41Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If youhad known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for yourpeace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
As I mentioned yesterday, I’m in Kingsland, Georgia. Iprerecorded this video for you, and I trust it’ll be a blessing. This morning,I’ll be attending a worship service with Edith at Kings Bay Submarine Base to hear my son Nathan,a Navy chaplain, speak.
Let’scontinue in Luke chapter 19:28-48, which take place on what we call Palm Sundaymorning, and in verses 35-44, Jesus is entering Jerusalem, riding a colt. Thecrowd comes out to meet Him, proclaiming, “Blessed is the King who comes in thename of the Lord.” They are singing praises, throwing palm branches and clothesin front of the colt Jesus is riding. The Pharisees criticize, saying, “Rebukethese people.” Then, in verse 41, as Jesus draws near, He sees the city andweeps over it.
Ican picture this, having been there many times. I can imagine seeing Jesus comingdown the Mount of Olives with a clear view of Jerusalem. The crowd isrejoicing, but Jesus is weeping. In verse 42, He says, “If you had known,even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! Butnow they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when yourenemies will build an embankment around you, surround you, and close you in onevery side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; andthey will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know thetime of your visitation.”
Jesusgoes from this rejoicing and celebration of the people, to weeping overJerusalem. No matter where He looks, He finds a cause to weep. Looking back, Hesees how the nation wasted its opportunities to receive Him as the Messiah,ignorant of the time of His visitation. Looking within, He sees spiritualignorance and blindness in the people’s hearts.
Theyshould have known who He was. God gave them His Word with all the prophecies concerningHis first coming and had also sent John the Baptist to prepare the way. Jesus Himselfhad been preaching for three and a half years for the nation to repent because theKingdom of Heaven was at hand. And by His miracles and healings and power overthe demons, the elements of nature, manifesting Himself to be the Son of God.
Lookingaround, Jesus sees religious activity that accomplishes little. The temple hadbecome a den of thieves, the religious leaders were out to kill Him, and thoughthe city was filled with pilgrims celebrating Passover, their hearts were heavywith sin and life’s burdens.
Lookingahead, Jesus weeps because He sees the terrible judgment coming. In AD 70,about 40 years after His death, the Romans would come, and after a 143-daysiege, they would kill over 600,000 Jews, take thousands captive, and destroythe temple and city. Why? Because the people did not know God had visited them.As Scripture says, “He came to His own, and His own received Him not.”
Thepeople are rejoicing, but Jesus is looking within, around, and ahead. I believeHe’s looking into our hearts today, too. What does He see in our lives thatwould cause Him to weep if we don’t believe, trust, and are not living for Himas we should?
Whata powerful passage. Jesus sees the crowd celebrating, calling Him King, yet Heweeps because He knows the reality of what will happen. He knows in a few daysthis same crowd will be yelling “crucify Him” and have Him nailed to a cross todie. Jesus know that will reject Him and will not trust Him to be their Messiahand Savior.
MayGod give us grace today to bring a smile to the face of Jesus as we live toglorify His name in everything that we say and do!
