THE LAST WEEK, Luke 19:28 - 22:53 God has a timetable of events planned from the beginning. Nothing catches Him by surprise, and nothing occurs without a divine purpose. Luke was a perceptive man, and as he recorded what he learned from “eyewitnesses” of “all that Jesus began to do and teach,” a shift occurred in the narrative. Beginning in verse twenty-eight of the book, the focus moves to what happened during the last week of Jesus’ public ministry.
Chapter nineteen describes Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and His feelings as He looks toward the future of David’s city. Chapter twenty covers Jesus’ interactions with the religious leaders of the priesthood and those openly opposing Him, including their outright rejection of Him. The priests at that time were Sadducees, who did not believe in the existence of life after death. Chapter twenty-one presents teachings about the future. Chapter twenty-two details the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. Chapter twenty-three narrates the false trials and the events that occurred on the day Jesus was crucified at Calvary. Chapter twenty-four offers a glorious conclusion to the story of His ministry and the worldwide impact of His resurrection, both then and now.
The road from Jericho passed by Bethpage and Bethany, over the Mount of Olives, and into Jerusalem. From the heights of Olivet, His eyes saw a wide view of humanity spread out before Him. What human eyes couldn’t see were the hearts of the city's people, which stayed silent as Jesus descended that final mile on that special day. He entered the city amid the shouts of those who followed Him and believed He was the promised Messiah of Israel.
The next day, He focused His activity on the temple and what was happening there. It was the center of the Jewish religion and would have been crowded with visitors from all over for the Passover celebrations. By cleansing the temple of commercial merchants, He claimed God's authority over everything that occurred there, including what the priests and elders of the people had permitted. This provoked their hostility and open opposition against the Lord Jesus. His prophecy about the destruction of the temple and His future return in clear and righteous authority over Israel and all nations was especially important.