The Ambassador Group

Luke-- Jesus, Our Savior and Friend

00. An Introduction to the Book of Luke

01. Luke: The Coming of Jesus

02. Luke: Baptism and the Temptations

03. Luke: Who Is Jesus Christ?

04. Luke: The Call to Discipleship

05. Luke: Christ as Lord of the Sabbath

06. Luke: Women in the Ministry of Jesus

07. Luke: Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Prayer

08. Luke: The Mission of Jesus

09. Luke: Jesus, the Master Teacher

10. Luke: Following Jesus in Everyday Life

11. Luke: The Kingdom of God

12. Luke: Jesus in Jerusalem

13. Luke: Crucified and Risen

Edited for audio by The Ambassador Group.

Now as he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it.

Luke chapter 19 verse 41 New King James Version.

The last week of Jesus's earthly life unfolded in Jerusalem.

What tumultuous events marked that week too!

The triumphal entry, Jesus weeping over the indifferent city, the cleansing of the temple, the scheming and the plotting against him, the pathos of the Last Supper and the agony of Gethsemane, the mockery of a trial, the crucifixion, and finally the resurrection.

Never before and never since has any city witnessed so critical a progression of history.

1 that brought the cosmic conflict between good and evil to its climax, even though no 1 but Jesus understood the significance of what was unfolding.

Jesus had passed through Jerusalem several times in his life.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all record Jesus as an adult visiting Jerusalem, though mostly during the Passion Week, although other appearances of Jesus in Jerusalem are well known.

The infant Jesus being brought to the temple.

The debate of the 12 year old in the temple.

The tempter taking Jesus to the highest point of the temple.

It is the closing week of Jesus's ministry in Jerusalem that occupies the special attention of the Gospel writers.

And that is what we will focus on in this exploration, Jesus in Jerusalem.

The Triumphal Entry He was born in Bethlehem.

He taught, preached, and healed throughout Galilee, Samaria, Judea, and Peraea.

But 1 city held his constant focus, Jerusalem.

Jesus steadfastly set his face to go to the city.

Luke chapter 9 verse 51 New King James Version.

His entry into the city marked the most dramatic and crucial week in world history.

The week began with Christ's kingly march into the city and saw his death on the cross by which we who were enemies were reconciled to God through the death of his son.

Romans And after saying these things, Jesus went on ahead of them, going up to Jerusalem.

Listen to Luke chapter 19 verses 28 through 40 in the Amplified Bible.

Mount of Olives, he sent 2 of his disciples, telling them, Go into the village yonder.

There as you go in, you will find a donkey's colt tied, on which no man has ever yet sat.

If anybody asks you, why are you untying it?

You shall say this, because the Lord has need of it.

So those who were sent went away and found it, just as he had told them.

And as they were loosening the colt, its owner said to them, alarmed, Why are you untying the colt?

Then they threw their garments over the colt and set Jesus upon it.

And as He rode along, the people kept spreading their garments on the road.

As He was approaching the city, at the descent of the Mount of olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to rejoice and to praise God, extolling Him exultantly and loudly for all the mighty miracles and works of power that they had witnessed.

Crying out, Blessed, celebrated with praises is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.

Peace in heaven, freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as a result of sin, and glory, majesty, and splendor in the highest heaven." some of the Pharisees from the throng said to Jesus, Teacher, reprove your disciples.

He replied, I tell you that if these keep silent, the very stones will cry out.

Can you imagine the excitement of the disciples?

They must surely have thought that at this time King Jesus would ascend to an earthly throne at Jerusalem, the throne of King David.

What important lesson about false expectations can you take from this account?

When Jesus was born, wise men from the East came knocking at the doors of Jerusalem, asking that poignant question, "'Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?' Matthew 2, verse 2, New King James Version.

And now, a few days before the cross, as His disciples and the multitudes thronged the city, and acclaim burst across Jerusalem's sky.

"'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!' Luke 19, verse 38, NKJV.

This amazing scene fulfilled prophecy in the Old Testament book of Zechariah.

He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey." Zechariah 9, verse 9, New King James Version.

