Lesson

#14
Confronta/on
(19: 28 21: 38)

Confronta*on

Lesson #13 oered a planned departure from a close examina7on of Lukes text,
an excursus on Luke himself and on the Roman Empire at the 7me of the gospels
composi7on.
All three synop7c gospels were wriCen 30-40 years aGer Jesus walked this earth,
and each one of the gospels portrays Jesus in light of the events that followed his
death, burial and resurrec7on. Consequently, each gospel writer looks back at
Jesus life, and his view of Jesus is colored by his personal experience, by his
understanding of the historical events that took place during his own life7me and
by the culture in which he lived.
The Gospel according to Luke was probably wriCen some7me during the early to
mid 70s, a 7me of enormous turmoil in the Roman Empire. As we learned in our
studies of MaChew and Mark, the back-story begins with the emperor Nero, who
rose to power in A.D. 54. A brutal sociopath, Nero murdered his mother Agrippina
in A.D. 59, set re to Rome in A.D. 64 (blaming the re on the Chris7ans) and
began the rst state-sponsored persecu7on of the Church in Rome, A.D. 64-68.

Confronta*on

During Neros reign the great Jewish revolt of A.D. 66-73 began, a revolt that
resulted in the death of 1.2 million Jews, the destruc7on of Jerusalem and the
Temple, and the Jewish exile from Pales7ne that lasted nearly 2,000 years, un7l
the founding of the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948.
This experience was a current event at the 7me the Gospel according to Luke was
being composed, and it could not help but color our authors understanding of
Jesus thoughts and ac7ons.
In addi7on, Luke was a gen7lethe only gen7le writer of Scriptureand he
learned of Jesus through his associa7on with St. Paul. Consequently, we
hypothesized that Lukes understanding of Jesus was deeply colored by Pauls high
Christological views.
In Lesson #13 we examined these various factors and how they may have
inuenced Lukes portrayal of Jesus in his gospel.

Confronta*on

Jesus enters Jerusalem on the feast of Passover, A.D. 32. Hundreds of

thousands of pilgrims have arrived from every corner of the Roman Empire, and
the atmosphere crackles with discontent under the heavy hand of Roman rule.
The procurator, Pon7us Pilate, has brought a por7on of the 10th Roman Legion
up from Caesarea Mari7ma on the coast, and they have taken up residence in
the Antonia Fortress near the northwestern corner of the Temple plaborm. The
religious authori7es tread carefully, striving migh7ly to avoid any hint of civil
unrest or insipient rebellion.
In the midst of it all, Jesus enters Jerusalem publically, and with his promp7ng,
huge crowds loudly proclaim him king. Then, aGer physically aCacking the
moneychangers and merchants at the Temples southern steps, Jesus engages
the religious leaders in a series of escala7ng encounters, playing to the crowds
and denouncing the religious authori7es with scathing, barbed cri7cism.

Confronta*on

We have seen that in Luke, Jesus

public ministry consists of three
phases:
1. The Galilean ministry (3: 23 9: 50)
2. The Journey to Jerusalem (9: 51 19: 27)
3. The Jerusalem ministry (19: 28 23: 56)

As we enter Lesson #14 we begin

Phase #3, the Jerusalem ministry.

Confronta*on

Pietro Lorenzeg. Triumphal Entry (fresco, southern transept), 1320.

Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy.

Confronta*on

Jesus Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

(19: 28-48)
After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up
to Jerusalem. As he drew near to Bethphange and
Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he
sent two of his disciples. He said, Go into the village
opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt
tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and
bring it here. And if anyone should ask you, Why are
you untying it? you will answer, The Master has need
of it. So those who had been sent went off and
found everything just as he had told them.
(19: 28-31)

Confronta*on

Jordan River "

Old Roman Road"

Mt. of Olives "

! Jericho

! Bethphage/Bethany

Jerusalem "

Dead
Sea

Confronta*on

Bethany, home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, is 1.5 miles east of Jerusalem on the
south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Confronta*on

Jesus Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

(19: 28-48)
So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the
colt, and helped Jesus to mount. As he rode along, the
people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as
he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the
whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud
with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They
proclaimed:
Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest.

(19: 35-38)

Confronta*on

10

The words of the crowd are posi7vely

incendiary!
Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest.

Luke draws on MaChew and Mark for the

words of the crowd, a quote from Psalm 118:
26, but only Luke adds the word king to the
quote, making explicit the crowds
proclama7on of a new king, one represen7ng
in a new kingdom.
Jesus triumphal entry deliberately recalls
Solomons entry into Jerusalem, when David
elevates him to the throne in 1 Kings 1:
38-40.
Confronta*on

11

Circle of Adriaan Verdoel, The Anoin/ng of Solomon (oil on panel), c. 1600.

Chris7s, Sale 2650/Lot 41 (previously in the Hague, Amsterdam).

