Does Praising Jesus Mean We Recognize Him as King?
Welcome to Day 289 of our journey with Jesus. Today, we consider what Jesus calls us to question in our beliefs or lives. The main truth for today is this: Public excitement about Jesus does not necessarily mean we recognize who he is or accept the peace he offers. Let’s begin.
Current details of the journeyView the calendar, Episode and passage
Jesus in Action
Luke 19:28–44
Step 4 of 5
Examine what Jesus calls us to question in our beliefs or lives.
Pagkatapos magkuwento ni Hesus, nagpatuloy siya sa paglalakad at nanguna sa kanila papuntang Jerusalem. Nang malapit na sila sa mga nayon ng Betfage at Betania, sa bundok na kung tawagin ay Bundok ng mga Olibo, pinauna niya ang dalawa niyang alagad. Sinabi niya sa kanila, “Pumunta kayo sa susunod na nayon. Pagpasok nʼyo roon, makikita ninyo ang isang bisirong nakatali. Hindi pa ito nasasakyan ng kahit sino. Kalagan ninyo at dalhin dito. Kung may magtanong kung bakit ninyo kinakalagan ang asno, sabihin ninyong kailangan ito ng Panginoon.” Kaya lumakad ang dalawang inutusan, at nakakita nga sila ng asno ayon sa sinabi ni Hesus. Nang kinakalagan na nila ang asno, tinanong sila ng mga may-ari, “Bakit ninyo kinakalagan iyan?” Sumagot sila, “Kailangan ito ng Panginoon.” Dinala nila ang asno kay Hesus, at isinapin nila ang kanilang mga balabal nila sa likod ng asno at pinasakay si Hesus. Habang nakasakay siya sa asno, inilatag ng mga tao ang kanilang mga balabal sa dadaanan niya. Nang pababa na siya sa Bundok ng mga Olibo at malapit na sa Jerusalem, nagsigawan sa tuwa ang lahat ng alagad niya at nagpuri nang malakas sa Diyos dahil sa mga himalang nasaksihan nila. Sinabi nila, “Pinagpala ang haring dumarating sa ngalan ng Panginoon!” “Kapayapaan sa langit, at papuri sa Kaitaas-taasan.” Sinabi sa kanya ng ilang Pariseong kasama ng karamihan, “Guro, sawayin mo ang mga alagad mo.” Ngunit sinagot sila ni Hesus, “Sinasabi ko sa inyo: Kung tatahimik sila, ang mga bato na ang sisigaw ng papuri.” Nang malapit na si Hesus sa Jerusalem at nakita niya ang lungsod, umiyak siya. Sinabi niya, “Sana nalaman ninyo sa araw na ito kung ano ang makapagbibigay sa inyo ng kapayapaan. Ngunit natakpan ang inyong pang-unawa. Darating ang araw na papaligiran kayo ng kuta ng inyong mga kaaway. Papalibutan nila kayo at lulusubin sa magkakabilang panig. Lilipulin nila kayo at ang inyong mga anak, at wawasakin nila ang lungsod ninyo. Wala silang iiwang bato na magkapatong, sapagkat binalewala ninyo ang araw ng pagliligtas sa inyo ng Diyos.”
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Luke 19:28–44 describes a joyful welcome for Jesus as he approaches Jerusalem. Someone might assume that public praise and Jesus’ acceptance of it mean everything is well. Yet the same account includes his tears and a warning of destruction. What should we make of that contrast?
A Welcome Jesus Accepts
Jesus approaches Jerusalem riding on a colt, a young donkey. People spread their cloaks on the road. Cloaks are outer garments. The crowd of disciples, his followers, praises God joyfully and loudly for all the miracles they have seen. They declare, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” and “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some Pharisees, members of a Jewish religious group, object. They tell Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” They want him to order his disciples to stop. Jesus replies, “I tell you,” “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” With this answer, Jesus refuses their request to silence the praise. He accepts the disciples’ royal welcome.
A Warning Alongside the Welcome
Jesus then approaches Jerusalem and sees the city. He weeps over it and says, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 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. 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.”
Jesus addresses Jerusalem in this warning. He connects its coming destruction to its failure to recognize the time of God’s coming. His words give us more to consider than the joyful welcome alone. The disciples praise God and call Jesus king. Jesus accepts their praise, but the city’s failure to recognize what would bring peace remains serious.
Does Celebration Mean Everything Is Well?
The disciples’ praise is genuine, and Jesus refuses to silence it. Yet their joyful welcome does not mean that everything is well in Jerusalem. The praise he accepts and the warning he gives both matter. Paying attention only to the celebration would leave us with an incomplete understanding of this moment.
For Jerusalem, the consequences are concrete. Jesus describes enemies surrounding the city and destroying it. His tears do not make that warning less serious, and the disciples’ praise does not erase it. The joyful welcome and the city’s failure to recognize God’s coming belong to the same account.
When a scene appears joyful or successful, do we still listen to Jesus’ words of warning? Could concentrating on the celebration cause us to overlook his grief and what he says about peace? What changes in our understanding when we give attention to both?
The joy of the welcome does not cancel the seriousness of Jesus’ warning. This is the Question step in the Jesus365 Journey for Luke 19:28–44. Next, the Respond step considers how to respond to Jesus’ words and actions in this passage.
Consider this.
Which assumption does Jesus confront in you?
Examine your assumptions
Do not confuse admiration, religious excitement, or familiarity with truly recognizing Jesus.
