RELATED SCRIPTURES

Such a poignant story of Jesus and what was taking place before Passover and afterward. On one hand, people had seen the many miracles that Jesus performed, and as the crowds gathered, they were praising him as the King who came in the name of the Lord. Some of the Pharisees didn't like this, and told Jesus that he should reprimand his followers.

To get the context read chapters 19-23 of Luke, which go into detail about Jesus before his trial in front of the religious council and being sent to Pilate. Then, he sent him to Herod who then sent him back to Pilate, after questioning him extensively. Both Pilate and Herod found no fault worthy of death in Jesus.

I've marveled at this story and wept over it. One day the crowds are loudly praising the coming KING sitting on a donkey colt, and waving palm branches as he passes by. The very next day changed dramatically, as Jesus was arrested and found guilty in front of the Sanhedrin (the religious council of Jewish leaders). Then they sent him over to Pontious Pilate, urging him to put him to death, because they didn't have the authority to do it. Pilate was the Roman leader who presided over Jerusalem, and he didn't find him guilty of anything worthy of death. The Pharisees exclaimed that Jesus said he was the long awaited King of the Jews. They said, "we have no king but Caesar."

Jesus was numbered among three other prisoners that were set to be put to death. We know there must have been three because Barabbas would be released. There were two others who were crucified at the same time Jesus was crucified. Pilate said he would release one of the the three other men back to the people, and he said that he found no fault in Jesus worthy of being put to death. The religious leaders stirred up a crowd of people who began shouting, "crucify him and release Barabbas to us (who was an insurrectionist and murderer). Again Pilate said "I find no fault in this man worthy of death" The crowd shouted all the more to crucify Jesus and release Barabbas.

Pilate in front of everyone had a basin of water brought to him and said he was washing his hands of the matter and that the blood of Jesus would not be on his hands. At this point Jesus had already been severely flogged and beaten.

The religious leaders said "let him be crucified," and Pilate gave in to their demands, as he feared that there would be trouble over this if he didn't. He said to them take him and do as you wish, and they said "the blood is on our hands," because they believed that they were doing it as a service to God, because Jesus claimed to be God. The whole story can be found in the other gospels but I chose to hone in on the gospel of Luke.

Just as the scriptures tell us in verses 43-44 of Luke 19, Jesus prophesied about what was coming for Israel because they had rejected their Messiah. The Romans under the General Titus, came against Jerusalem and utterly destroyed the Jewish Temple in 70 A.D. They laid siege against it earlier than this date, and they finally overtook it when they destroyed much of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. Look it up for yourself and you will find that the assault against the Jews and Jerusalem was relentless, until they destroyed it and the Temple. --Cheryl
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Luke 19:30-44 -- Saying (Jesus is speaking here), Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.
³¹ And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
³² And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.
³³ And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?
³⁴ And they said, The Lord hath need of him.
³⁵ And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
³⁶ And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
³⁷ And when he was come nigh, even now at 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 that they had seen;
³⁸ Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
³⁹ And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
⁴⁰ And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
⁴¹ And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
⁴² Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
⁴³ For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
⁴⁴ And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.