Thy Kingdom Come: Messianic Prophet, Priest and King

As the camel slips through the eye of the needle and a rich “sinner” named Zacchaeus enters the Kingdom of God (19:1-10), Jesus finally approaches Jerusalem, His divine destination (after a lengthy travel narrative in Dr. Luke’s Gospel that began in chapter 9 verse 51). Zacchaeus enters the Kingdom of God by faith in Jesus because God has made what is virtually impossible- -possible by His grace.

In our passage from Dr. Luke’s Gospel this week we see that the Kingdom of God has indeed come not only to a rich “sinner’s” home, but also to Jerusalem the Holy City. Sadly, in contrast to Zacchaeus and other believers before him, Jerusalem will reject her Messiah-King rather than receive Him as He ascends God’s Holy Hill. In this passage, Jesus reveals himself as the Great Prophet, Priest and King of God who was foreshadowed and spoken of in the prophetic word of the Old Covenant (Luke 24:25-27, 44). Our passage today is pregnant with Old Testament fulfillment in Christ.