CSSA 1-4-18 - JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM

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93. JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM

"Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

Aim

To show how Jesus loved Jerusalem but spoke of a time of terrible trouble for her people because of their unbelief

Passover time was near again and the roads leading to Jerusalem were filled with travellers. Many people came through Bethany, which was on the road from Jericho, to see Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead. There in the little village of Bethany, many believed when they saw Lazarus alive and heard the teachings of Jesus. This made the chief priests very angry and they even tried to think of a convenient way to put Lazarus to death too (John 12:9-11). They were prepared to go to terrible lengths to stop people believing in Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus, however, knew that the time was at hand when his work would be finished. He knew the agony that awaited him shortly in Jerusalem, but he was determined to do his Father's will. Five days before Passover he came to the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

Mark 11:1-21. See also Matthew 21:1-22; Luke 19:28-40, 45-48; John 12:12-15

THEY SET JESUS ON A COLT

Leaving Bethany on the following day (John 12:12), Jesus began to make his way towards Jerusalem. There was great excitement in the air as many people joined him on the way.

He sent two of his disciples on ahead to a nearby village, called Bethphage. "Go your way into the village over against you", Jesus said, "and straightway, ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them and bring them unto me" (v2). If anyone asked them what they were doing, untying the colt and the ass, they were to say, "The Lord hath need of them" (v3). So the disciples went and did as he said and returned with the ass and her colt. No-one had ever ridden on that young colt before, but Jesus now intended to ride on it into Jerusalem. It would be a sign to all the people that he was their king, for from ancient times, kings had done so (see 1 Kings 1:33, 38-39, where Solomon was proclaimed king by David).

JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM

So the disciples set their cloaks on the colt and Jesus rode along the road to Jerusalem. Many of the people who accompanied him were excited when they saw what was happening. They were quick to follow the disciples' example and lay their own cloaks upon the ground in his path, as a sign of honour to the one who rode upon the colt. No doubt the disciples themselves felt that at last Jesus would restore the kingdom to Israel and overthrow the hated Romans who ruled their land. When the people had wanted to make Jesus king before, he had not allowed it. Now, however, he was openly encouraging them to acknowledge him as the King of Israel.

News that Jesus was approaching Jerusalem spread to the villages and homes along the way. Many people cut down branches of palm trees and went out to meet him (John 12:12-13). As the crowd grew, they burst into songs of praise and rejoicing, which were part of the Psalms especially sung at Passover time. "Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest" (Matt. 21:9).

As the procession reached the brow of the Mount of Olives and looked down upon Jerusalem, God's chosen city, "The whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen" (Luke 19:37).

There were some Pharisees in the crowd and when they heard the psalms being sung in honour of Jesus they became very indignant. "Master, rebuke thy disciples", they said. Jesus replied, */ tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:39-40).

So Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem, just as the prophet Zechariah had foretold more than five hundred years before (Zech. 9:9 quoted in Matt. 21:4-5). He went into the temple and looked around at all that he saw. Nothing had changed since that first time, three and a half years earlier, when he had overturned the tables and driven the merchants out (see Lesson 5). Those people had been angry when he had interfered that time, but nothing had changed.

Sadly Jesus went out and returned to Bethany for the night.

THE LESSON OF THE FIG TREE

The next morning Jesus returned to Jerusalem. He was hungry, and seeing a fig tree, he went to pick some figs. When he came to the tree, he found that, though it was covered with leaves and appeared to be growing well, it had no fruit at all.

How like the nation of Israel was this fig tree. Wherever Jesus went, there seemed to be interest in the Word of God, and most people were impressed by his miracles. The nation appeared to be godly. It had the outward signs of righteousness, like the fig tree with its lovely green leaves. Yet Jesus knew only too well that the nation was not bringing forth the fruit of good works to God. They were not honouring God in their lives. For three and a half years Jesus had gone amongst the people, looking to see if there was a change of heart among them, but there was not.

"Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever", Jesus said, cursing the fig tree (Matt. 21:19). Before the astonished eyes of the disciples the fig tree began to wither and die.

