Transitional; see egeneto, 1:8.

wJV "as" - while, as [he came near into bethphage and bethany toward the mountain]. Here the conjunction is temporal, introducing a temporal clause.

to kaloumenon (kalew) pres. mid. part. "called" - the one being called. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "mountain"; "the mountain that is called Olivet", ESV.

Elaiwn (a) gen. "the Mount of Olives" - of olives. The genitive is adjectival, idiomatic / identification, as NIV.

twh jaqytwhn (hV ou) gen. "[two] of his disciples" - [he sent two] of the disciples. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.

legwn (legw) pres. part. "saying to them" - saying. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to send", here introducing direct speech, but it may also be treated as adverbial, instrumental, expressing means, "he sent ..... by saying"; see legwn, 4:35.

 
v30

The narrative does not clearly indicate whether Jesus has prearranged the use of this animal, or whether, as Nolland argues, that "Jesus demonstrates an unexplained awareness of the location of the beast; its tethered state; the fact that it has never been ridden, and he has the perception to provide, as well, a pattern of words that will ensure the release of the animal by its owners." Jesus' ability to do what Nolland suggests is beyond question, but it seems more likely that Jesus has prearranged the use of the colt. Either way, Luke's record concerning the colt is detailed, indicating its symbolic importance, probably with reference to Zech.9:9. Although, note how Matthew has Jesus describe the scene of an ass and her colt tied up together at the village, in closer alignment to Zech.9:9, cf., Matt.21:2.

eisporeuomenoi (eisporeuomai) pres. mid. part. "as you enter it" - [go into the village opposite in which] entering. The participle is adverbial, temporal; "Go on to the village that lies right opposite us. There, as you enter, you will find a colt tethered", Cassirer.

dedemenon (dew) perf. mid. part. "tied there" - [you will find a colt] having been bound, tied. The participle serves as the accusative complement of the direct object "colt", standing in a double accusative construction and stating a fact about the object.

anqrwpwn (oV) gen. "-" - [upon which not one at any time] of men [sat]. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.

lusanteV "untie [it]" - having loosened, untied [bring it here]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the imperative verb "to bring", so imperative, as is the verb; "Untie it and bring it to me", Barclay.

 
v31

ean + subj. "if" - [and] if [a certain man may ask you]. Introducing a 3rd. class conditional clause where the proposed condition has the possibility of coming true; "if, as may be the case, someone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' then you will say this"

dia tiv "why" - because why [are you loosening it, you will say thus, in this way]. This causal construction is interrogative, introducing a direct question. The future verb "to say" is imperatival.

oJti "-" - that. Here recitative, introducing a dependent statement of direct speech.

autou gen. pro. "[the lord needs] it" - [the lord has need] of it. The genitive is adjectival, probably verbal, objective / genitive of the thing required, as NIV, but it could be possessive, "its owner", Marshall, taking the view that oJ kurioV = "the master / owner", rather than "the Lord" = Jesus.

 
v32

oiJ apestalmenoi (apostellw) perf. mid. part. "those who were sent ahead" - [but/and] the ones having been sent. The participle serves as a substantive, nominative subject of the verb "to find."

apelqonteV (apercomai) aor. part. "went" - having departed. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to find"; "went and found", ESV.

kaqwV "just as" - as, like. Comparative.

autoiV dat. pro. "them" - [he said] to them. Dative of indirect object.

 
v33

As Stein notes of v33-34, "the strongest argument favouring a prearrangement is the total compliance of the owner."

luontwn (luw) gen. pres. part. "as they were untying" - [but/and they] untying [the colt]. The genitive participle and its genitive subject autwn, "they", forms a genitive absolute construction, temporal, as NIV; "While they were untying the donkey", CEV.

autou gen. pro. "its" - [the lords = masters, owners] of it. The genitive is adjectival, idiomatic / subordination; "masters over it." Bock suggests that the plural "masters" reference a husband and a wife. The use of the noun kurioV for both the owners and Jesus is interesting, but as Johnson notes, its ambiguity cannot entirely be resolved.

proV + acc. "[asked] them" - [said] toward [them]. The preposition is used to introduce an indirect object instead of a dative.

tiv pro. "why" - why [are you loosing the colt]? Interrogative pronoun.