Confronta*on

12

Temple

Palm Sunday road "

X
Mount of Olives

Confronta*on

13

Dome of the Rock "

(Temple in Jesus Day)

! Eastern Plaborm Wall "

The Palm Sunday road on the Mount of Olives, the path that Jesus rode
down as he entered Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Confronta*on

14

Antonia Fortress "

Royal Por7co "

! Temple

Southern Steps "

Eastern Wall "

! Golden Gate

! Kidron Valley "

The Temple in Jesus day.

(1.50 scale model of 1st-century Jerusalem, Israel Museum.)

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Confronta*on

15

Meanwhile, Pon7us Pilate had moved

security forces up from Caesarea
Mari7ma to the Antonia Fortress in
Jerusalem, where he could keep an
eye on the massive crowds who had
arrived in Jerusalem for the
pilgrimage feast of Passover.

Confronta*on

16

GioCo. Pon7us Pilate, detail from Mocking Christ (fresco), 1305.

Arena Chapel (south wall), Padua, Italy.

Confronta*on

17

Caesarea Mari7ma "

! Via Maris

Joppa "
!Linking Road, Joppa to Jerusalem
(and onward, down to Jericho
and east to Rabbah (Amman, Jordan))

!Jerusalem

Confronta*on

18

The Mount of Olives is clearly visible

from the southern steps of the
Temple and from the Antonia
Fortress, giving both Pilate and the
Jewish religious leaders a clear view
of Jesus triumphal entry and of the
cheering crowd proclaiming a new
king!

Confronta*on

19

Mt. of Olives

Dr. Creasy teaching on the Southern Steps of the Temple plaborm.

(The Mt. of Olives is clearly visible at the top leG, less that 500 yards away.)
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Confronta*on

20

 Wow! Jesus is cour7ng disaster!

Staging his entry into Jerusalem
as a kingin full view of the
Roman and religious authori7es
is provoking, to say the least!

Not me.
Maybe he didnt
mean it that way.

Confronta*on

21

Jesus Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

(19: 28-48)
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,
Teacher, rebuke your disciples. He said to them in
reply, I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will
cry out.
(19: 39-40)

Confronta*on

22

I guess I was
wrong about
that.

Confronta*on

23

Jesus Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

(19: 28-48)
As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it,
saying, If this day you only knew what makes for
peacebut now it is hidden from your eyes. For the
days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise
a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem
you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground
and your children within you, and they will not leave
one stone upon another because you did not recognize
the time of your visitation.
(19: 41-44)

Confronta*on

24

Enrique Simonet. Flevit super illam (oil on canvas), 1892.

Museum of Mlaga, Spain.

Confronta*on

25

As we noted in Lesson #13, when the Jewish

Revolt began in A.D. 66, Nero chose Vespasian to
suppress it. Coming out of re7rement, Vespasian
commanded two Roman legions (the 5th and 10th),
eight cavalry squadrons and ten auxiliary cohorts,
Vespasian was joined by his son, Titus, who
commanded the 15th Roman Legion. With the
death of Nero in A.D. 68, Vespasian leG for Rome
to claim the throne, leaving Titus in command.
By the summer of A.D. 70, Titus had breached the
city walls of Jerusalem and captured the Temple.
During the erce gh7ng the Temple complex
caught re, and on Tisha BAv (29/30 July A.D. 70)
the temple fell. The re spread quickly to the city
itself, destroying most of it. Over half a million
Jews fought the Romans in Jerusalem; those
captured were crucied, up to 500 per day; and
historians es7mate that 1.2 million Jews died
during the revolt.

Confronta*on

26

For Luke, this was all front-

page news, happening at the
very 7me he was draGing his
gospel, and Luke has Jesus
foreseeing it allwith crystal
clarity.

Confronta*on

27



m
e
l
a
s
u
r
e
J

!
s
l
l
a
F

Confronta*on

28

David Roberts. The Siege and Destruc/on of Jerusalem by the Romans under the
Command of Titus, A.D. 70 (oil on canvas), 1850. Private Collec7on.

Confronta*on

29

East Gate "

When Jesus arrives at the Temple, he went directly to the southern steps.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Confronta*on

30

Antonia Fortress

Southern Steps

Southern steps of the Temple where the money changers and merchants were located.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Confronta*on

31

Jesus Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

(19: 28-48)
Then Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to
drive out those who were selling things, saying to
them, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you
have made it a den of thieves. And every day he was
teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the
scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were
seeking to put him to death, but they could find no
way to accomplish their purpose because all the people
were hanging on his words.
(19: 45-48)

Confronta*on

32

El Greco. Christ Driving the Traders from the Temple (oil on canvas), c. 1600.
Na7onal Gallery, London.

