Luke Chapter 19
The Triumphal Entry
A. Jesus and Zacchaeus
1. (Luke 19:1–4) Zacchaeus climbs a tree and risks ridicule to see Jesus.
Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.
a. Jesus entered and passed through Jericho
Jericho was one of the most ancient and significant cities in Israel. Its strategic position and lush surroundings made it a prosperous hub. As Jesus passed through on His way to Jerusalem, it becomes clear in hindsight that His divine appointment was to meet Zacchaeus.
Jericho was known as “The City of Palms.” Its palm forests, balsam groves, and rose gardens gave it international fame. Josephus referred to it as “a divine region, the fattest in Palestine.” The Romans prized its balsam and dates as trade goods, sending them across the empire. Jesus chose to reveal Himself to one of the city’s most despised figures, underscoring His mission to seek and save the lost.
b. Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector
Unlike ordinary collectors, Zacchaeus held the unique title of chief tax collector. This suggests he oversaw other collectors in the region, enriching himself not only through his own extortion but also through those under him. Such men were hated not simply for extracting Roman taxes but for practicing tax farming—demanding more than required and pocketing the excess.
When tax collectors came to John the Baptist seeking repentance, he instructed them plainly, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you” (Luke 3:13). A rich tax collector was almost certainly corrupt.
The name Zacchaeus means “pure one,” a sharp irony since his life was anything but pure. As one commentator noted, he was called to be pure, but in reality, he was “an arch-publican, a public sinner, not simple, but subtle, a griping extortioner, a rich but wretched sycophant.” Yet it was precisely such a man Jesus came to redeem.
c. He sought to see who Jesus was
Zacchaeus was not indifferent. He “sought to see who Jesus was.” This longing reveals a restless heart, dissatisfied with wealth and power. Perhaps he had heard rumors that Jesus welcomed tax collectors and sinners, or perhaps Matthew’s call as a tax collector had emboldened him. Whatever the reason, Zacchaeus was driven by curiosity and a desperate hope.
This detail reminds us that before salvation, God often stirs a desire in the sinner to seek after Christ. His action fulfilled Jeremiah 29:13, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
d. He was of short stature
His physical limitation prevented him from seeing over the crowd. More than a mere description, this detail likely shaped his personality. We can imagine years of ridicule for his height, leading him to retaliate through harshness in his occupation.
Yet his persistence reveals an important lesson. Many stop short when hindered, but Zacchaeus pressed forward. As one commentator noted, “He had a great will to grow rich, and he had found a way to that. And now he had a great will to see Jesus, and he was not the sort of person to be stopped.”
e. He ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him
In a culture where wealthy men valued dignity and appearance, Zacchaeus cast aside his pride. He ran like a child and climbed a tree simply to see Jesus. His action unconsciously fulfilled Jesus’ teaching: “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
The sycamore tree in Jericho was sturdy and easy to climb, with wide branches offering Zacchaeus the perfect vantage point. A traveler once remarked that it resembled the English oak, providing cool shade.
Zacchaeus’ willingness to appear foolish before others highlights the heart of genuine seeking. As Alexander Maclaren observed, “I wish there were more of us who did not mind being laughed at if only what we did helped us to see Jesus.”
2. (Luke 19:5–6) Jesus invites Himself to Zacchaeus’ house.
And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
a. He looked up and saw him
This moment is rich with grace. Zacchaeus had climbed the sycamore tree in determination to see Jesus, but it was Jesus who truly saw him. The Lord did not pass him by, nor did He overlook him in the crowd. The eye of the Savior rested upon the sinner who sought Him with humility.
In this, we are reminded that man may seek after God, but it is God who initiates true salvation. As Romans 3:11 declares, “There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.” Zacchaeus’ seeking was itself prompted by God’s grace, and now Jesus completes that pursuit by calling him personally.
b. Zacchaeus, make haste
Jesus called him by name. This was not a general invitation but a personal summons. Perhaps Zacchaeus had not heard his name spoken in kindness since childhood, but here Jesus dignifies him, addressing him with familiarity and compassion.
Christ knows His own. In John 10:3 it is written, “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” In Revelation 2:17, believers are promised a new name known only to God and themselves, signifying intimate relationship. That eternal truth is foreshadowed here—Jesus demonstrates that He knows Zacchaeus personally, and by using his name, lays claim to him.
c. Make haste and come down
Jesus commanded Zacchaeus to hurry and descend. Salvation was at hand, but delay might mean the loss of opportunity. Zacchaeus must not remain in his elevated perch, but humble himself.