 
v34

oiJ de "they" - but/ and they [they said]. Transitional, indicating a change in subject from the owners to the disciples.

oJti "-" - that. Here recitative, introducing a dependent statement of direct speech.

autou gen. pro. "it" - [the lord has need] of it. The genitive is adjectival, verbal, objective, but note autou v31.

 
v35

Luke's description of Jesus' being placed on the colt aligns with 1Kgs.1:33. Mark has Jesus mounting the colt himself.

epiriyanteV (epiriptw) aor. part. "threw [..... and put]" - [and they led it toward jesus and] having thrown upon [the outer garments (cloaks, robes) of them upon the colt, they placed upon, mounted jesus upon it]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to place upon, mount", as NIV. It could also be treated as adverbial, temporal; "Then they threw their cloaks over the colt for Jesus to mount it", Cassirer.

 
v36

The action of laying out clothing for the progress of a king is an act of homage, as in the terms of Sam.20:12, 1Kgs.19:19, 2Kgs.9:13 ("Jehu is king"). Luke does not record the use of tree branches. Palm branches were a particular nationalistic symbol, and appear on the coinage of Judas Maccabeus.

poreuomenou (poreuomai) gen. pres. mid. part. "as [he] went along" - [but/and he] going [they were spreading out under the garments (cloaks, robes) of them on the road]. The genitive participle and its genitive subject autou, "he", forms a genitive absolute construction, temporal. The use of a present participle and the imperfect verb "to spread", being durative, expresses process and movement; "the people kept spreading", NRSV. Note that the subject of the "spreading" is unstated. Given that in v37 it is the "whole crowd of the disciples" who joyfully praise God, then it is likely that those placing their robes in the path of Jesus are disciples, even though often translated "as Jesus rode along, people spread cloths on the road", CEV, as NIV.

 
v37

iii] Jesus approaches Jerusalem, v37-38. Instead of a saddle, the disciples have placed some outer garments on the colt - a kind of makeshift throne - and they have cast other garment in front of Jesus as he rides toward Jerusalem - homage for the coming king. On reaching the Mount of Olives, there is a spontaneous reaction by the disciples toward Jesus. For similar expressions of respect see 2Kin.9:12f, 1Macc.13:51. For Luke, this is the coming of the messiah, the long-promised Davidic king of Israel. The "whole multitude of his disciples" sing / chant Psalm 118:25f, one of the Hallel Psalms used liturgically during Passover and Tabernacles; Ps.113-118. Luke omits the acclamation "Hosanna", found in Matthew, Mark and John. He also omits Mark's designation "the coming kingdom of our father David", Matthew's "the son of David", but in line with John, "the king of Israel", he simply adds oJ basileuV to the pilgrim blessing, not "kingdom", but "king", probably serving to stand in apposition to oJ ercomenoV; "blessed is the coming one, the king (who comes) in the name of the Lord", Nolland. Variants abound, eg., anarthrous basileuV = "[the coming] king."

eggizontoV (eggizw) gen. pres. part. "when [he] came near" - [but/and he] drawing near [already]. The genitive participle and its genitive subject autou, "he", forms a genitive absolute construction, temporal, as NIV.

proV + dat. "-" - toward = at [the going down, descent]. Instead of a simple dative, "to the descent", Luke has used this spatial preposition with a locative sense, "arrival at", rather than "movement toward"; "he had reached the spot where the road comes down from the Mount of Olives", Rieu.

tou orouV (oV) gen. "the Mount" - the mountain, hill. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.

twn elaiwn (a) gen. "of Olives" - of olives. The genitive is adjectival, idiomatic / identification; "The hill known as Olives."

twn maqhtwn (hV ou) gen. "of disciples" - [all the multitude] of the disciples. The genitive is adjectival, partitive / wholative.

ainein (ainew) pres. inf. "to praise" - [began] to praise [god]. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "to begin."

caironteV (cairw) pres. part. "joyfully" - joyfully. The participle is adverbial, modal, expressing the manner of the action "began to praise."

fwnh/ (h) dat. "in [loud] voices" - in, with a [loud] voice. The dative is adverbial, instrumental, expressing means, although as Culy notes, in terms of semantics it is modal, expressing manner.

