LUKE
Chapter
19
Luke
19:1-10
1 And Jesus
entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which
was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for
the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw
him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come
down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him
joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord,
the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him
fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation
come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of
Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek
and to save that which was lost.
As Jesus passed through Jericho, he encountered a
man named Zacchaeus. He was the area’s chief
tax collector, and he was rich!
Zacchaeus
wanted to see Jesus, and to find out more about Him. However, due to his
stature, being a short man, he could not get close enough to see Christ!
Zacchaeus
sought to gain a view point by going ahead of the crowd and climbing a tree to
get a better view when Jesus would walk by. However, when Jesus walked by the
tree, He looked up at Zacchaeus and told him, “Zacchaeus,
hurray down and get ready, because I must stay at your home today!”
Zacchaeus
did exactly that, with joy! He did just as Jesus told him!
When
those in the crowd saw what Jesus had done they all whispered that Jesus was
going to be a guest in the home of a man who was a sinner! How unholy of Christ
Jesus even to set foot in the home of a sinner as vile as a tax collector! Tax
Collectors were are the bottom of Jewish society!
In
response to Jesus Zacchaeus told Him, “Lord, I will give half of my wealth to
the poor, and if I have unjustly taken anything from any man, I return four
times that amount to him.”
Upon
hearing that Jesus told him, “Today salvation has come
to your home, because Zacchaeus is also a son of Abraham.
“The Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was
lost.”
Jesus
did not come to seek and to save the self-righteous! He came to seek and to
save the lost among mankind! The question is: How many were lost?
The
children of Abraham accept the Father’s Messiah! Those who are now lost are
lost because they reject the Father’s Messiah!
You must personally decide if you
actually believe that in His death and resurrection Jesus succeeded! Or, do you
believe that Christ Jesus failed?
Luke
19:11-27
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and
because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went
into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants,
and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and
sent a message after him, saying, We will not have
this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he
was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to
be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much
every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord,
thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou
good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou
authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord,
thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord,
behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou
art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest
that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith
unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou
wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere
man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest
not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine
own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood
by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he
hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto
every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he
hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which
would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them
before me.
As the crowd heard all this about Zacchaeus, Jesus told another parable! His reasoning was
that he was near Jerusalem and those who followed Him thought that he was about
to establish the kingdom of God!
Jesus
told them, “A certain nobleman went into a distant country
to gain a kingdom, and then to return.
“Before he left he called ten of his servants, and gave each
of them a gold coin. He told each servant, ‘Occupy
till I return.’
“Occupy
(Gr. pragmateuomai-πραγματεύομαι) till I return” may also be translated “Do business till I
return!” That translation has been used in teaching the profit message! In
Christianity doing business does not involve buying and selling as many false
teachers imply! We do business by spreading the gospel, which is not for sale!
Jesus
continued the parable, “But his own countrymen hated
him, and sent him a message, ‘We will not have
this man rule over us.’
The
countrymen who hated him represent Satan and the fallen angels who tried in
vain to dethrone our Lord Christ Jesus! And, in turn, those who falsely attempt
to take over the Church to further their personal ambitions! This next section
must be understood in the light of our failure to use the gifts of the Spirit
which have been given to each follower of Christ!
Then
Jesus told them, “When he returned, after received the
kingdom, he ordered those servants to whom he had given the gold coin to be
brought before him so that he may find out how much each servant had earned
investing the coins they had been given.
“The first servant told him, ‘Lord,
your gold coin has gained ten!’
“The nobleman told the servant, ‘Well done, because you have been faithful in a very little,
you may have authority over ten cities.’
“The second servant told the nobleman, ‘Lord, the gold coin I invested has gained five.’ And so the nobleman similarly told him, ‘Be ruler over five cities.’
“Then the third servant approached him saying, ‘Lord, behold, here
is the gold coin you entrusted to me! I have kept in hidden in a napkin!
I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man! You
take things that are not yours, and reap crop you have not sown.’
“And, the nobleman said to him, ‘You wicked servant, I judge you by
your own words! You knew that I was a harsh man, taking things that are not
mine, and reaping crops I did not sow! So, why did not you at least put my gold
coin into a bank so that when I returned it
would have earned interest?’
“Then the nobleman order those around the third servant, ‘Take the gold coin from him, and give it to the servant that has ten gold coins!’
“The other servants objected, ‘Lord,
he already has ten gold coins.’”
Then
Jesus told his listeners, “I tell you that to all who have more shall be given! And,
from him that does not have, even that which he has shall be taken from him!
But, My enemies, who do not
desire that I rule over them, bring them here, and slay them before me!”
That last statement (v. 27) from Christ Jesus may be
prophetic concerning destruction of the Temple and the horrible conditions faced
by those who lived in Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
There are three explanations for verse 27. The first
is traditional!
