The King Comes to Town Text: Luke 19:28-40
Introduction: The Unannounced Coronation
We live in an age that is deeply embarrassed by the idea of a king. Our democratic sensibilities recoil at the thought of absolute monarchy. We want a president we can vote out, a leader who is one of us, a figurehead who serves at our pleasure. The modern world wants a Jesus who is a gentle teacher, a moral example, a spiritual guide, perhaps even a revolutionary, but it absolutely does not want a King. A king has total authority. A king issues commands, not suggestions. A king owns everything and everyone in his domain. And this is precisely the Jesus we meet in our text today.
The Triumphal Entry is not a parade for a celebrity. It is a coronation procession. This is not Jesus having a good day with the crowds before it all goes wrong on Friday. This is a deliberate, prophetic, and sovereign act of war. Jesus is riding into the capital city of His usurped kingdom to formally lay claim to the throne. Every detail of this event is saturated with royal significance, a direct challenge to the authority of both the Jewish leaders and their Roman overlords. The fundamental Christian confession is not "Jesus is my co-pilot" but rather "Jesus is Lord." And Lord is a political term. It means He is the rightful ruler of everything, from the U.S. Supreme Court to your own rebellious heart.
This event forces a crisis. It demands a response. You cannot be neutral about a king who rides into town and claims to own the place. You either bow the knee or you plot His assassination. There is no third way. The crowds that day were faced with this choice, the Pharisees were faced with this choice, and we, this morning, are faced with this same choice. Is Jesus your King, or is He a problem to be managed? Is He the Lord of your life, or is He a teacher you occasionally consult? This passage strips away all our comfortable, domesticated versions of Jesus and confronts us with the untamed Lion of the tribe of Judah, the anointed King, coming to claim what is His.
The Text
And after He had said these things, He was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. And it happened that when He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount called “of Olives,” He sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; in which, as you enter, you will find a colt tied, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ” So when those who were sent departed, they found it just as He had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and after they threw their garments on the colt, they put Jesus on it. And as He was going, they were spreading their garments on the road. Now as soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God, rejoicing with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, saying, “BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered and said, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones will cry out!”
(Luke 19:28-40 LSB)
The Royal Requisition (vv. 28-34)
Jesus begins this royal procession with a royal command. He is moving with determined purpose toward Jerusalem, the center of power.
"Go into the village ahead of you; in which, as you enter, you will find a colt tied, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’" (Luke 19:30-31)
Notice the absolute sovereignty on display. Jesus knows exactly where the colt will be. He knows it has never been ridden, a detail signifying its consecration for a sacred or royal purpose. And He provides the disciples with the only justification they will need: "The Lord has need of it." This is not a request; it is a requisition. In the ancient world, a king had the right to commandeer property for his use. This is a royal prerogative. Jesus is not stealing a donkey; He is acting as though He owns the place, because He does. He made the donkey, He made the owners of the donkey, and He made the village the donkey was in. All things were created through Him and for Him.
This is a direct assault on our modern notions of autonomy and private property. We think we are the absolute owners of our stuff, our time, our money. But the reality is that we are stewards, not owners. The Lord has a claim on everything we possess, and at any moment He can say, "I have need of it." He has need of your bank account. He has need of your schedule this Tuesday. He has need of your children's future. The only sane and joyful response is to say, as the owners of the colt apparently did, "Yes, Lord." Their compliance is a model of true discipleship. They did not argue or demand compensation. They recognized the authority in the command.
The disciples' obedience is also key. They "found it just as He had told them." Faith is not a blind leap; it is acting on the basis of God's Word and finding it to be entirely trustworthy. God's commands are always tethered to His sovereign knowledge and power. When He sends us, He has already prepared the way.
The Humble Coronation (vv. 35-38)
The scene that unfolds is a beautiful paradox: a king's coronation marked by profound humility.
"And they brought it to Jesus, and after they threw their garments on the colt, they put Jesus on it. And as He was going, they were spreading their garments on the road." (Luke 19:35-36)
Jesus rides on a donkey's colt, a direct and intentional fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy: "Behold, your king is coming to you; he is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zech. 9:9). This is not the entrance of a conquering warlord on a stallion. The donkey was an animal of peace and humility. Jesus is declaring that His kingdom comes not through the coercive power of the sword, but through the sacrificial power of the cross. He does not kill to win His people; He dies to win His people.
