The Joy and Pain of Providence (Luke 19:28-44, Jeff Kliewer)

Father, thank you so much for all that is happening here at this church. We thank you for the mission team that's been sent off to West Virginia as they are there now ministering, Lord. We pray that you would use them.

We thank you for all the missionaries around the world that we have a part in supporting. We ask that you use them on this Lord's Day. And God, we pray also that you would speak to us here in this place on this Lord's Day, that we would know you more, that we would rest in you, trust you more, speak to us, God.

We are listening. In Jesus' name. Amen. Many of you know that this is the 500th anniversary this year of the Protestant Reformation. It began in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg.

But there was some providence of God which behind the scenes was working to make that Protestant Reformation happen. To make it take off. The printing press was invented in the late 1400s and by the time that Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the church door, printing was available so that within two years of that event Martin Luther had become the most published author in the world.

By 1522 he had produced a hundred and sixty writings that went to publication. It turned out that his short treaties and his pamphlets that he was writing were perfect for the printing press. But think about this.

God was the one who behind the scenes was ushering everything into place so that the Protestant Reformation would be launched when the time came. It was not unlike when the time Christ came that everything was set in place for the gospel to run around the world.

The Pax Romana. The peace of Rome. There was no war. Everything was at peace and the Roman roads that had been built just in time for the gospel to begin to run. Plus the language Koine Greek that had begun to dominate across the world.

God's providence put everything in place so that the gospel could triumph and move across the Roman Empire quickly. The providence of God. This morning we're talking about the providence of God and as we jump into it I want to say two words for you to write down and to remember.

Theology matters. Theology matters. Theology matters. If you have a deficient view of God, it will affect all of your life. Theology, of course, is the study of God. Theos God and ology refers to study or knowledge of God.

The way we view God and think about him affects all parts of our lives. There are those who have a deficient view of God's sovereignty of his providence in the world and as a result they're constantly seeing in what ways they are being victimized by secondary causes.

There is a rampant victim mentality in our land and much of that is owed to the fact that people do not understand that we have a God who is overall and is sovereign overall. He is the primary cause such that whatever happens from secondary causes is secondary.

The first one with whom we have to do is God himself. Right now there's a controversy stirring in the Christian world around an apologist named James White. James White is the one who taught me the term theology matters.

But he went to a church on a weekday and had a conversation with a Muslim Imam and so many Christians have become enraged almost about his choosing to do that. That he would sit down with an imam to talk about theology and to talk about God.

The controversy against James White is saying that well the imam is really radical at heart and is not the moderate he claims to be and James White never should have sat down with him and had a conversation.

So many are criticizing him and attacking him for that. Theology matters. You see even if Muslims are planning to do evil things and and there are of course extreme Muslims who have evil designs. Even if that's the case Christians who understand the sovereignty of God and the providence of God do not operate in a spirit of fear.

But in peace and a sound mind. And even if there are secondary causes going on around the world where Christians and Americans are are under threat from Muslims. That's no reason to pull back in fear.

What James White has done in sitting down to talk to an imam and share the gospel with him and listen to what the imam has to say is not compromising the gospel rather it is resting in the sovereignty of God.

Many people are afraid in our land today. Because of the threat of terrorism and it makes sense because terrorists will from time to time strike won't they? There's no way to stop it. And yet a Christian who understands the providence of God that it doesn't only include the good things like the invention of the printing press right in time for Luther to nail the 95 theses and distribute that across Germany.

Or even the foundation of our country. Wasn't God's hand of providence evident in the founding of America? The first great awakening that swept through the colonies that prepared the people spiritually.

The confluence of so many great minds coming together to draft the Constitution of the United States of America. The time was ripe for the founding of this country. The providence of God in the founding of America especially as you study the American Revolution and some of the things that happened in the Revolutionary War.

It was amazing. The providence of God has always been on this country. But his providence is not only in the good things. His providence also governs the bad things that happen. His hand is present in the good and in the bad.

And coming to understand this on the macro level in things like American politics or in debating with Muslims in the case of James White or dealing with fear on the macro level or on the micro level of your own life when something bad happens to you.

Understanding God's providence in both ways is crucial to becoming a mature Christian. A mature Christian recognizes the hand of God and is aware of his providence even in the hard times. So you don't come undone.

You don't become afraid. You recognize that God has a purpose, a plan in whatever things come to pass under the Sun. Whether good or bad. This morning, I believe that the thrust of Luke 19 as you study this portion, this pericope of Scripture from verse 28 to 44, I think the thrust of it is about the providence of God.