The words echo a universal truth: all who come to Christ must come down. Pride, self-righteousness, and worldly stature are barriers. As James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Had Zacchaeus remained in the tree, clinging to his elevated position, he would not have enjoyed the fellowship of Christ.
d. Today I must stay at your house
Jesus’ declaration is striking. He did not say, “I will pass by” or “I might visit,” but “I must stay.” This conveys divine necessity, the same kind of “must” He used when speaking of His mission to suffer, die, and rise again (Luke 9:22). Fellowship with Zacchaeus was not incidental; it was part of His redemptive plan.
Moreover, Jesus desired not only to preach at Zacchaeus but to abide with him. This demonstrates that salvation is not merely intellectual agreement or outward ceremony—it is fellowship with Christ Himself. Revelation 3:20 echoes this reality: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
e. And received Him
The text emphasizes that Zacchaeus received Him. Christ never forces Himself upon anyone. As Charles Spurgeon noted, “Christ will not force himself into any man’s house, and sit there against the man’s will. That would not be the action of a guest, but of an unwelcome intruder.” Zacchaeus came down from the tree and welcomed Jesus into his life, his home, and his heart.
It is noteworthy that Zacchaeus did not begin with questions or theological debates while perched above. He first obeyed, came down, and then received Christ, and in the process found the answers he had long sought.
f. And received Him joyfully
The joy of this moment cannot be overstated. Zacchaeus was not merely resigned to Christ’s intrusion; he was elated to receive Him. His joy was the fruit of true faith, for salvation always brings rejoicing.
Before entering Jerusalem to be greeted by the multitude with shouts of “Hosanna,” Jesus first entered the life of one despised man. The contrast is telling: the public triumphal entry was fleeting, but the entry into Zacchaeus’ heart was eternal.
Joy is reciprocal in salvation. Zacchaeus rejoiced to be saved, and heaven itself rejoices over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7). Christ Himself delights in saving sinners, for Acts 20:35 records, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
g. Zacchaeus as a model of receiving Jesus
Zacchaeus’ response illustrates how every sinner must receive Christ:
Receive Jesus by seeking Him with real effort.
Receive Jesus by humbling yourself.
Receive Jesus regardless of your sin or reputation.
Receive Jesus as He calls you personally by name.
Receive Jesus without delay.
Receive Jesus by coming down to Him.
Receive Jesus Himself, not merely religion or ritual.
Receive Jesus into your home and life.
Receive Jesus joyfully, with gladness of heart.
Receive Jesus despite criticism or opposition.
Receive Jesus with repentance and restitution, as his later actions show.
Zacchaeus provides a portrait of faith in action. He did not merely acknowledge Jesus; he welcomed Him with urgency and joy, setting the stage for transformation.
3. (Luke 19:7–10) Zacchaeus renounces his sin and Jesus proclaims his salvation
But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
a. He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner
The crowd was scandalized. It was not only the Pharisees who objected, but “they all” murmured. To them, Jesus had gone too far. Tax collectors were seen as traitors, extortioners, and unclean. To enter Zacchaeus’ house was to risk ceremonial defilement, and to share a meal with him was to show fellowship.
Yet Jesus was not tainted by Zacchaeus’ sin; rather, Zacchaeus was cleansed by Christ’s holiness. Spurgeon observed wisely, “Jesus Christ did not teach Zacchaeus by going to his house that character was of no consequence; on the contrary, Zacchaeus perceived at once that character was of the greatest consequence.” The very protest of the crowd heightened the glory of grace, showing that Christ came not to the righteous, but to sinners.
b. Look, Lord… I restore fourfold
Zacchaeus’ immediate response was one of repentance and restitution. Having received Jesus into his life, his heart overflowed in practical obedience. He declared, “I give half of my goods to the poor.” The Greek verb tense suggests present and ongoing action, not mere future intent. He was cheerfully resolved to live a life of generosity.
He also pledged restitution: “If I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” This went beyond the Mosaic requirement. The Law commanded double restitution in cases of theft (Exodus 22:4, 7), and in some situations, fourfold if an animal was stolen (Exodus 22:1). Zacchaeus applied the strictest restitution standard to himself, even though his wealth came from systemic exploitation rather than isolated theft. As Leon Morris noted, “Considering the way he had made his money it was unlikely that this would be a short list.”