The actions of the crowd are explicitly royal. Spreading garments on the road was an ancient act of homage for a king, a makeshift red carpet (cf. 2 Kings 9:13). They are treating Him as royalty. Their praise erupts, based on what they have seen: "the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God, rejoicing with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen." Their worship was not based on abstract sentiment, but on the mighty works of God they had witnessed. This is a crucial point. True worship is always a response to God's self-revelation, both in His Word and in His works.
"BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Luke 19:38)
This is a direct quotation from Psalm 118, a psalm of messianic expectation. They are identifying Jesus as the long-awaited King. And their cry, "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest," is a deliberate echo of the angels' song at His birth (Luke 2:14). At His birth, the angels announced peace on earth. Now, as He approaches the cross, the disciples declare that His work will establish peace in heaven itself, reconciling all things to God through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20). His death will end the hostility between God and man, bringing glory to God in the highest places.
The Inevitable Worship (vv. 39-40)
This raw, exuberant display of worship is intolerable to the religious establishment. Their reaction reveals the heart of all false religion.
"And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, 'Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.'" (Luke 19:39)
The Pharisees represent religion that is ordered, controlled, and ultimately man-centered. They want a God who fits in their theological boxes, who behaves respectably, who doesn't cause a scene. This loud, messy, joyful worship of a carpenter on a donkey is an offense to their dignity. They cannot stand the sight of common people giving uninhibited praise to Jesus as King. Why? Because if He is King, then they are not. His authority displaces theirs. False religion always seeks to manage and contain God, to put a silencer on true worship.
They call him "Teacher," a title of respect, but in this context, it is a subtle denial of His true identity. He is not just a teacher; He is the King they are hailing. They want Him to tone it down, to tell His followers to be quiet, to restore the decorum they value more than the truth.
Jesus' reply is one of the most staggering declarations in all of Scripture.
"But Jesus answered and said, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the stones will cry out!'" (Luke 19:40)
This is not hyperbole. Jesus is making a profound statement about the nature of reality. The universe was created by Him and for Him, and its ultimate purpose is to give Him glory. Worship is not an optional activity for a few religious people; it is the central purpose of all creation. The rocks and hills, the trees and mountains, were all made to magnify their Creator. And if the pinnacle of His creation, man, refuses to do so, the rest of creation is ready to burst forth in praise. The very fabric of reality is oriented toward the worship of Jesus Christ.
This means that the silence of the Pharisees is a profound rebellion against the created order. Their refusal to worship is an act of cosmic treason. They are out of step with the very stones under their feet. This also means that our worship is not something we invent. When we praise God, we are not creating something new; we are simply joining the song that all of creation is already singing. We are finally getting in tune with reality. To refuse to worship is to be profoundly out of touch, to live in a state of deep and unnatural quiet in a universe that is shouting the glory of its King.
Conclusion: Join the Shout or Be Replaced by a Rock
The Triumphal Entry sets before us the central, non-negotiable claim of Christianity: Jesus is King. He is not running for office. The monarchy has already been established through His death and resurrection. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. The only question is what we will do with this fact.
Like the owners of the colt, we are confronted with His royal claim on our lives. "The Lord has need of it." He has need of your allegiance, your talents, your future. Will you surrender them gladly, recognizing His rightful ownership?
Like the crowds, we are called to offer exuberant, heartfelt praise. Not a stuffy, respectable nod to religion, but a loud shout of joy for the mighty acts of salvation we have seen in Christ. Our worship should be a public declaration that He is our King, and we are not ashamed of it, no matter how much the modern-day Pharisees might want us to tone it down.
And like those Pharisees, we are warned. If we try to silence this praise, either in our own hearts or in the public square, we are fighting against the very grain of the universe. God will get His glory. If His people will not praise Him, the rocks will. Creation itself will rise up to condemn our sullen silence. The choice is simple: you can either join the cosmic chorus praising King Jesus, or you can stand by in mute rebellion as the very stones take up your part in the song.
Do not be found silent on the day the King comes to town. Do not be replaced by a rock. Bow the knee, lift your voice, and bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord. For He is worthy of all praise, and in His kingdom, there is peace with God and glory in the highest.