(1.) As bad as those conditions in 70 A.D. were they
do not compare to the horror brought on Jerusalem following the Shimon Bar Kochba revolt in 135 A.D.
While the Temple was torn down in
70 A.D. In 135
A.D., following the utter crushing of Bar Kochba and
his army, the entire city of Jerusalem was taken apart stone by stone and
redesigned alone a Roman style, as it appears today!
Following the Bar Kochba
revolt, no Orthodox Jew was allowed back into Jerusalem for approximately 200
years. Those Jews could come to the Mount of Olives on one day each year,
Passover, and look at the Temple Mount. But, they were not allowed to enter the
city, under penalty of Death!
The vast majority of Christians and Jews are totally
ignorant of that portion of Jewish history!
It was at the beginning of the Bar Kochba revolt that the greatly respected Rabbi Akiva became an apostate by declaring Shimon Bar Kochba to be the Messiah! That portion of Jewish history is
tragic!
The second explanation of verse 27 is not
traditional. It is spiritual.
First, let’s review verse 27, “But those mine enemies, which would not that I
should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”
(2.)
That verse may also be related to the Great White Throne Judgment when all with
rebellion in their hearts Jesus’ shall come before God the Father and Christ
the Son to face a negative judgment!
At
that time, none will be given the opportunity to defend their life! Instead,
the only question will be when the Father asks the Son, “Do you know this
person?”
If the answer is, “No, I never knew this person!” That person shall be cast into the “Lake of Fire,” the
second death!
(3.)
The third explanation is that Christ sends his followers to preach the gospel
to the world resulting in a “death to self.” When they acknowledge Jesus as the
Messiah!
Luke
19:28-40
28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to
Jerusalem.
29 And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount
of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
30 Saying, Go ye into the village
over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt
tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.
31 And if any man
ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall
ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
32 And they that were sent went their way, and found even as
he had said unto them.
33 And as they were loosing the
colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye
the colt?
34 And they said, The Lord hath need
of him.
35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their
garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the
mount of Olives, 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;
38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name
of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said
unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones
would immediately cry out.
Now, we come to Christ’s entry into Jerusalem!
Following
the parable of the nobleman and the coins, and the prophetic statement about
Jerusalem, Jesus and His assembly ascended up to Jerusalem!
As
they walked toward Jerusalem they traveled passed Bethphage
and Bethany. When they reached the
Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead of the group.
Christ
told them, “Go into a certain village, and when you
arrive there, you shall find a colt tied, upon which no man has ridden! Untie
him, and bring him here.
“If anyone asks, ‘Why
did you untie him?’ Tell that person, ‘Because,
the Lord needs him!’”
They
went as they were told and found everything just as Christ Jesus told them.
As
they were untying the colt, the owners saw them and asked, “Why are you untying
our colt?”
They
responded, “The Lord needs him!”
And
soon they brought him to Jesus, and they placed their outer garments on the
colt, and Jesus sat on him.
As
Jesus rode toward Jerusalem, the disciples spread their clothes before the colt
in the street.
And
when He came near the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples
began to rejoice and shout praises to God because of all the mighty works that
they had seen! All may have thought that the Kingdom would be set up that very
day.
They
shouted, “Blessed is the King
that comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!”
Some
of the Pharisees who had mingled in among from among the multitude spoke to
Jesus demanding, “Master, rebuke Your disciples!”
Instead
of doing as the Pharisees demanded, Jesus rebuked them, “I tell you that, if these people keep quiet, the stones would
immediately cry out!”
All
creation shall one day shout and sing praises to the King of kings and Lord of
lords, Christ Jesus!
Luke
19:41-48
41 And
when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the
things which belong unto thy peace! but now
they are hid from thine eyes.
43 For 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,
44 And shall lay thee even with the
ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone
upon another; because thou knewest not the time of
thy visitation.
45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them
that sold therein, and them that bought;
46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made
it a den of thieves.
47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests
and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,
48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people
were very attentive to hear him.
(This
is a review of what happened upon Jesus’ arrival.) As they came within view of
the city, Jesus looked with compassion on Jerusalem and wept openly!
Jesus
said to Jerusalem, “If you had only known the things which would bring you peace! However,
now those things are hidden from your eyes!
“Because, the time is now here you’re your enemies shall dig a
trench around you, and surround you, and close off all escape!
“They shall kill you and your children! They shall destroy the
Temple, not leaving one stone upon another, because you did not know the time
of your visitation.”
The
fact is that the Jewish leadership rebuked their Savior and failed to welcome
Him! The leadership leads! In this case they led the nation into destruction!
All
that Jesus said would happen in 70A.D. when the Romans came to attack Jerusalem!
Jesus
then went into the temple, and began to throw out the animal sellers!
Jesus
told them, “It is written, My
house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves.”
Daily
Christ taught in the temple. But, the chief priests, the scribes and the chief
of the people attempted to murder Him!
However,
they could not determine how to do it because the people were constantly coming to listen to Him!