The question arises: can a life be transformed so quickly? The answer is yes. While sanctification is progressive, regeneration is instantaneous. The heart of Zacchaeus was changed at once, evidenced by a new relationship to both God and possessions. What the rich young ruler could not do—let go of his wealth—Zacchaeus now did freely (Luke 18:18–23).
c. Today salvation has come to this house
Jesus declared what had already become evident. Zacchaeus was no longer in bondage to greed or corruption. He was saved—rescued from guilt, penalty, and power of sin. Salvation was not confined to Zacchaeus alone but extended to his household, as others under his roof would see his transformation and be drawn to faith.
Notice the contrast. The rich ruler left Jesus sorrowful, clinging to his riches (Luke 18:24–27). But Zacchaeus, another rich man, released his wealth joyfully, proving the truth of Jesus’ words: “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Only divine grace could explain such a radical change.
d. Because he also is a son of Abraham
Jesus restored Zacchaeus’ dignity. His fellow Jews had likely dismissed him as a traitor and declared that he was no true son of Abraham. Yet Jesus affirmed him not only as a physical descendant but as a spiritual heir, one who now shared Abraham’s faith.
Paul later explains, “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7). Zacchaeus demonstrated that faith by receiving Jesus joyfully and bearing fruit worthy of repentance. His generous restitution was not a work to earn salvation, but the evidence of it.
Even the priests of Jericho, who had likely scorned Zacchaeus, had called him to give alms. But their demands had no power to change him. It was love for Christ that compelled him to exceed all legal requirements. Love achieves what law cannot.
e. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost
Here Jesus gave His mission statement. He came not for the righteous, not for the self-sufficient, but for the lost. Zacchaeus illustrates this truth perfectly. He was lost to his community, lost to respectability, lost to righteousness—yet not lost to God.
Although Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus, the reality was that Jesus had already sought him. As one commentator noted, “His seeking Jesus turned out to be the result of Jesus’ first seeking him.” This reflects the truth of 1 John 4:19: “We love Him because He first loved us.”
Zacchaeus’ conversion provides a full picture of receiving Christ:
Who: Jesus calls the lost.
What: He seeks relationship, not ritual.
Where: We must come down to Him in humility.
When: The time is now—today.
Why: To reconcile us to Himself and restore fellowship.
How: With joyful faith, regardless of opposition, expressed in repentance and restitution.
Thus, the story of Zacchaeus closes with the triumphant declaration of Jesus’ mission. Before He entered Jerusalem in public triumph, He entered the home of one sinner in private grace. The one man’s transformation illustrated the very purpose of His journey to the cross: to seek and to save the lost.
B. The Parable of the Stewards
1. (Luke 19:11) The purpose of the parable
Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
a. He was near Jerusalem
Jericho lies about 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem, and as Jesus drew closer, the anticipation among His disciples and the crowd intensified. They expected Him to reveal Himself as Messiah in the political sense, overthrow Roman rule, and establish the long-awaited kingdom of God in visible glory. Their assumption was that the kingdom was imminent and would appear without delay.
Passover was approaching, which magnified the messianic expectation. Josephus records that as many as two million pilgrims would fill Jerusalem during the feast, swelling the city and heightening nationalistic fervor. To many Jews, this was the perfect moment for the Messiah to act decisively and restore Israel.
This explains why they thought the kingdom would “appear immediately.” They envisioned military deliverance, political independence, and the exaltation of Israel among the nations. Yet their vision was shaped more by national hope than by prophetic understanding.
George Macdonald captured this tension in poetic form:
They were all looking for a King,
To slay their foes and lift them high.
He came a little baby thing,
That made a woman cry.
Their expectations of triumph clashed with the reality of Jesus’ mission—to suffer, die, and rise again before bringing the kingdom in glory.
b. Because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately
Jesus gave this parable to correct their misconceptions. He warned them that His path would first involve departure, followed by a long absence, and only after that would the kingdom come in its full manifestation. In His absence, His servants must be faithful stewards of what He entrusted to them.
One commentator explained, “It was an emblem of His own departure to a far country to receive a kingdom. It taught in figure that first there must be departure, and the long absence of the King, before the Kingdom could come in its full glory.”
The parable also draws from historical events familiar to the Jewish people. After Herod the Great died, his son Archelaus traveled to Rome to seek confirmation of his authority over part of his father’s dominion. Roman law required imperial approval before Archelaus could rule. At the same time, a Jewish delegation went to Rome to oppose his appointment, petitioning Caesar against his kingship. Despite their opposition, Archelaus was given authority, though not the full title of king.
