Weeping Over Jerusalem

Luke 19: 28-44  "And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.  [29] And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, [30] Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.  [31] And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.  [32] And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.  [33] And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?  [34] And they said, The Lord hath need of him.  [35] And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.  [36] And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.  [37] 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;  [38] Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.  [39] And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.  [40] And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.  [41] And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,  [42] Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.  [43] For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,  [44] And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."

This is a dramatic picture of our Lord's final week prior to His crucifixion. For three years His disciples had followed Him, believing Jesus was to be the conquering Messiah, the One who would overthrow Rome and restore Israel to it's previous glory. Jesus had taught the disciples again and again that this was not His place at this time in history. Look at verse 28:

"And when He had thus spoken ..."

These words lead us to look backward into the context. What had Jesus spoken just before His ascent to Jerusalem? Well, in verses 11-17 Jesus told His disciples a parable, a story of "The Pounds". He told them this story because He knew that, though He had frequently told them He was coming in peace in His first Advent, He knew that they had never grasped the concept.

Have you ever had your heart set on something, set so hard that you just couldn't believe it wouldn't come true? I remember one Christmas I had my heart set on getting something - I can't even remember what it was now - that I just knew I was going to get it. I wouldn't allow my mind to entertain the idea that I wouldn't get it. I focused on it to the exclusion of all else, and Oh, the disappointment when it didn't come true! The disciples were men of the same caliber, the same as you and I. They had been under Roman rule for so long that they remembered nothing else. And here, here comes Messiah. They knew He was Messiah because of the miracles He did. Oh, how they wanted to be free of Rome. Oh, the desire overwhelmed all that they heard His precious mouth teach. Jesus said in the parable:

Luke 19:12  "He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return."

Now, we're not going to discuss this parable in detail, but I want you to notice something. Jesus clearly taught this parable to show the disciples that He was the One who would go to a far Kingdom to receive it to Himself (Heaven), and that He would return. While He was gone He would leave the stewardship of the Kingdom He would shortly leave with His servants (His disciples), and when He came back He was expecting an increase in His investment. Jesus had to go to the Cross and purchase the Kingdom of Heaven with His own blood, with His own life. Until He suffered this ordeal, resurrected, and ascended to the far Kingdom (Heaven), He would have no right to overthrow Rome or the Devil's world. He was going away to make His purchase, and a wonderful purchase that would be, and after that purchase ascend to the right hand of God the Father's throne. One day He will return, and on that day King Jesus sit enthroned on the earth. On that day He will expect that His disciples (that's each of us) to show an increase in what He has left in our charge. On that day His enemies will be slain - but only after His return.

The disciples heard this, but sadly, as men often do, failed to apply these words to their hearts. They were still fixed on the Conquering Messiah. So Jesus walked onward to Bethphage and Bethany. Consider Bethphage, for it is important to the context of Jesus' ascent to Jerusalem. Our Lord Jesus Christ walked to Bethphage (the name means "House of Figs), a suburb of Jerusalem. The fact that our Lord walked from place to place shows the great humiliation that the Son of God subjected Himself to in order to fulfill His God given ministry. Up until this moment our Lord rode no beast of burden - He who was God in the flesh walked, and moved among the people He called to His Kingdom. Yet now Jesus said:

Luke 19.30-31  "Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.  [31] And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him."

Jesus was getting ready to enter Jerusalem, the city of the King. Jerusalem was David's city, the place where the Throne of David was established. Jesus was going to enter Jerusalem, but He couldn't enter this ruling and holy city on foot. Jesus was to enter that city as its rightful King, the fulfillment to God's promises to King David that his throne would endure forever.

In ancient times a conquering King would enter a city riding a huge stallion. The stallion conveyed the idea of power, of dominance over the people. However, if the King rode into the city on a peaceful mission he always rode in on a POLOS, a young donkey. Jesus demanded that His disciples go and get Him a young donkey, not a stallion. He was entering the city of David as the Prince of Peace, not the conquering King. Moreover, Jesus was entering the city on a flawless beast, one that had never been sat on by another man. Jesus the King was entering as the unique Prince of Peace. Not as the other Kings who had entered the city, passing through, but as One coming to claim Jerusalem for Himself. The POLOS symbolized peace, not war. The POLOS symbolized service, the service that Jesus willingly gave to mankind, even to death. The POLOS symbolized the sacredness of His journey. A sacred animal is one set apart or sanctified for use of God only, and this POLOS, this young donkey, was pristine.
 

A Roman leader would have ridden in a chariot pulled by magnificent white stallions... Jesus entered the city on a donkey, and a borrowed one! A political leader would have been surrounded by security guards who would have kept crowds from close physical contact to prevent any personal harm to him... Jesus was surrounded by his disciples representing many walks of life and rode into the midst of the people, almost at their height. A military leader would have galloped along the road, passing the crowds with perhaps a wave of the hand or a nod of the head if there were any recognition at all... Jesus on a donkey moved slowly with the people, accompanying the people, as well as accompanied by the people. A religious leader in traditional, appropriate priestly robes would have moved sedately through the crowds surrounded by an orderly contingency of other religious leaders who would've prevented anyone who was unclean from touching him... Jesus, dressed in his usual attire, moved humbly through the crowds, surrounded by his diverse band of disciples, not shrinking from the touch of anyone. (Ruth Daugherty, Issues Of Leadership Into The 21st Century, Viewpoint, Summer 1991, p. 2)

If the disciples were asked why they were taking the donkey, they were to say "The Lord needs him". Here Jesus used the word KURIOS, the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament JHVH, God. When the owner asked, "Why are you taking my donkey", the disciples responded "because God needs him". Who among the righteous would forbid something to God? Who among those who are called "saved" would you say, "No, Lord, you can't have my transportation"?

