THE GLORY ROAD: LESSON 4 – March 25th, 2018

Luke 19:28-44 “The Big Dance!”

“I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out!”   Luke 19:40

OPENING: Finish this sentence.  To me, The Glory Road is .

TEXT: Read Luke 19:28-40 slowly and prayerfully using different readers and/or translations.

1. How would you describe what is happening in this passage?  What is being emphasized, repeated and highlighted? How does Luke want us to see Jesus?  How does Jesus want himself to be perceived? What does this passage say about us, the disciples, the Pharisees and the crowds?  How do you think you would have responded if you were there?

1. Why is this passage called “The Triumphal Entry”?  Some scholars think this entry into Jerusalem is both complex and tense.  What elements surprise you? What emotions do you think you might have felt if you were present that day?  How does the colt and the laying of the cloaks add color to who Jesus was and why this day was so significant?  In Luke’s account they shouted with a loud voice, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  What does that mean and why is it so significant?  Who do you suppose the Pharisees wanted Jesus to rebuke?  What does Jesus response to the Pharisees reveal to us about what it means to worship Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?

1. Psalm 118 lays the backdrop for Luke’s account of the entry.  Read Psalm 118:22-29. This psalm was a processional praise song, sung on the glory road to Jerusalem.  How does this Psalm change your perspective on The Triumphal Entry? Hosanna is not mere praise, it is a cry out for deliverance.  In what areas of your life do you need the Lord to deliver you and give you peace? What are some of the hurdles that are keeping you from experiencing his deliverance?  In what ways is your life filled with joy, gladness and thanksgiving? How can we do a better job of rejoicing in the deliverance and peace of the Lord together?

1. DIG DEEPER: Compare each parallel account in all four gospels.  In John 12:9-19, John adds a couple of important details; 1) The chief priests wanted to kill Lazarus, 2) The disciples didn’t understand, 3) The crowd went after Jesus.  How do these details change your perspective of what we have just studied in Luke? In what ways do we not get the significance and meaning of Palm Sunday? In John 12:23-26 we see another example of THE GLORY ROAD, what is it and what does it look like for you to travel on it?

1. THE BIG DANCE: Everyone has been invited to participate in THE BIG DANCE!  Luke 19:41-44 is actually part of The Triumphal Entry.” Why do you think Jesus wept over Jerusalem?  Do you weep over Harrisonville or Cass County? Instead of peace and glory, the Jews chose to reject Jesus over reigning over them.  In what ways have you rejected the invitation of Jesus to reign over your life? What are some consequences if you fail to let him reign?  What are some blessings if you let him?

NEXT STEP: Pray for Easter.  Pray for lives to be changed where we live, work, study and play!