This background provided vivid imagery for Jesus’ audience. They understood the reference immediately: a ruler departing to receive a kingdom, citizens protesting his rule, and eventual accountability upon his return. Jesus used these historical allusions to prepare His disciples for the reality of His departure to the Father, His delay, and His ultimate return in judgment and glory.
2. (Luke 19:12–13) The master distributes minas — units of money
Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’”
a. A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return
This imagery would have been immediately familiar to Jesus’ audience. As noted earlier, after Herod the Great’s death, his son Archelaus went to Rome to receive authority from Caesar. Just as Archelaus was opposed by a delegation from the Jews, so too this parable illustrates Christ’s rejection by His own people even as He departed to the Father to receive His kingdom.
Unlike Archelaus, however, Christ is a rightful King who will return in glory, not because of Caesar’s appointment, but because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him by the Father (Matthew 28:18).
The parable differs from the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. In Matthew’s account, servants receive differing amounts, symbolizing the varied spiritual gifts God distributes. Here, every servant receives the same—one mina each, about three months’ wages. The focus is not on unequal gifts but on equal responsibility in stewardship.
Some gifts are uniquely distributed by God’s sovereign will (Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11).
Yet other gifts, such as the gospel, are given equally to all believers. Every Christian has the same Word of God, the same gospel message, and the same commission to be faithful witnesses of Christ.
b. Delivered to them ten minas
The text does not mean that each servant received ten minas, but that ten minas in total were distributed—one to each of the ten servants. Each received the same amount, ensuring that their faithfulness would be tested not by the size of the gift, but by their diligence and commitment to the master’s command.
This reflects the truth that God does not hold His servants accountable for what they do not have, but for what they do with what they have been entrusted.
c. Do business till I come
The nobleman expected his servants to use what they had been given. The instruction is literally, “Engage in trade until I return.” The master’s resources were not to be hidden, hoarded, or wasted, but actively invested for increase.
This command reveals the purpose of our Christian life during Christ’s absence. Believers are not to sit idle, nor to speculate about the timing of His return, but to be actively engaged in the work of the kingdom. As Paul exhorts in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Christians are to invest their lives, their testimony, their time, and their resources in ways that produce eternal fruit. The faithfulness of each servant will one day be revealed when the King returns.
3. (Luke 19:14) The rebellion of the citizens
“But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’”
a. But his citizens hated him
The parable now shifts from the servants to the citizens, who represent those under the nobleman’s authority. Unlike the servants entrusted with minas, these citizens had no stewardship responsibility. Their only role was to submit to the nobleman’s reign. Instead, they openly opposed him, rejecting his rule.
This clearly illustrates Israel’s rejection of Christ. As John 1:11 declares, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” Despite His miracles, His teaching, and His compassion, the people—stirred up by their leaders—cried out, “We will not have this man to reign over us.”
b. We will not have this man to reign over us
Their hatred was not provoked by injustice or cruelty from the nobleman. He had done nothing to deserve their rebellion. Their rejection stemmed purely from their hardened hearts. This mirrors humanity’s rebellion against God. Psalm 2 describes the nations’ attitude: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.’”
The rejection of Jesus was not merely historical but remains present today. Sinners continue to resist His authority, unwilling to submit to Him as Lord. The parable reminds us that such rebellion will not thwart His kingdom. Though despised and rejected, He will return as Judge and King.
4. (Luke 19:15–19) The first two servants give account to their master
“And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’”
a. Having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants
When the nobleman returned, his first concern was not with the rebellious citizens, but with the servants entrusted with his resources. This order of judgment is significant. The King will one day deal with those who reject Him outright, but His first priority is to reckon with His own household (1 Peter 4:17: “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God.”).
The nobleman wanted to see what profit had been produced in his absence. Likewise, Christ will call every believer to account at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10), not to determine salvation, but to evaluate faithfulness.
b. Then came the first, saying, “Master, your mina has earned ten minas.”
The first servant reported a 1000% increase—tenfold what he had been entrusted with. Importantly, he gave the credit to his master’s gift, not to himself: “Your mina has earned ten minas.” This humility acknowledges that all fruitfulness comes from the resources and grace given by God.
The master responded with praise and reward: “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.” The commendation shows that faithfulness in small matters is of immense value in God’s eyes (Luke 16:10: “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much.”).
The reward was not rest, but responsibility. Authority over ten cities represents greater service and stewardship in the coming kingdom. William Barclay put it well: “The reward of work well done was more work to do… The great reward of God to the man who has satisfied the test is more trust.”
