3/30/25
Rev. Clint Smith
Sermon Direct Link
Doctor Luke provides us with a well-ordered account of Jesus’ movements and motives leading up to His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. The heart of God was on display as Jesus passed through Jericho (the City of Palms), ascended the Mount of Olives, and ultimately entered Jerusalem (the Holy City).
While traveling through Jericho, Jesus had a divine appointment with Zacchaeus, a wealthy but despised tax collector of short stature. Zacchaeus joyfully welcomed Jesus into his home and experienced salvation. Meanwhile, the townspeople reacted with disbelief and complaints at Jesus’ presence.
Continuing His journey, Jesus taught along the way, steadily making His nearly eighteen-mile ascent toward the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. His disciples, listening intently, assumed the kingdom of God would appear immediately upon His arrival in the Holy City.
To correct this misunderstanding, Jesus shared a powerful parable, revealing that the coming of God’s kingdom was set for a later time. He also emphasized that every disciple must remain actively engaged in sharing the one and only gospel—no one possesses a better gospel.
Upon reaching the vicinity of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, Jesus instructed two of His disciples to enter the city and retrieve a donkey for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem for the Jewish Passover. In doing so, He fulfilled prophecy.
As Jesus descended from the Mount of Olives, a multitude of His disciples rejoiced, praising God for the mighty works they had witnessed. In contrast, the Pharisees, steeped in willful unbelief, jeered at Him.
Approaching Jerusalem, Jesus beheld the city and wept aloud over it, grieving the unbelief and spiritual blindness of its people. He lamented, “If only you had known on this day of salvation—even you—the things that make for peace and on which peace depends!”
Jesus has come to our town – what will you do with Jesus?