His unseen hand that's guiding the events of this life, both good and bad. And so the message is entitled the joy and pain of providence. We're talking about providence. So turn with me if you will to Luke 19 verses 28 and following.

Awareness of God's providence is key to glorifying God and to finding joy in this life and to enduring pain in this life. When I say the word providence, one way to think about it, to help get a handle on what that word means is comparing it to miracles.

A miracle is an unusual occurrence. Providence, by contrast, is an unceasing occurrence. In both cases, miracles and providence, it's the hand of God at work in the world. When Jesus opens blind eyes.

When he heals a leper. When he raises a dead person. This is a very unusual occurrence and some of these unusual things still happen today in the name of Jesus. Miracles still happen. But providence is that unceasing hand of God that sometimes goes unnoticed.

Providence is the rising of the Sun every single day to give light to this world and to make plants grow. And the rains that come that water the earth. It's the oxygen that's provided to our lungs without which we can't breathe.

Providence is the hand of God that's active in the world. The opposite of Christian theism is.

Deism.

Deism says that God created a world, he spun it into existence, and then he stepped back away from the world and he doesn't govern the world actively. He simply creates natural laws and lets it run. And so when bad things happen, hey, God's not responsible for that.

He's not in control of that. It's just a victimizer and a victim. Or a natural disaster and a victim. And hence the victim mentality.

That's deism.

That God has stepped back, but Christian theism says that God is actively involved in the world. And we're gonna see that in the text right now. So Luke 19, 28 and following. And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

Remember that phrase that's been reoccurring on in verse chapter 9, verse 51. He sets his face to go to Jerusalem. So from that point in the text until now, he's on a mission to go to Jerusalem. He set his face to go there.

Following verse 29. When he drew near to Bethpage and Bethany at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples saying, go into the village in front of you where on entering you will find a colt tied on which no one has ever yet sat.

Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, why are you untying it? You shall say this, the Lord has need of it. So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. Providence.

And as they were untying the colt, its owner said to them, why are you untying the colt? And they said, the Lord has need of it. And they brought it to Jesus and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.

This is a story about the providence of God. Providence, when we see it and recognize it, brings glory to God. In his providence, he governs the world and in recognizing that, we glorify God for his activity in the world.

Looking back at verse 28, he's on a mission. Setting his face indicates that he has a purpose. Chapter 9, verse 51. He has set his face to go to Jerusalem and here he's leaving Jericho, about 25 miles left to go through that winding road, making the ascent up to Jerusalem from the east Jesus is on the move with a purpose.

He draws near to Bethpage and Bethany at the mount that is called Olivet. He sent two of the disciples saying, go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied on which no one has ever yet sat.

Untie it and bring it here. Why? Is Jesus sending two disciples to go find a donkey? Well, those of us who have been familiar with the scriptures and studied, we recognize Zechariah 9 .9 at this point.

The prophet Zechariah, second to last book of the Old Testament, four to five hundred years before this event takes place, says, behold, your king comes. Having salvation, humble, gentle, and riding on a donkey.

Even the colt, a foal of a donkey, a young donkey on which no one has ever yet sat. And so Zechariah 9 .9 prophesied this event. Notice also that he's coming in from the east. He's arising from Jericho on the east side of the city, coming through Bethany and Bethpage to the east of the city, and going over the Mount of Olives, which extends almost the entire range of the east side of the city.

Climbing one side and going down and entering through the eastern gate. What significance is there to the Mount of Olives? Well, Zechariah also tells us in chapter 14 verse 4 that when the king comes, he will set his foot on the Mount of Olives, and it will split from east to west.

Pushing to the north a higher mountain, to the south a higher mountain, as Messiah, as the king, sets his foot on the Mount of Olives. In this first entrance into the city, this doesn't happen. But at the second coming of Christ, when he comes to reign as king in Jerusalem, he will set his foot right there again on the Mount of Olives, and the mountain will split in two at the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ.

He's coming. But there's more to this eastward movement from Jericho up into Jerusalem. The book of Ezekiel comes at a time of exile, and just before the exile, when the people are taken away into captivity in the east, in Babylon, in Assyria.

At that time, Ezekiel gets a vision. Chapters 8 through 11. I've given you the references here in the notes. You can look them up later. But Ezekiel, in his vision, sees what is called the glory of God.