This principle extends into eternity: the faithful believer will reign with Christ (Revelation 20:6: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection… they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”).
c. Master, your mina has earned five minas
The second servant presented a 500% increase, also a remarkable gain. Like the first, he attributed success to the master’s mina, not his own ingenuity: “Your mina has earned.” This demonstrates the humility of faithful servants who recognize that all fruitfulness is by the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Though his results were smaller, his faithfulness was still rewarded. He was placed over five cities, proportionate to his return. Unlike the first servant, he did not receive the verbal commendation, “Well done, good servant.” The difference suggests that God’s rewards will vary in degree according to faithfulness, yet all who serve faithfully will be honored with real responsibility in Christ’s kingdom.
d. Principles illustrated
This passage highlights several key truths about stewardship and reward:
The King’s return is certain; accountability is inevitable.
Faithfulness in “very little” brings great reward.
The reward for faithfulness is greater responsibility, not leisure.
Fruitfulness comes from the Master’s resources, not the servant’s ingenuity.
Rewards will be proportional to faithfulness, not equal for all.
Faithful service in time will result in positions of responsibility in the coming kingdom.
The lesson is clear: believers are not saved by their works, but they will be rewarded according to their faithfulness in using what Christ has entrusted to them during His absence.
5. (Luke 19:20–26) The third servant gives account to his master
“Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
a. Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief
The third servant brought no increase, no profit, no return. He failed in his task by ignoring the clear command: “Do business till I come” (Luke 19:13). Instead of trading with his master’s resource, he hid it, wasting both time and opportunity.
His excuse was fear. He accused the master of being harsh, “an austere man,” one who reaped where he had not sown. In essence, he claimed his master did not need him. His words revealed not only fear but resentment, slandering the very character of the nobleman.
Many today excuse their lack of faithfulness with similar reasoning: “God does not need me, He can accomplish His work without me.” While true that God does not depend on us, this misses the point. He commands our faithfulness not for His need, but for our growth in obedience, character, and reward.
b. Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant
The master condemned the servant, not for lack of success, but for lack of effort. He could have at least placed the mina in a bank to yield interest. His excuse condemned him, for if he truly believed his master was austere, he should have worked harder, not done nothing.
This reveals the master’s true purpose: he was not merely trying to make money, but to shape the character of his servants. By engaging in business, they learned diligence, responsibility, and loyalty. The wicked servant forfeited that opportunity.
c. Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas
The idle servant lost everything he had been entrusted with. Though still a servant, he was stripped of responsibility. He had proven himself unfit to handle even a single mina.
Jesus then declared the principle: “For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” This echoes Luke 8:18: “Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”
Faithfulness brings increase, but negligence leads to loss. In the Christian life there is no standing still. We either grow by exercising what we have received, or we decline by neglecting it.
d. Principles emphasized
The unfaithful servant’s problem was not inability, but unwillingness.
Fear of failure is no excuse for disobedience.
God rewards faithfulness, not brilliance.
Neglect of responsibility leads to loss of privilege.
The gifts of God, such as His Word and the gospel, must be actively used, not hidden.
The Christian life is dynamic: faith exercised grows, faith neglected shrivels.
As Clarke noted, “By the ten minas given to each, we may understand the Gospel of the kingdom given to each person who professes to believe in Christ, and which he is to improve to the salvation of his soul. The same word is given to all, that all may believe and be saved.”
6. (Luke 19:27) Judgment day comes for the master’s enemies
“But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.”
a. But bring here those enemies of mine
The parable closes with a sobering turn. After reckoning with the servants, the master turned to the rebellious citizens who had rejected him (see Luke 19:14). Their treason was not negligence like the third servant, but outright rebellion.
Though they had tried to resist his reign, their denial was futile. The master had received his kingdom and would rule regardless of their protests.
b. And slay them before me
The conclusion is severe but unmistakable. Those who openly reject the King face certain judgment. The imagery here is not of corrective discipline but of final destruction.
This reflects the eternal reality of rejecting Christ. Salvation is life, rejection is death. As John 3:36 declares: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
The parable thus ends with a life-or-death decision: will we receive Christ as King, or will we reject Him and face judgment?
c. Summary of the parable of the minas
The kingdom will be delayed while the King is away.
Believers must faithfully use what He has entrusted to them until He returns.
Faithful servants will be rewarded with greater responsibility in the coming kingdom.
Negligent servants will suffer loss, though still belonging to the master.
Open enemies of Christ will face judgment and eternal separation.