Jesus alone knew at this time that the nation of Israel would wither and die within a very few years. He knew that the people who sang his praises the day before would soon join with the leaders of the people in condemning him to die. Such a nation, who put the Son of God to death, was only worthy to be destroyed.

THE TEMPLE CLEANSED

Leaving the fig tree, Jesus went on into the city, followed by his disciples. Once again he made his way to the temple. The scene that met his eyes was just the same as he had seen the day before, the same as three and a half years earlier. And this was God's house. What were the priests doing allowing such trading in God's house? They were just like that fruitless fig tree, all show but no fruit. They had a show of righteousness as they stood about in their priestly robes but their thoughts were far from God. They made themselves rich by allowing such wicked behaviour to go on in the temple.

Angrily Jesus overturned the money tables and drove out those who bought and sold, saying: "It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves" (Luke 19:46).

The people were amazed at what he did and hung on his words. Here was a leader indeed, one who spoke and acted with authority. So they listened eagerly as he continued to teach them. "But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him" (v47). They had already made up their minds to put him to death, but they were afraid of him and afraid of the people and did not yet know how it could be done.

Meanwhile, Jesus left the city with his disciples.

LESSON FOR US

Israel failed to understand the lesson that Jesus was teaching them. It was the same message as John the Baptist had taught, before Christ came: "Bring forth fruit".

We can read the stories from the Bible and learn the answers to the questions, but if we are not changed by what we read and learn, then all our efforts give God no pleasure. It is only an outward show.

Jesus cursed the fig tree because it did not produce fruit. John the Baptist had said: "Every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Luke 3:9).

What can we do? If we have been selfish, we must change our ways and learn to be unselfish, thinking of how we can make others happy. If we have been proud and boastful, we must learn to be quiet and praise others only.

In all his life Jesus sets us the perfect example. Soon he will return and see if we have put into practice the things we have learned. Until he comes we must believe His word and obey it.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem like a king, the people were excited and happy expecting something wonderful to happen. Jesus, however, was sad. He was sad, not just because of the suffering he knew was in store for him, but sad for Jerusalem and her people. As the rejoicing procession of people drew near, he looked down on the city which he loved and wept over it (Luke 19:41). It was the city which God had chosen to put His Name there (Psa. 87:2-3; Psa.132:13-14; 1 Kings 9:3). He called it "the city of the great king" (Matt. 5:35), for in that city Christ will one day reign as king on the throne of David, ruling over all the world (Luke 1:32-33).

Yet as Jesus looked down upon that beloved city, he wept, because he knew what was in store for it. Those that stood nearby heard him say, "The days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another" (vv43-44).

These things came to pass exactly as he said and only a few years after he spoke them. It was just as he had shown in the parable of the fig tree. The leaders of the nation turned the people against Jesus and finally crucified him, as we shall see in the next few lessons. God would not allow such evil men to go unpunished. No-one thought He would ever allow such a beautiful temple to be destroyed, but the building itself was worth nothing, if the worship inside it was hateful to God.

So in AD70 the Roman armies besieged Jerusalem and the temple was burnt to the ground. Today there is not one stone left upon another. The people who had crowded into the city, believing that they would be safe, died within its walls. Those who escaped fled from the land and remained scattered amongst the nations of the world. Only now, in the lifetime of your parents or grandparents, have Jews begun to return to their land and Israel has become a nation once again. Jerusalem, which has been "trodden down of the Gentiles'' for nearly two thousand years is once again the capital city of Israel and beloved of Jews all over the world. These things make us very excited, because they are sure signs to us that Christ is near. Yet terrible things lie ahead for Israel and her people, which they do not realise, even though God has spoken of it through the prophets of old (See Zech. 14:2-3; Joel 3:1-2). The wonderful thing is that they shall be saved out of this terrible time of trouble and their saviour will be the Lord Jesus Christ, the very one whom their fathers rejected and put to death.

How wonderful our God is, to show such mercy to Israel and to give us such a glorious hope. We do indeed long for the peace of Jerusalem, for when Jerusalem is at peace there will be peace in all the world.