The glory of God in the temple of God. But in Ezekiel's vision, because the nation has hardened their hearts against God and moved away from God, the glory of God begins to depart. And we see this happen in stages.

From the temple of God, it goes from the Holy of Holies. This glory goes to the threshold of the temple.

And.

Then in a second stage, it moves from the temple to the eastern gate of the city of Jerusalem. And then it departs over the eastern mountain, what we call the Mount of Olives, and is gone. So the departing of the glory of God pictures God removing himself from the temple because of their apostasy.

In his judgment, taking away that visible manifestation of his glory. Now that visible manifestation of his glory was often called the Shekinah glory. The word Shekinah actually doesn't appear in the scriptures, but it's a combination of two Hebrew words that mean to dwell.

Shekan. God was dwelling or tabernacling amongst the people of Israel. And often that glory was displayed in a physical cloud. A cloud that they could see. Remember how they were traveling through the wilderness and they could see the cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night?

There was a physical manifestation. And in the temple where the priests would go once a year, hovering over the mercy seat, where the the wings of the cherub statues were were surrounding the mercy seat, there was the visible presence of God.

The Shekinah glory. Tabernacling with the Israelites. The glory of the Lord.

Departed. And.

Ezekiel saw that in a spiritual sense, in a vision. So here is the fulfillment that we see. Look now at verse 29. When he draws near, he's coming in from the east near Bethpage and Bethany. He sends for the donkey fulfilling Zechariah 9 .9.

Coming over the Mount of Olives, prophetic of Zechariah 14 .4. But Ezekiel is showing the departing of the the glory of God. Now the glory of God is coming. And what I'm trying to say to you is that Jesus Christ is the glory of God.

Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3. Titus calls the appearing of the glory of God the appearance of Jesus. Chapter 2 verse 11 to 14. Jesus is the glory of God who comes to prepare a people for his own possession.

Jesus.

Comes. The glory of God coming to the temple. And if we continue to read this story, we'll find he comes from the east over the eastern mountain, through the eastern gate, across the threshold, and into the very temple of God where he cleanses it.

Of.

Apostate religion. Jesus is the glory of God. And he's fulfilling prophecies as he comes. See, the greatest indication.

That God is.

Ruling and governing all things is the fulfillment of his own word. His word, given and then fulfilled, is evidence enough. Many people are looking for evidences that God is real. They want signs from heaven.

They want miracles.

But we have his word. And.

In 39 books of Old Testament prophecy, we have fulfillment after fulfillment after fulfillment in the New Testament in the life of Jesus Christ. His providence fulfilling all things. And notice how it unfolds.

Verse 31 and following. You see providence even in how he carries it out. He sends disciples, in verse 31, to untie a donkey. And if anybody asks you, why are you untying it? You shall say this, the Lord has need of it.

Does that strike you as funny? It does me. Can you imagine if I said, guys, go to the parking lot at the mall, and when someone's getting out of their car, just casually shake their hand and just grab their keys.

And when they say, well, what are you doing? You say, the Lord has need of it. And then you just take the keys and get in the car and drive away. How would that go? Not too well, right? You're gonna get hit in the face or someone's calling 9 -1 -1 and the cops are chasing you as you drive off in a Maserati or a BMW.

So what, what is Jesus doing in this verse? Anyone who says to you, why are you untying it? You shall say, the Lord has need of it. When we see in verses 32 and following, that this results in just an acquiescence.

The providence of God was going before them to retrieve the donkey. The providence of God was there first. Verse 33, its owner said to them, why are you untying the gold, the colt? And they said, the Lord has need of it.

And nothing else is mentioned. That is enough said.

Why?

Very likely, this Jewish man had just been reading Zechariah 9 -9 and heard about the coming of this Jesus who claims to be Messiah. Claims to be King. And he said, yes. You see, the Lord had prepared his heart and providentially made him ready to give away his donkey.

God's providence displaying his glory. Now, let's keep moving in the text. The second thing I want us to see is that when we see providence, it is the the seabed for our greatest joy. There is no joy like seeing the glory of Jesus Christ.

Now, the world will tell you the opposite, right? The highest joys of this life are the things that most satisfy.

Me.

Chasing fulfillment and satisfaction will never result in true satisfaction or true joy. The highest joys that you will experience in this life is the experience of God's presence. His providence working in your life, as you recognize it and you see that, it will well up in you something that this world cannot reproduce or mimic in any way.

Watch what happens. 36 and following. And as they rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. I mean, that's just throwing down your own possessions, not worried about yourself. It's trying to give glory to the one who's riding on that donkey.