This dramatic conclusion underscores the urgency of faithfulness and the seriousness of rejecting Christ’s reign. The stewardship of His gospel is not optional—it is the calling of every believer until the King returns.
C. Jesus Enters Jerusalem
1. (Luke 19:28) On to Jerusalem
When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
a. When He had said this
After delivering the parable of the minas, which corrected His disciples’ mistaken expectations of an immediate kingdom, Jesus set His face again toward Jerusalem. He had warned them that the kingdom would be delayed and that faithfulness would be required in His absence. Now He proceeded with firm resolve toward the city where His greatest work—His death and resurrection—would be accomplished.
As Geldenhuys noted, “At last Jerusalem, the temple city in which the greatest and holiest drama on earth will be staged the following week, is in immediate vicinity.” All history was converging toward the climactic moment of redemption.
b. He went ahead, going up to Jerusalem
The phrase underscores His determination. Jesus was not being swept along by events; He was leading the way. He knew the cross awaited Him, yet He pressed forward willingly. Hebrews 12:2 explains His motivation: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
John 11:57 reveals that there was already a price on His head: “Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.” Nevertheless, He chose to enter Jerusalem not secretly, but in the most public way possible, fulfilling prophecy and declaring His kingship.
2. (Luke 19:29–34) Careful preparations are made for the entrance ceremony
And it came to pass, when He came near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of him.”
a. Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied
This final journey into Jerusalem was unlike all the previous ones. Jesus carefully orchestrated the details of His entrance to fulfill prophecy and to declare His identity as Messiah. His instructions to the disciples reveal His sovereignty: He knew where the colt would be, that it had never been ridden, and even how the owners would respond. This demonstrates His omniscience and divine authority, even in small matters.
b. You will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat
The choice of a colt was deliberate. In contrast to a conquering general who would ride into the city on a warhorse, Jesus came on a humble donkey’s colt. This symbolized His role as the Prince of Peace, fulfilling Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Morris observed: “The ass was the mount of a man of peace, a merchant or a priest. A king might ride an ass on occasion, but he would be more likely to appear on a mighty war-horse. Zechariah’s prophecy saw Messiah as the Prince of peace.”
Clarke noted: “This entry into Jerusalem has been termed the triumph of Christ. It was indeed the triumph of humility over pride and worldly grandeur; of poverty over affluence; and of meekness and gentleness over rage and malice.”
The detail that “no one has ever sat” upon the colt is significant. It suggests consecration, for in biblical thought, what was devoted to sacred service had to be set apart from common use (cf. Numbers 19:2; Deuteronomy 21:3). F.B. Meyer saw in this a picture of the believer’s undivided loyalty: Christ alone must occupy the seat of authority in our lives.
c. The Lord has need of him
The disciples were instructed to answer the owners with these simple words. This suggests either a prearranged agreement or, more likely, that the Spirit had prepared the owners’ hearts for this moment.
Pate comments: “Normally, animals such as donkeys (for the poor) and horses (for the wealthy) were made available by their owners for travelers for a price or, at times, to be borrowed.”
Spurgeon marveled at the paradox: “What a singular conjunction of words is here, ‘the Lord’ and ‘hath need!’ Jesus, without laying aside his sovereignty, had taken a nature full of needs; yet, being in need, he was still the Lord and could command his subjects and requisition their property.”
Poole added: “Hath need of them: not for any weariness: he who had travelled on foot from Galilee to Bethany, could have gone the other two miles; but that he might enter into Jerusalem as was prophesied of him, Zechariah 9:9.”
The King of Glory humbled Himself to borrow a beast of burden for His triumphal entry, yet by this very act He fulfilled prophecy and revealed the paradox of His kingship: divine sovereignty clothed in humility.
3. (Luke 19:35–40) Jesus enters the city to a humble display of praise and honor
Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works 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 called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
a. Threw their own clothes on the colt… spread their clothes on the road… began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice
The disciples and the multitude gave Jesus a royal welcome, spreading their garments on the colt and on the road, symbolizing submission and honor (cf. 2 Kings 9:13, where garments were laid under Jehu as a sign of recognition of his kingship). Their joyful praises fulfilled Psalm 118:26: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.”
In the ancient world, the triumphal entry of a conquering king was marked by grandeur: citizens lined the streets, soldiers paraded in formation, songs of victory were sung, and sacrifices were made in the temples to honor the gods. Yet the Gospels intentionally invert this imagery. Jesus’ entry was marked by humility, not grandeur; His “symbols of victory” were a borrowed donkey, palm branches, and the praises of common people. He would not offer sacrifices in the temple, but instead challenge its corruption and cleanse it.