peri + gen. "for" - about, concerning. Expressing reference / respect; "with respect to all the mighty works which they had seen."

w|n gen. pro. "-" - [all powers = miracles] which [they saw]. Genitive by attraction.

 
v38

Different arrangements of this verse are suggested, but probably euloghmenoV is intended to go with en onomati kuriou, and oJ ercomenoV with oJ basileuV, so TH; "Blessed in the name of the Lord be/is the one coming, the king. Peace is in heaven, and glory is in the highest."

legonteV (legw) pres. part. "-" - saying. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to begin [to praise]"; "began to praise God .... and say". The construction is redundant, a Semitism used to introduce direct speech. For an adverbial classification see legwn, 4:35.

euloghgmenoV (eulogew) perf. mid. part. "blessed is" - blessing [in the name of the lord] be/is. The participle, with an assumed optative / imperative / indicative verb to-be, forms a periphrastic construction, probably emphasising aspect. This is modified by the modal prepositional phrase "in the name of the Lord", expressing the manner of the blessing.

oJ ercomenoV (ercomia) pres. mid. part. "[the king] who comes" - the one coming, [the king]. The participle serves as a substantive, predicate nominative of the assumed verb to-be, with oJ basileuV standing in apposition, modifying by specifying "the one coming."

en + dat. "in" - [peace is] in [heaven and glory is] in [highest]. Local, expressing space. We may have expected "peace on earth", Lk.2:14, but as we are about to find out, peace will reign in heaven at the coming of the Son of Man, but on earth, there must first be judgment. "All is well in heaven! Glory shines in the highest of places."

 
v39

iv] The Pharisees complain, v39-40. In contrast to the disciples' jubilant acceptance of Jesus as Israel's messiah, king, the Pharisees, representing religious Israel, reject Jesus' messianic claim. In a sense, they align themselves with the king's enemies in the parable of the ruthless king, although Luke may, or may not, intend this comparison. This is the last time the Pharisees are mentioned in Luke's gospel.

twn Farisaiwn (oV) gen. "[some] of the Pharisees" - [and certain] of the pharisees [from the crowd]. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.

proV + acc. "to [Jesus]" - [said] toward [jesus]. This preposition is used to introduce an indirect object instead of a dative.

toiV maqhtaiV (hV ou) dat. "the disciples" - [teacher, rebuke] the disciples [of you]. Dative of direct object after the epi prefix verb "to rebuke."

 
v40

"The disciples are making a moment of high destiny; if their marking of it were to be silenced, then the stony terrain around them would need to take their place", Nolland.

apokriqeiV (apokrinomai) aor. pas. part. "he replied" - [and] having answered [he said]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to say", somewhat redundant, but serving to introduce direct speech; see apokriqeiV, 1:19.

uJmin "[i tell] you" - [i say] to you. Dative of indirect object.

ean + fut. "if" - if, as may be the case, [these will be silent, then the stones will cry out]. Introducing a conditional clause 3rd. class where the proposed condition has the possibility of coming true. Note the use of a future tense verb instead of a subjunctive.

 
v41

v] A lament / prophetic word for Jerusalem, v41-44: This passage serves as a bridge to Jesus' cleansing of the temple and his follow-up teaching ministry in the temple. In the lament, Jesus reveals the consequences for the city of God now rejecting God's mercy offered in their messiah. By failing to recognise the hour, a visitation of mercy, they will be overtaken by an unwanted hour, a visitation of judgment where there will not be left, "one stone on another." Although Jesus' prophetic perspective applies to the judgment that now hangs over the people of Israel, and specifically Israel's capital city, Jerusalem, the destruction of Jerusalem also serves as a paradigm of the final judgment facing mankind; see The eschatology of Jesus, 17:20-37.

