seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Luke 19:28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.
Jesus had thousands who listened to every word they could. When Jesus held a dinner, there were thousands there. When Jesus taught in the temple, everyone listened. When Jesus was around, everyone got happy, well except the Pharisees, Sadducees, and teachers of the law. They were always sullen and ready to convict Jesus on any charge just to get Him out of their hair.So I Binged "putting cloaks on the road" and this is what I found.
- The entry for this includes a 'lectisternium'– and as Wikipedia says, a 'lectisternium' was the ancient Roman way to placate the gods. They spread fine cloths on couches and put them in the streets to make the gods welcome, especially at times of crisis, though this also developed into regular festivals.
Remember yesterday's parable was about Herod's son, the new king, killing all those who didn't want him to take the throne? Look at verses 43 and 44. Historian Josephus offered the following.
From Josephus: “All hope of escaping was now cut off from the Jews, together with their liberty of going out of the city. Then did the famine widen its progress, and devour the people by whole houses and families; the upper rooms of women and infants that were dying by famine, and the lanes of the city were full of the dead bodies of the aged; the children also, and the young men wandered about the market places like shadows, all swelled with the famine, and fell down dead wheresoever their misery seized them. For a time the dead were buried; but afterwards, when they could not do that, they had them cast down from the wall into the valleys beneath. When Titus, on going his rounds along these valleys, saw them full of dead bodies, and the thick purification running about them, he gave a groan, and spreading out his hands to heaven, called God to witness this was not his doing.” (Cited in Spurgeon. He adds: “There is nothing in history to exceed this horror. But even this is nothing compared with the destruction of a soul.”)
I wonder... why don't they teach this in Baptist Sunday School. Wouldn't that hinder it from happening again? I included the temper tantrum in the Temple here. Jesus had to clean out the temple before He went to the Cross. Jesus had to run the money grubbing robbers who were selling "sacrifices" to those who came to the temple. I bet no sacrifice was good enough but theirs. They would find a blemish on Jesus if it meant they would make a dime.
Jesus arrived at the Temple as a King. He cleaned the temple like a Chief Priest. Jesus gave them the excuse they needed.
Jesus disturbed the peace.