Verse 37, as he was drawing near, already on the way down the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. The celebration happens, a spontaneous outburst of joy. They saw the glory of God. And I think those two disciples that went to get the donkey and saw the providence of God unfold were right in the front of the pack.

Throwing their coats down to let that donkey ride across it and yelling at the top of their lungs, Hosanna, I'm glad we sang Hosanna in the highest today. Save now, calling out praises to Jesus Christ.

He gives us joy by revealing his glory. Colossians 1 15. Make note of that verse. It's crucial that all things were created by him, whether visible or invisible, all things were created by Jesus. And that verse ends by saying, and for him.

All created things are for him. We were made for this purpose, to worship the Son of God. And if we don't, the stones will cry out. Verse 39. The Pharisees in the crowd said to him, teacher, rebuke your disciples.

He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out. The universe was made for the glorification of Jesus Christ. The people that he calls forth to be his own possession, we were dead stones.

Dead.

And yet he made us alive and makes us cry out as living stones. 1 Peter 2. To that cornerstone, Christ Jesus the rock, we cry out to him because we were made for this. And if we didn't, the very stones of the wall of Jerusalem would be shouting his praise.

The whole universe is for his glory. This is where our joy comes from. So recognizing the coming King. Hey, this is the fulfillment of Zechariah. This is a fulfillment of Ezekiel. The glory of the Lord is coming to the temple.

They rejoice in Christ. And that, brothers and sisters, is where your joy will come from. Have you been lacking joy? Have you been recognizing the providence of God in your life? When I sit back and think about the providence of God in my life, it never fails to give me joy.

To think about everything that has fallen into place to provide the things that I need. And bless me with things that make me say like, David, who am I? And what is my house that you have blessed me like this?

The joy of the Lord is shared with us as we recognize him and his providence in our lives, giving thanks for the things we have. That's not the end of the story. One one last thing to say. The providence of God also includes hard providence.

Pain. Suffering. When pain and suffering happen to us, recognize God is not out of control. It's not that his providence only extends so far and there's something hindering him, whether it's human free will or any other thing, that keeps him from accomplishing his purpose and therefore we suffer.

That's not the case. His providence does include the hard times of this life. Let's look at it in the text. Verse 41 through 44. The last point here. We'll stop at 44, but we need to we need to press this for a minute.

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it. Weeping is a picture of pain, of heart wrench, not just getting misty-eyed. This is doubled over and heaving and weeping like he was at the graveside of Lazarus.

He weeps over the city of Jerusalem. Saying, would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you.

Because you did not know the time of your visitation. Hard providence for the city of Jerusalem. Within a generation, we all know this, within a generation these very words come true. The Romans surround the city on every side, hemming them in, and tear down the walls and ransack the city and destroy the temple so that even the temple, not one stone was left on another.

It was thrown down. And great suffering happened in that city. And the Jews went into Diaspora until they were finally regathered into their land.

In.

1948. A great and terrible devastation happens here. Does it look like.

Jesus.

Was out of control in this text? No. He's prophesying it. He's foreknowing it. How does he fore foreknow it? Because it has been foreordained to happen. Just as it was foreordained that he ride in on a donkey, that he come in from the east, that he set his face

See, Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. This is his plan A. From the beginning of time, that Adam and Eve fall, and that the Son of God, the Lamb of God, come to redeem a people for his own possession.

Yes, he's riding in and he could have set up his throne. He could have split that mountain, the Mount of Olives, on his way in and reigned as king. He could have done that. He had the power to do that.

But he says, no one takes my life. I lay it down willingly. According to plan. Why? For it is written, he said in chapter 18, just one chapter ago, it is written that the Son of Man must suffer all of these things.

If it is written, it is God's purpose. He's written his purpose and his plan. And you say, well, wait a minute. Doesn't that make God the author of sin, of pain, and of suffering? Here's a word to write down alongside Theology Matters.

Compatibilism.

The Scriptures plainly teach that God is sovereign overall, that he has a plan that he is working out, and it can't be thwarted, and it's not hindered by humanity. And yet humankind is responsible for sin, and held responsible for sin and evil.

The fall of Adam and Eve, although known by God and for ordained by God, is the responsibility of Adam and Eve, not of God. God is not the author of sin, according to the Scriptures. And this is a tension that the Scripture presents us with.