Thus, this moment revealed the paradox of His kingship: true glory expressed in humility, true triumph achieved through suffering.
b. Teacher, rebuke Your disciples
The Pharisees bristled at the crowd’s acclamations, for they recognized the messianic significance of the words being sung. Their demand for Jesus to silence His followers revealed both their hardness of heart and their alarm. John 12:19 records their frustrated reaction: “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, ‘You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!’”
The praises of God’s people always unsettle Satan and his servants. Nothing so clearly signals their defeat as voices lifted in worship. When God’s people praise Him, their hearts and minds are turned away from sin and self toward their Savior, and Satan loses ground.
c. I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out
Jesus’ reply is striking. For much of His ministry, He had discouraged public recognition of Him as Messiah, but here, on this appointed day, He declared that such praise was inevitable. This was the fulfillment of prophecy, and it could not be silenced.
The idea that creation itself would cry out in praise is not foreign to Scripture. Psalm 148:7–13 calls upon sea creatures, fire, hail, snow, mountains, hills, trees, beasts, and birds to praise the LORD. Psalm 96:11–12 proclaims, “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD.”
The stones did not cry out that day, for the multitude of disciples rejoiced loudly. Spurgeon insightfully noted: “And yet, I suppose, those disciples had their trials as we have ours. There might have been a sick wife at home, or a child withering with disease. Yet they all praised Him!” This teaches us that true praise often arises not from ease but from faith in the midst of trials.
d. With a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen
Their worship was not vague enthusiasm; it was rooted in remembrance of specific works of God. Many had witnessed His miracles, and John 12:17–18 emphasizes that the raising of Lazarus was especially fresh in their minds. They rejoiced because they had seen the power of God in action.
This convicts us about our own worship. Too often our praise is generic and mindless. Yet true praise remembers God’s mighty works in history and in personal experience. Every believer should be able to answer the question, “Praise Him for what?”—and testify of the Lord’s saving grace and providential acts in their own lives.
4. (Luke 19:41–44) Jesus weeps over Jerusalem
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
a. As He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it
This was not a quiet shedding of tears but a loud lamentation. The word translated wept can be rendered wailed. Jesus sobbed openly as He looked upon Jerusalem. His grief was not for Himself, though He knew the cross awaited Him, but for the city that was blind to its opportunity.
Morris explains: “Wept might be rendered ‘wailed’; Jesus burst into sobbing as He lamented lost opportunity.”
G. Campbell Morgan noted: “The cry was that of a frustrated desire. He had visited the city with the desire to deliver it from the things of destruction; and with the offers of the things of peace. The spiritual blindness of the rulers and people was such that they did not discern the meaning of the visitation. The result was inevitable. There could be no escape from the destruction.”
Even in judgment, Jesus displayed the heart of God: not cold indifference but sorrowful love. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). His compassion demonstrates that divine judgment, though just, is never issued with cruelty.
b. If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!
This was the pivotal moment for Israel. Their leaders had already rejected Jesus, and the people largely followed them. Yet there was still a chance to recognize the Messiah and embrace Him. If only they had recognized “the things that make for peace”—faith in Christ, not rebellion against Rome—they might have been spared destruction.
In some ancient copies of the Gospels, scribes omitted this weeping scene, thinking tears incompatible with divine perfection. Yet Jesus’ perfection demanded His tears. Love without sorrow over rejection would not be perfect love.
This verse also shows that God holds people accountable for recognizing His work. Jerusalem had every opportunity, but blindness and hardness of heart prevailed.
c. If you had known… especially in this your day
Jesus pointed to the unique significance of this day. It was not just any day, but the very day foretold by prophecy. Daniel 9:25 predicted that “from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks.” Sir Robert Anderson, in The Coming Prince, famously calculated that this amounted to 483 years (of 360-day prophetic years) from Artaxerxes’ decree in 445 B.C. to rebuild Jerusalem, culminating exactly on the day of Christ’s triumphal entry.
This was indeed the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). Yet the people did not know the time of their visitation. Instead of rejoicing in God’s fulfillment, they stumbled over the very cornerstone (Psalm 118:22).
d. The things that make for your peace
The irony is stark. Jerusalem, whose very name means “city of peace,” did not recognize the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Their desire for a political, military Messiah blinded them to the One who came first to bring peace with God through the cross (Romans 5:1). By rejecting Him, they ensured their destruction.
e. Days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you
Jesus then described in chilling detail the coming judgment:
The building of an embankment around the city.