Confronta*on

33

Once in Jerusalem, Jesus teaches every day at

the southern steps, gathering ever-growing
crowdsand increasing opposi7on from the
religious leaders. Luke gives us three
examples:
1. Ques7on about Jesus authority
(20: 1-19)
2. Ques7on about paying taxes to Rome
(20: 20-26)
3. Ques7on about the resurrec7on
(20: 27-40)
The three ques7ons are followed by a
scathing denuncia7on of the religious leaders
(20: 41-47).

Confronta*on

34

1. Ques7on about Jesus authority

(20: 1-19)
2. Ques7on about paying taxes to
Rome (20: 20-26)
3. Ques7on about the resurrec7on
(20: 27-40)

Confronta*on

35

Parable of the Tenant Farmers

Confronta*on

36

1. Ques7on about Jesus authority

(20: 1-19)
2. Ques7on about paying taxes to
Rome (20: 20-26)
3. Ques7on about the resurrec7on
(20: 27-40)

Confronta*on

37

Silver denarius with the Emperor Tiberias (reign, A.D. 14-37).

The inscrip7on reads: Caesar Augustus Tiberias, son of the Divine Augustus.
The reverse features Livia, wife of Augustus and mother of Tiberias, as Pax (Peace).

Confronta*on

38

1. Ques7on about Jesus authority

(20: 1-19)
2. Ques7on about paying taxes to
Rome (20: 20-26)
3. Ques7on about the resurrec7on
(20: 27-40)

Confronta*on

39

Resurrec7on of the Dead, Holy Thorn Reliquary [detail], c. 1390.

Bri7sh Museum, London.

Created in Paris for John, Duke of Berry, to house a relic of the crown of thorns.
Bequeathed to the Bri/sh Museum in 1898 by Ferdinand de Rothschild.

Confronta*on

40

Jesus follows this by posing a paradox

that the religious leaders cannot answer:
Then he said to them, How do they claim
that the Messiah is the Son of David? For
David himself in the Book of Psalms says:
The Lord said to my lord,
Sit at my right hand
Till I make your enemies your footstool.

Now if David calls him lord, how can he

be his son?





(20: 41-44)

Confronta*on

41

Ah, ha! If the Messiah is Davids lord,

then he must be greater than David. But
as Jesus says in Revela7on 22: 16, I am
the root and ospring of David; that is,
Jesus is both the creator and the
descendant of David. Only the Son of
God made esh could say that.

Not me.

My, arent you

clever!

Confronta*on

42

Jesus then closes with a scathing

denuncia7on of the religious
leaders:
Then, within the hearing of all the
people, he said to [his] disciples, Be on
guard against the scribes, who like to go
around in long robes and love gree/ngs
in marketplaces, seats of honor in
synagogues, and places of honor at
banquets. They devour the houses of
widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy
prayers. They will receive a very severe
condemna/on.





(20: 45-47)

Confronta*on

43

This leads us right into the story of

the widows mite:
When he looked up he saw some
wealthy people pueng their oerings
into the treasury and he no/ced a poor
widow pueng in two small coins. He
said, I tell you truly, this poor widow put
in more than all the rest; for those others
have all made oerings from their
surplus, but she, from her poverty, has
oered her whole livelihood.





(21: 1-4)

Confronta*on

44

Unknown Ar7st. The Widows Mite (mosaic), 6th century.

Basilica di SantApollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy.
Confronta*on

45

The widows mite (Greek = leptovn, singular; leptav, plural: meaning small) is
a 7ny copper coin, the smallest denomina7on, equivalent to about a penny.

Confronta*on

46

This story is almost always read as a

commenda7on of the poor widow, who has
given all she has to God.
It is just the opposite. In the previous verse
(20: 47), Jesus excoriates the religious
leaders who devour the houses of
widowsand then, in the very next verse,
we have a poor, impoverished widow who
gives everything she has to the religious
leaders!
The story of the widows mite is not a
commenda7on of the widow, but a
condemna7on of the religious leaders who
have taken advantage of such gullible
widows to ll their coers.

Confronta*on

47

I had never
thought of it that
Not me.
way.
Now, that is
clever!

Confronta*on

48

In the closing sec7on (21:

5-38) we have Lukes version
of the Olivet discourse from
Mark 13 and MaChew 24,
once again stressing the
catastrophe to come upon
Jerusalem, followed by the
imminent return of Christ and
the coming of the Kingdom of
God.

Confronta*on

49

Gustave Dor. The Triumph of Chris/anity over Paganism (oil on canvas), 1868.
Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Confronta*on

50

1. Why does Jesus enter Jerusalem, riding down the

Mount of Olives on a colt?
2. Why did the religious leaders not arrest Jesus
immediately?
3. In Mark, once Jesus enters Jerusalem he is extremely
confronta7onal. How would you describe his agtude
and ac7ons in Luke?
4. How can the religious leaders stop Jesus, without
s7rring up a riot?
5. What is the lesson of the g tree?

Confronta*on

51

Copyright 2015 by William C. Creasy

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Confronta*on

52