The compatibilism of human freedom and God's sovereignty. But what we tend to do is sacrifice the sovereignty of God on the altar of human autonomy. We tend to so cling to our human free will, wanting to vindicate God, that we sacrifice what the Scriptures plainly teach.

Which is that he is in control, and he's working out his plan. Acts 2 23 says the same thing about the crucifixion of Jesus. The most wicked and evil thing that this world has ever seen. The innocent Son of God laid down as a lamb and sacrificed.

Acts 2 23 tells it, tells us it was according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. See, it's not an either-or, it's a both-and. God is sovereign overall, and in his hard providence he allows evil, and it's part of his plan that this happened.

It's part of his plan that the Son of God be sacrificed, and that's the pinnacle of his plan. That's the glory of his plan. The lifting up of the Son of God to display his justice in punishing sin, but also his love in that the death of the Son of God now redeems a people.

That his blood is substituted for sinners like us. That's the plan, and it's a good plan. And so I'll say to you who are suffering, because that's all of us in this room, from time to time and in severe ways, the hard providence that God allows you to go through has a purpose.

It has a plan. There's a reason for it. He is working all things together for the good of those who love him. Romans 8 28. This is the destruction of Jerusalem in our text today. Notice another thing that's compatible with God's sovereign plan.

His emotion.

God having emotion is compatible with his sovereignty. Some would say, well, if he already knows everything and it's all gonna work out, how could he really grieve with us? Our text tells us that Jesus wept over the city in verse 41.

When you're going through something and you feel like you can't hold on, know that you are crying out to a God who cares. Even though you can't see him and you don't know why he keeps leaving you in that spot for so long.

This is a God that loves and weeps.

God has emotion. Jesus here demonstrates it. He is God in the flesh. So in summary, this is how mature disciples are made. By the Word of God. And the word for today is providence. Recognize the providence of God over all things.

And how that donkey was brought to Jesus to carry him into Jerusalem. In the way it was taken, without objection, because God had in his providence gone before to make that way. Delight when you see his providence in your life and take some time to recount those things.

It's not a coincidence that you ended up in this building hearing the Word of God today or any day. How it was that you came to salvation as I think about that in my life, it's nothing of me. It's all of him.

He's at the bottom of it all. In the parents that he gave me, in the teaching of the Word, the opening of scriptures that I would hear and somehow believe all the glory goes to him and in the pain. This is how you endure pain.

Recognizing the providence of God even over your suffering. He has a plan for it, and I can't tell you what it is. That's not made known to us. Secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us.

Deuteronomy 29 29. That's a life verse for you. We don't always know what the purpose is, but we're told that there is a purpose. So we're gonna call on Michael to come up and close us with a worship song.

The joy and pain of providence. Let's pray and ask God that he would implant this word deeply in our hearts. The application here, the go and do, is to take time to consider the providence of God. Recognize and rejoice in Christ and to endure hardship as a good soldier.

Recognizing that there's a purpose for it. There's a plan that God is working out.

Let's pray. God, thank you for your Word.

We've read this story about the triumphal entry of Jesus and how he came in. Riding on a donkey and how people threw their coats on the ground and and rejoiced and sang out praises and it stirred up the Pharisees to try to rebuke them.

Jesus, you said that if they didn't cry out, the very stones would cry out. And then you turned the corner and looked out at the city and there you saw the walls of Jerusalem. And you doubled over, weeping over the city.

It's kind of God that you are. You have determined all things, but it's a soft determinism compatible with our responsibility. You are not the author of sin, but you are in control. And so we trust you.

I pray in Jesus name that this morning you will make us more mature. So that we are not controlled by a spirit of fear. Constantly looking at ourselves as victims of some secondary cause, but rather trusting you for your primary cause.

That we would be more concerned with our relationship with you, the one with whom we have to do. The one we will stand before on Judgment Day and give account of ourselves. It's you, Lord. Everything else is fading away.

So this morning, Lord, give us good theology. Theology matters, Lord. Help us to trust you. To rejoice in you and to endure pain. Encourage us today, Lord. Make us strong today, Lord. I pray for us as Christians that we would not be shaken, moved by every wind that blows through, but secure in you.

Strong in your love. Thank you for the blessings in our lives. But thank you also for your hard providence. Teach us to trust you in the middle of the storm. We rejoice today in Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Blessed is he who comes. Blessed is the king riding on the donkey. The king who's coming again, this time in power and great glory, whose foot will split the Mount of Olives. Blessed is the king. We trust you more today than we did before.

Thank you for your word. In Jesus' name, amen.