The surrounding of Jerusalem, laying siege.
The destruction of the city.
The slaughter of its inhabitants.
The complete leveling of the city, leaving no stone upon another.
Every detail was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Roman legions under Titus besieged Jerusalem. Josephus, the Jewish historian, describes how the Romans built an embankment that shut the people in, leading to famine, disease, and eventual slaughter.
Josephus records the horror: “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 putrefaction running about them, he gave a groan, and spreading out his hands to heaven, called God to witness this was not his doing.”
As Spurgeon commented after citing this, “There is nothing in history to exceed this horror. But even this is nothing compared with the destruction of a soul.”
f. Because you did not know the time of your visitation
The tragedy lay in their failure to recognize the moment God had visited them in the person of His Son. Blindness to His coming meant certain destruction. This remains the great tragedy of unbelief: God offers peace, but when rejected, only judgment remains.
5. (Luke 19:45–48) The cleansing of the temple
Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.
a. He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it
This cleansing of the temple is distinct from the earlier cleansing recorded in John 2:13–22, which occurred at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Now, at the close of His ministry, He repeated the action, bookending His work with the same righteous zeal for His Father’s house.
The merchants and moneychangers operated in collusion with the priests. Visitors who traveled great distances to worship were forced to exchange their foreign currency for temple-approved coins at exorbitant rates and to purchase “approved” sacrificial animals at inflated prices. Barclay notes that a pair of doves could cost as little as 4 pence outside the temple but as much as 75 pence inside—nearly twenty times more expensive. This was exploitation under the guise of religion.
Jesus’ anger was not only toward the sellers but also toward the buyers: “Sellers and buyers viewed as one company — kindred in spirit, to be cleared out wholesale… The traffic was necessary, and might have been innocent; but the trading spirit soon develops abuses which were doubtless rampant at that period.” (Bruce)
His cleansing was more than reform; it was a prophetic sign-act. As France observed, “There is no indication, nor is it likely, that any lasting reform was achieved; no doubt the tables were back for the rest of the week, and Jesus took no further action.” Rather, this symbolic act proclaimed God’s judgment upon a corrupt system that had lost its true purpose.
b. My house is a house of prayer
Jesus quoted from Isaiah 56:7: “Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer… For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Mark’s account (Mark 11:17) preserves the fuller wording, emphasizing that the temple was intended as a place for all nations to seek the Lord.
By turning the Court of the Gentiles—the only place where non-Jews could pray—into a noisy marketplace, Israel had robbed the nations of access to God. Barclay notes, “In that uproar of buying and selling and bargaining and auctioneering prayer was impossible. Those who sought God’s presence were being debarred from it by the very people of God’s House.”
Instead of being a house of prayer, the temple had become a “den of thieves,” a place where corruption hid under the cloak of religion. Jeremiah 7:11 gives the background to this phrase: “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the LORD. Jesus declared that the temple was no longer a sanctuary of God’s presence, but a cave where robbers concealed their crimes.
c. And He was teaching daily in the temple
After cleansing the temple, Jesus did not withdraw. Instead, He filled it with its proper function: teaching and healing (Matthew 21:14). His actions demonstrated that the temple was His Father’s house, and He, as Messiah, had full authority over it.
The religious leaders were enraged. Luke records: “But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him.” Their authority was threatened, and their corrupt profits endangered. Yet they were restrained, “for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.”
This phrase, literally meaning that the people were “hanging upon His words,” shows the magnetic power of His teaching. While the leaders hardened their hearts, the common people were drawn to Him, sensing the truth and authority that exposed the emptiness of their rulers.
Concluding reflection on Luke 19
This chapter presents a progression of themes that culminate in judgment and authority:
Zacchaeus’ salvation shows Christ’s mission to seek and save the lost (vv. 1–10).
The parable of the minas teaches faithfulness in stewardship during the King’s absence (vv. 11–27).
The triumphal entry displays the paradox of a humble yet victorious King (vv. 28–40).
Jesus weeping over Jerusalem reveals divine sorrow over human blindness (vv. 41–44).
The cleansing of the temple demonstrates His authority to judge corruption in God’s house (vv. 45–48).
The chapter ends with a stark contrast: the leaders plotting His death, and the people hanging on His words. It prepares the way for the final confrontation between Jesus and the powers of Jerusalem that will lead Him to the cross.