Yet, Jesus knew that this march of history, which began with the shouts of, Hosanna!

Would soon wind up on Golgotha, where he would utter those triumphant words, It is finished!

Though it was all according to God's eternal plan, His disciples were so caught up in the traditions and teachings and expectations of their own time and culture, that they completely missed his earlier warnings about what would take place, and what it all meant.

Christ spoke to them, but they didn't listen.

Or maybe they listened, but what he said went so much against what they expected that they blocked it out.

How can you make sure you aren't doing the same thing when it comes to biblical truth?

Jerusalem, Cleansing the Temple It is written, My house is the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.

After the triumphal entry, during which Jesus wept over Jerusalem, The first thing he did was to go to the temple.

We will now listen to 3 accounts of Jesus cleansing the temple, told by Dr.

Luke, former tax collector Levi, and the young Mark.

As you hear each account, try to detect important lessons from what Jesus did.

Now let's listen to the 3 accounts from the Amplified Bible.

Luke 19 45-48 Then he went into the temple enclosure and began to drive out those who were selling, telling them, It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a cave of robbers." And he continued to teach day after day in the temple porches and courts.

The chief priest and the scribes and the leading men of the people were seeking to put him to death.

But they did not discover anything they could do, for all the people hung upon his words and stuck by him.

And Jesus went into the temple, whole temple enclosure, and drove out all who bought and sold in the sacred place.

And he turned over the four-footed tables of the moneychangers and the chairs of those who sold doves.

He said to them, The Scripture says, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.

And the blind and the lame came to him in the porches and courts of the temple, and he cured them.

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the boys and the girls and the youths and the maidens crying out in the porches and courts of the temple, "'Hosanna!

Graciously inclined to the Son of David!' They were indignant, and they said to him, "'Do you hear what these are saying?' And Jesus replied to them, "'Yes.

Have you never read, Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants you have made provided perfect praise?

And leaving them, he departed from the city and went out to Bethany, and lodged there.

And they came to Jerusalem, and he went into the temple area, the porches and courts, and begin to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple area.

And he overturned the four-footed tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of those who dealt in doves.

And he would not permit anyone to carry any household equipment through the temple enclosure, thus making the temple area a shortcut traffic lane.

And he taught and said to them, "'Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations, but you have turned it into a den of robbers." And the chief priests and the scribes heard of this, and kept seeking some way to destroy him, for they feared him because the entire multitude was struck with astonishment at his teaching.

And when evening came on, he and his disciples, as accustomed, went out of the city.

What important lessons did you hear in these accounts of what was unacceptable to Jesus in the place of worship?

Add to those lessons Paul's counsel in Ephesians 2.21.

In him the whole structure is joined, bound, welded together harmoniously, and it continues to rise, grow, increase into a holy temple in the Lord, a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord.

What would it take for you to experience that kind of nurturing community?

All 4 Gospels describe Jesus' cleansing of the temple.

While John speaks of the first cleansing in his gospel narrative, John chapter 2 verses 13 through 25, taking place during Jesus's visit to the temple at the Passover of A.D.

28, the other Gospels narrate the second cleansing at the end of Jesus' ministry, this time at the Passover of A.D.

Thus the 2 cleansings of the temple provide a parenthesis to the ministry of Jesus, showing how much he cared for the sanctity of the temple and its services, and how strategically he asserted his messianic mission and authority.

Back to Menu

Series

Luke-- Jesus, Our Savior and Friend

12. Luke: Jesus in Jerusalem

Transcript

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

His Crowning Miracle

41m

The Book of Job

12. The Book of Job: Job’s Redeemer

36m

Prophecies of Hope

25. Haunted House! Satan’s Deadly Trojan Horses!

51m

The Cries of the Cross

04 My God

23m

A Tale of Two Journeys

36m

Coming to Christ

40m

The Cross

Forsaken

34m

SWYC 2006 Plenary Sessions

What was Accomplished by the Death of Christ

58m

Restoration 2026: If God is Love...

11 If God is Love... Why the Cross?

1h 4m

Living by Faith

1h 7m

Called to Victory

42m

Jesus, All- Communion Message

14m

Sound Doctrine