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. Luke 19:37
The Mount of Olives is an interesting place, mentioned several times in the Gospels. But it is also mentioned in the Old Testament, particularly in Zechariah 14:4 where it speaks of the second coming of Jesus Christ as the King to begin His reign of a thousand years: And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. Verse 9 of the same chapter makes it plain that this is to be the introduction to the Millenium: And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His Name one. At that appearance, all opposition will be swept away, and nothing will stand in the way of His kingdom. Our text gives a brief glimpse of that great event, although we know that it was followed by the rejection of the King at that time. But there were some who acknowledged His title.
Those who led the cheers as Jesus approached Jerusalem were, according to our text, the whole multitude of the disciples. This would include the 12 constant companions of the Lord Jesus, as well as the others who accompanied them, including the women who ministered to them. It would also include large numbers of those who had been drawn to the Lord Jesus by His preaching and teaching. Others surrounding them would no doubt be attracted by the excitement and would recognize that Jesus was apparently fulfilling the Scriptures concerning His entrance to Jerusalem. A crowd gathers a crowd, so even some uninterested people would come along for the fun. Regardless, God arranged for His Son to be given something of a welcome into Jerusalem, even on this occasion when He would be ultimately rejected, despised, and forsaken. He entered then, as He will enter in a coming day. His kingdom was welcomed by a few then; it will be welcomed by all in that coming day.
We know what happened after Jesus’ first entry into Jerusalem as its King. But even in His death, His title did not go unrecognized. Remember what Pilate had written on the sign on the cross: This is the King of the Jews (Luke 23:38). The Jewish leaders didn’t like it, and Pilate’s motives for writing it were deeply suspect. And the crown He wore was fashioned in mockery from a symbol of the curse of sin. How much different will be His next appearance, when He returns to the Mount of Olives to enter His royal city to take His rightful throne in absolute power.
The Lord Jesus is our King. Someday the world that rejected Him as its King will acknowledge that He has every right to that title. -Jim MacIntosh