Don’t Miss Your Moment
Some of you are familiar with Leo Tolstoy’s famous Christmas story where the main character is Martin, an old cobbler. One night as Martin sat reading from the Gospels, he thought he heard someone calling him. He listened and heard clearly: “Martin, look out into the street tomorrow for I will come to visit you.” He looked around the tiny room, and since he couldn’t see anyone, he reckoned it must be the Lord who had spoken to him.
All that next day, Martin worked with a sense of excitement and anticipation. After helping several needy people throughout the day, he reluctantly closed up the shop, disappointed that the Lord hadn’t come.
After supper he read from the Gospels for a while, and then put down the book. In a flash of inspiration, the words of the Lord came to him: “I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was naked and you clothed me.” The words thrilled Martin. The Lord HAD visited him, and he hadn’t missed the opportunity to serve Him!
Have you ever missed an important moment in your life because you were expecting something different than what actually happened? The people of Jesus’ day were no different; because they were looking for something different, they missed out on being part of His kingdom. Missing their moment had tragic consequences.
Our text today reveals several responses you and I must have to Jesus or we, too, will miss our moment. So, listen to the words of Holy Scripture from Luke 19:28 to 48.
This text reveals the RESPONSES necessary for you if you don’t want to miss your moment to enter the kingdom of Heaven.
The First RESPONSE is,
Proclaim the King’s Worth
Jesus is continuing His final ascent to Jerusalem. In a few days He will go to the cross. But there are prophecies that need to be fulfilled before that takes place. One is Zechariah 9:9. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”
So, Jesus sends two of the disciples into a nearby village with unusual instructions. “When you get into the village, you’ll find a donkey colt tied; a donkey colt that’s never been ridden. Untie him and bring him to me. If anyone questions you, just say ‘The Lord has need of him.’”
The scene unfolds just like Jesus predicted. When the owners asked why they were untying the colt the two disciples simply said, “The Lord needs him.” Suppose for a moment they’d said “Hey, you can’t have the colt; it’s ours.” That would have been their right under the law. But they would’ve missed their moment.
The owners of the colt allowed it to be taken for Jesus’ use. If they hadn’t given permission, I’m sure Jesus would’ve found another donkey. But the question is – am I willing to proclaim Jesus’ worth by allowing Him to use my resources?
So now the disciples have the colt. When they get back to Jesus, they take off some of their outer garments and put them on the back of the donkey. Then they seat Jesus on the colt and continue their ascent toward Jerusalem. Jesus was allowing Himself to be treated as a king.
As the donkey moves forward more people took off their outer garments and spread them on the ground. They didn’t just throw them down on the ground and leave them there. Instead, picture them laying the garments down, the donkey walks over them; then they retrieve the garments and repeat the process.
In verse 37 the crowds gets their first glimpse of Jerusalem. This vantage point yields a view of the southeastern corner, the angle of the western walls, and Herod’s castle. At this moment the worshippers burst into loud Messianic praise for all the mighty works they’ve seen – Lazarus, Bartimaeus, Zacchaeus, and more. Their hearts are ablaze with the immediate fulfillment of the kingdom, and they cry out “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
If you compare the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and John all add details to this scene we call the Triumphal Entry. Matthew and Mark include the word, “Hosanna,” that is, “Save now.” These words of Ps 118:25 were understood to refer to Messiah; and they add, “to the Son of David, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord (Ps 118:26), Hosanna in the highest.” This was the very loftiest style in which Jesus could be saluted as the promised Deliverer.
But the Pharisees called on Jesus to rebuke His disciples; to silence them. They thought He’d agree that the people were going too far with this adoration and acclamation.
Jesus’ reply was quick. “If these who shout my praise would be silenced, immediately the stones would cry out!” Jesus’ response is remarkable because prior to this He’d discouraged all public demonstrations in His favor. He seems to regard it as a necessary part of the regal dignity in which as Messiah He for this last time will enter the city. If this praise were not offered by the multitude, it would have been wrung out of the stones.
We know how fickle the people’s praise was. But at least for the moment, they joyfully and enthusiastically responded to the ministry of Jesus by proclaiming His worth and acknowledging Him as Messiah. They didn’t let their moment slip by.
Have you acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah in a personal way? Are you proclaiming His worth as King of Kings? To do that means you understand that His position entitles Him to rule over you! All you have is His and He’s free to use what is His however He wants, your time, your money, your possessions, and even your donkey colt.
Can others see your proclamation of His worth? Do they know what Jesus has done for you? Acknowledging Jesus for who He is, and praising Him as the same, is a moment you must not miss. To miss your moment will have tragic results.
The Second RESPONSE is,
Perceive the Kingdom’s Peace
After this interruption by the Pharisees the procession moves forward again. Now the whole city bursts into view; the Temple mount with its towering height, and the city seeming to rise miraculously out of the Kidron and Hinnom valleys. At the sight of it, Jesus bursts into tears of sorrow and remorse. “If only you had known, even you, at least in your day (at this moment) the things which belong to your peace; but now they are hidden from your eyes.” Luke is the only gospel writer to include this scene of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.
As Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem, He saw the masses of humanity and realized the emptiness of their lives. They hadn’t perceived the message of peace. They didn’t understand the purpose of His coming. His grief over their blindness was heartbreaking.