More liberal commentators often view these words as a Christian composition post the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, but as Manson notes, to describe these words thus "is the kind of extravagance that brings sober criticism into disrepute." As Marshall notes, the language shows Aramaic traces and reflects the words of Jeremiah 6:6-21, an obvious source for an apocalyptic discourse by Jesus. "There are no good grounds to disallow the oracle to the pre-resurrection mission", Ellis.

wJV "as" - [and] when [he came near]. Temporal use of the conjunction; contemporaneous time.

idwn (oJraw) aor. part. "saw" - having seen [the city, he cried upon = over it]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to approach"; "he drew near and saw the city", ESV. The aorist verb "to cry" is probably ingressive / inceptive, focusing on the commencement of the action; "he burst into tears", Thompson.

 
v42

A divine visitation brings with it grace, divine mercy, "peace", but a people who reject God's mercy inevitably bring upon themselves a visitation of doom, judgment. And to add doom upon doom, the means of escape is denied; a people who ignore God's gracious revelation are deprived of further revelation.

legwn (legw) pres. part. "and said" - saying. Attendant circumstance participle, "wept ... and said", as NIV; for an adverbial classification see legwn, 4:35.

oJti "-" - that. Here recitative, introducing a dependent statement of direct speech.

ei + ind. "if" - if, as is not the case, [you, and = even you, knew in this day the things toward peace, then you would have repented in sackcloth and ashes, but now that opportunity is hidden from the eyes of you]. Luke presents the protasis of a 2nd. class conditional clause, contrary to fact, missing the apodosis. Following McKay, Culy notes that this construction "can be used to produce an effect similar to an excluded wish; 'If only you had recognised ....., but .....'"

en + dat. "on [this day]" - in [this day]. Adverbial use of the preposition, temporal, as NIV.

ta "what" - the things [toward peace]. The article serves as a nominalizer, turning the prepositional phrase "toward peace" into a substantive, accusative direct object of the verb "to know." Variant sou, "the things that make for your peace", ie., "for salvation", Marshall.

nun de "but now" - but/and now. Temporal construction; "but as it is", Marshall.

apo + gen. "from" - [it was hidden] from [eyes of you]. Here expressing separation; "away from." The act of hiding is judicial.

 
v43

As is typical of Jesus' prophetic announcements, he uses the language and imagery of the Old Testament, although it reflects the LXX more than the MT, cf., Num.21:4, Josh.6:13, 2.Kgs.6:14, Isa.29:3, 37:33, Jer.6:6-21, Ezek.4:1-3, 21:22. As already indicated, it is unlikely that this is prophecy after the event. Although the prophecy is fulfilled by Rome's military campaign against Israel, a campaign which culminated in the capture and destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the imagery is non-specific, reflecting past campaigns against Jerusalem.

oJti "-" - that [days will come upon you]. Often treated as causal, explaining why Jesus is distressed, although this is somewhat tenuous; "For the day will come ...", ESV. Marshall opts for causal and suggests that it goes with "if only you knew", for the consequences of your ignorance are fearful. Plummer also opts for a causal sense, but notes that it could be epexegetic, introducing an explanation of what is now hidden from them; "Indeed, the time is coming when your enemies will be ......", Cassirer. Taken this way, the cause is provided in v44 with anq w|n, "in return for which things" = "because", namely, "because you did not know the time of your visitation." Note that Jesus' introductory words "days will come upon you" are typical of a prophetic announcement; "Days are coming ....."

soi dat. pro. "against you" - [and the enemies of you will construct an embankment] to you [and they will surround you and they will constrain you on all sides]. Dative of interest, disadvantage. "They will encircle you and hem you in on every side", Rieu.

 
v44

For being dashed to the ground, see Ps.136:9, Hos.10:14, Nah.3:10. For a destruction where one stone is not left upon another, see 2Sam.17:3, Jer.7:30-34, Mic.1:6, 3:9-12; Note how this apocalyptic image is found throughout the synoptic gospels, Matt.24:2, Mk.13:2.

en + dat. "within [your walls]" - [and they will smash to the ground you and the children of you] in [you, and they will not leave a stone upon a stone] in [you]. Local, expressing space; "and cast you down and your people in you", Rieu.

anq w|n "because" - in return for which things. This construction, the preposition anti + the genitive relative pronoun, is causal, introducing an explanation as to why this disaster will befall them, namely, "because" they failed to give due recognition to God's gracious visitation in his messiah.

thV episkophV (h) gen. "of God's coming" - [you did not know the time] of the visitation [of you]. The genitive is adjectival, descriptive, idiomatic / temporal, limiting "time"; "the time when God visited you", Culy. Referring to the time of a divine visitation, which may, or may not, be good news!

 

Luke Introduction

Exegetical Commentaries

 

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