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
Examina lo que Jesús nos invita a cuestionar en nuestras creencias o en nuestra vida.
Dicho esto, Jesús siguió adelante, subiendo hacia Jerusalén. Cuando se acercó a Betfagué y a Betania, junto al monte llamado de los Olivos, envió a dos de sus discípulos con este encargo: «Vayan a la aldea que tienen enfrente y, al entrar en ella, encontrarán atado un burrito en el que nadie se ha montado. Desátenlo y tráiganlo acá. Y, si alguien pregunta: “¿Por qué lo desatan?”, díganle: “El Señor lo necesita”». Fueron y lo encontraron tal como él les había dicho. Cuando estaban desatando el burrito, los dueños les preguntaron: ―¿Por qué desatan el burrito? ―El Señor lo necesita —contestaron. Se lo llevaron, pues, a Jesús. Luego pusieron sus mantos encima del burrito y ayudaron a Jesús a montarse. A medida que avanzaba, la gente tendía sus mantos sobre el camino. Al acercarse él a la bajada del monte de los Olivos, todos los discípulos se entusiasmaron y comenzaron a alabar a Dios por tantos milagros que habían visto. Gritaban: ―¡Bendito el Rey que viene en el nombre del Señor! ―¡Paz en el cielo y gloria en las alturas! Algunos de los fariseos que estaban entre la gente le reclamaron a Jesús: ―¡Maestro, reprende a tus discípulos! Pero él respondió: ―Les aseguro que, si ellos se callan, gritarán las piedras. Cuando se acercaba a Jerusalén, Jesús vio la ciudad y lloró por ella. Dijo: ―¡Cómo quisiera que hoy supieras lo que te puede traer paz! Pero eso ahora está oculto a tus ojos. Te sobrevendrán días en que tus enemigos levantarán un muro, te rodearán y te encerrarán por todos lados. Te derribarán a ti y a tus hijos dentro de tus murallas. No dejarán piedra sobre piedra, porque no reconociste el tiempo en que Dios vino a salvarte.
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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.
Considera esto.
Which assumption does Jesus confront in you?
Examine your assumptions
Do not confuse admiration, religious excitement, or familiarity with truly recognizing Jesus.
