1. Describe an opportunity you had to affirm, celebrate, or praise someone that was meaningful to them and to you. 

This question is designed to help group members begin identifying with the people in Luke 19 who gathered to “joyfully praise God in loud voices” as Jesus passed by them on the colt.

2. Read Luke 19:28-40 together as a group. Describe the different responses that people had to Jesus? 

● v. 29-32 - Jesus sent out two of his disciples with specific instructions and they immediately obeyed

● v. 33-34 - the owners of the colt immediately gave permission for the disciples to take the colt when they discovered it was Jesus who needed it 

● v. 35 - the disciples put their cloaks on the colt for Jesus to ride 

● v. 36 - people spread their cloaks on the road for Jesus to ride over them 

● v. 37-38 - “the whole crowd of disciples” joyfully praised God for the miracles they had seen

● v. 39 - the Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke his disciples for what they thought were blasphemous words of praise 

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3. What do we learn about Jesus through how people responded to Him and to what He said? 

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● v. 29-32 - Jesus is worthy of our obedience whenever He asks us to step out in faith, as modeled by the two disciples who promptly acted in retrieving the colt. 

● v. 32 - when the two disciples “found it just as he had told them,” it helped them understand that Jesus already knows the future. Therefore, He would not be surprised by what was about to take place in Jerusalem. One commentator said, “He knows exactly what He is riding into … in effect, Jesus is directing the sequence of events that leads to his death.”

● v. 33-34 - Jesus is worthy of our obedience whenever He asks us to release our resources in accomplishing His purposes. Historical note: at that time, Jesus was well known and very popular. Many hoped that He would be a national leader who could restore Israel’s independence away from Roman rule. That possibly explains why the colt’s owners were so willing to release it to Jesus’ disciples. Also, there was a cultural custom where dignitaries, such as rabbi’s, could procure the use of other’s property for their personal reasons. As Jesus was considered a rabbi, His request would not seem unusual. 

● v. 35 - the imagery of Jesus riding on a colt (“donkey” in Matthew 21:2) is a direct fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 (“See your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey.”) But Jesus’ entrance on a donkey was a sign of humility and service; not posing a threat to Roman rule by coming to seize power. 

● v. 35-36 - Jesus is worthy of our highest honor, as modeled by the disciples and the crowd along the road who threw down their cloaks in front of Him as He rode before them. It was a sign of regal respect, much as a red carpet functions today. Historical note: When Jehu was anointed king of 

Israel, people immediately took off their cloaks and spread them under his feet (2 Kings 9:13)

● v. 37 - Jesus is worthy of our “joyful praise in loud voices for all the miracles” that we see. The people were well aware of Jesus' miraculous healings such as the blind beggar that He had recently restored (Luke 18:35-43 - note that when the blind beggar was healed, he began praising God as did all the people who witnessed the miracle). 

● v. 37 - “the whole crowd of disciples” does not indicate that everyone in the crowd were authentic disciples of Jesus, but that His true followers were the source of praise that inspired others to join with them. But in following the lead of those sincere followers, they could just as easily be swayed to flip in their allegiance to Jesus, especially when He didn’t fulfill their political expectations of a conquering Messiah. 

● v. 38 - By referencing Psalm 118:26, the people were proclaiming their praise to Jesus as the King who had been sent by God with His authority. They also noted the presence of peace and glory in heaven, alluding to the angels’ declaration at the time of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:14. 

● v. 39 - the Pharisees demanded that Jesus rebuke His disciples for proclaiming His kingship. To them, ascribing such praise to Jesus was blasphemous. But they also didn’t want anyone threatening their positions of power and authority. Additionally, they were concerned that any kind of political revolt would bring the Roman authorities to intervene. 

● v. 40 - Jesus’ reply, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out,” references Habakkuk 2:11 where the prophet is pronouncing judgement on Judah, just before the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586 BC. He is declaring that “the stones of the wall will cry out” in condemning the sins of the people in their rebellion towards God. In essence, Jesus is saying that stones are able to speak out people’s sins, just as Habakkuk declared. Also, those same inanimate stones will speak out praise if people do not. His inanimate creation knew more about who He was, then the Pharisees did.

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4. What are common thoughts that people have about Jesus today? 

Some common responses might include: 

● Role model, moral teacher, someone to admire 

● Someone who is inclusive or tolerant (especially if they aren’t aware of all that He teaches or commands) 

● A real person but unclear as to whether He is truly God or not

In many ways, people have a tendency to “commandeer” Jesus and see Him as a lot of different things. People are selective about what they pay attention to in what Jesus says. But if they truly understood who Jesus really was and what He really was about, He may not get as much positive acclaim since Jesus does and says some very difficult things.

5. In your life, what could it look like to give Jesus the praise and honor that He deserves? 

Before having people respond, provide an opportunity for them to think about how they might have honored Jesus in the past or how they might be able to do that in the future.