In the custom of His people Jesus’ weeping was most likely expressed in loud and deep lamentation. Here we see the beautiful, tender humanity of Jesus. Just moments ago, He was basking in the profound joy of the people’s praise; now He’s weeping. He yielded Himself freely to both emotions. Tears are an indication of deep feeling.
“If you had known…if only you had known the things that would bring peace to you and to your city. But you have killed my prophets and rejected my offers of peace.”
The crowd Jesus was addressing was looking for peace. They wanted a Messiah to free them from oppressive Roman rule; to restore the kingdom to Israel. They wanted political peace; they wanted prosperity and to be recognized by other nations of the world. But Jesus was offering a different kind of kingdom; a kingdom that began in the heart and provided personal peace.
How different are you and I today? Are we more interested in how to preserve political freedoms and financial prosperity than godliness and cross-bearing? Is our focus on outward peace, the absence of conflict? Jesus wants us to know the things that make for peace. Personal peace can only be found in a relationship with the Prince of Peace.
And then, Jesus made a sobering pronouncement about their future; the result of their failure to perceive the kingdom’s peace. He said, “For the days are coming when your enemies will surround you with a trench (palisade) of siege leading to unparalleled horrors in the city; and will beat down the city like a threshing floor, not leaving one stone on top of another.” Why? Because you did not know (v. 42) the time of your visitation.
The word visitation carries the idea of inspection, or investigation. It is the act whereby God searches out the character of men and judges them according to what He finds. In our text Jesus was present among His own people. He was offering them the opportunity to embrace His kingdom and escape judgment; but they missed the moment! As a result, they experienced the destruction of their beloved city a few short decades later.
We may ask, “how could they have been so blind; how could they have missed Jesus’ offer?” But let’s step back a minute and reflect on our own responses.
Today, many people profess to have embraced the Prince of Peace. But how much peace have you seen among them? Marriages and families are broken by pornography, adultery, divorce, and selfishness. Children and teens become collateral damage, filled with resentment, feelings of rejection, and violent anger. Many churches are wracked by strife and division. Bitterness, envy, and a spirit of competition control many.
Too often we pursue what the world offers. Our actions prove we don’t perceive, we don’t understand, the peace Jesus offers. How much of what Jesus has for us is “hidden from our eyes” because of our failure to grasp true peace? What destruction are we experiencing in our homes, our churches, and our culture? The destruction of Jerusalem was literal; it was razed to the ground. The destruction we face is more likely spiritual, emotional, and social. And I believe Jesus weeps over our failure to perceive the kingdom’s peace.
The Final RESPONSE is,
Prayer, the Teacher’s Passion
Finally arriving in the city, Jesus visits the Temple. We can only imagine the grief in His heart as he saw the way in which God’s house was being debased. Recall with me that Jesus’ first visit to the Temple, after the inauguration of His ministry, was the occasion for a similar experience. It’s recorded for us in John 2:13 to 17. There, Jesus accused the religious leaders of making God’s house a “house of merchandise.”
Now, on His last earthly visit to the Temple, the attitudes of the religious leaders have hardened against Jesus, and so have His words against them. They’ve turned the house of prayer for all nations into a “den of thieves.” They were guilty of robbing God and their fellowmen. The majesty and glory of God’s house had been defiled by their greed and duplicity.
Here was a moment of truth. Those whose businesses were upset could’ve said “You know what; He’s right. We need to repent and change our ways.” Instead, they hardened their hearts and became even more determined to get rid of Jesus. They missed the moment of repentance; and they would reap the consequences.
What would Jesus say about us, the Church, today? Is your congregation a place of prayer for all who wish to pray? How well is your regularly scheduled prayer meeting attended?
If you’re a leader, I challenge you to consider the importance of prayer and to make it a priority in your congregation. Your example can challenge your people to see the necessity and the value of prayer. If you’re a lay person, encourage your fellow believers to significant times of prayer; and respectfully challenge your leaders in that too. We have a moment now, let’s not miss it; repentance is possible. Let’s not reject the messenger and continue on to destruction.
Finally, Jesus continued teaching daily in the temple; even as the Pharisees and leaders kept trying every day to figure out how they might destroy Him. But they were stymied in their attempts because all the people (save the leaders-verse 47), were hanging upon the words of Jesus as if in suspense. Their rapt attention angered these same leaders.
Jesus showed us by His example that prayer and the teaching of the Word go together. When these are neglected, the church will be biblically ignorant and spiritually powerless. If you are part of a congregation where these are missing, you really need to find a different fellowship. This is especially true if you have young children or teenagers.
Let’s review the responses you and I need to make sure we don’t miss our moment to secure the kingdom of heaven. First, we need to proclaim the king’s worth. To make that confession is to admit that He is the only one who can provide salvation for us.
Next, perceive the kingdom’s peace; the inward peace of the soul and spirit that comes to us through Jesus. It is a peace we desire others to have, so much so that we will weep over their rejection of that peace.
And our final response is to realize the Teacher’s passion for prayer and to align ourselves with that passion. I believe proclaiming His worth and perceiving His peace will give us a greater desire for prayer because we will value the things God values.
Let’s not be like the people of Jesus’ day and miss our moment of opportunity. Let’s embrace His praise, His peace, and His prayer…and enter the kingdom of heaven.