The disciples knew exactly what Jesus was doing. He was making His triumphal entry. They obeyed His instructions implicitly, used their own clothes as a saddle, and helped sit Jesus on the donkey.

Luke 19:35-36 "And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.  [36] And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way."

As our Lord headed toward Jerusalem the disciples took off their over garments and spread them on the ground in front of Him. In ancient times the people often took their clothes off and threw them in front of the King (2 Kings 9.13) to show that they accepted him as a King. The disciples threw their clothes in front of Jesus, and began rejoicing and praising God. Their King was coming! They knew that Jesus was King, and they proclaimed Him as such. Such was the riot that they caused that the Pharisees, bitter pills to the end, demanded that Jesus quieten down His disciples. Jesus said:

Luke 19:40  "And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."

The Son of God was entering the city of David. He was coming to the end of a long three year journey, and preparing to purchase the Throne with His blood. This was the greatest moment of Jesus' earthly ministry up to this point. The King was coming, the people acknowledged Him as King, He was coming to make payment for us. If the people had refused to cry out with rejoicing, the stones themselves would have cried out in joy! Oh, how long has nature suffered under the sin of Adam. Oh, how long has man suffered under the bondage of sin. This was the greater bondage - not Rome, who in reality had treated the stiff necked Jews well.

The Jews had their Temple, Herod's Temple, a glorious thing. The Jews had the relative freedom to worship God as they pleased. Though they were under Roman rule, this was not an oppressive rule. The oppressive ruler was Sin, Sin that dominated, Sin that destroyed man and nature. The oppressive Ruler was the Law, a Law that no man could live by, a Law that served no purpose other than to show us how Sinful we really are, a Law that humiliated us. Jesus entered the city to make payment, to release us from the yoke of Sin, and of Death, to give us Eternal Life, to make it possible for nature to one day be cleansed. Not cry out, praise Him?! If they didn't, the stones would!

Then the impossible happened. In the midst of the joy, the revelry, the ecstasy that Jesus' coming brought:

Luke 19:41-44  "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,  [42] Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.  [43] For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,  [44] And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."

Jesus looked out over His beloved city, the city He was coming to pay for, and broke into bitter weeping. No, this was not silent weeping. EKLAUSEN means to burst into tears, to weep out loud, to sob loudly while mourning. Jesus wept while the city before Him had a party. The atmosphere in the city was joyous, carnival like, with much feasting and hilarity. Jesus, heartbroken, cried His eyes out. The people had not accepted Jesus as King. No, they accepted Him as a conquering King, but this was not the kind of King He was. They accepted the wrong Jesus. They, in their hearts, rejected the way of peace through Jesus.

1. The people failed to see that Jesus was riding a young donkey, coming as the Prince of Peace. They wanted a Warrior King, and though Jesus did all He could to show them His first advent was not to overthrow Rome, they ignored the presented Jesus for the wished for Jesus. Just as Zacharias prophesied at Jesus' birth:

Luke 1:76-79 "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;  [77] To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,  [78] Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,  [79]  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Jesus came to guide Jerusalem and the whole world to a state of peace with God by paying for our sins. He came to make the final restitution for all who believed on Him. Jerusalem believed on what they thought was Him, but not on the True Jesus.

2. They failed to see the Jesus who was riding a beast of burden, coming as the King who would willingly bear all of the burdens of mankind. They wanted a Jesus who would help them kill and overthrow the Romans. Jesus came as a King who would change all the world, even the Romans, if they would believe in Him.

3. They failed to see the Jesus who was riding a pristine animal, a sacred animal. He came to save man spiritually, not to overturn foreign governments.

Matthew 11:28-29  "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Just as this pristine donkey carried our Lord Jesus, our Lord Jesus would carry us, give us rest for our souls, if we would only accept Him.

Would that it were different, but man has not changed from the day that Jesus cried over Jerusalem to today. To some people Jesus was a great prophet, a teacher of men, to be revered for the things He taught. To others Jesus is a Church, or a means to morality. Yet others have come to Jesus believing Him to be a cosmic power broker, and when they invoked His name and failed to receive great riches or power they abandon Him for "some other religion". Israel abandoned Jesus when they saw He was not the great conquering King, and He met His death alone, reviled by all men.

Jesus wept because Jerusalem refused to accept Him as He was, the King of Peace. Perhaps Jesus weeps today when you, hearing the simple message of the Gospel, refuse to come to Him, refuse to give your life to Him. The Jesus we now serve is the Bridge of Peace, a Bridge to bring us into peace with God, into fellowship with God. He is the King who gave everything for us:

1 Peter 2:23-24  "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:  [24] Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

And Who expects His disciples to diligently work for Him, until the day He comes to receive us to Himself. Have you accepted the Jesus of Scripture, the Prince of Peace into your heart? I'm not asking if you've been baptized, or if you've walked the aisle to profess faith in Him. Have you accepted Jesus Christ into your heart? If not, now is the time to do so. Good intentions do not save you. Faithful Church attendance does not save you. Faith in Him, riding on a donkey, hanging on a Cross, resurrected and ascended to God saves you. Believing on the True Jesus alone saves!
 

Harry Emerson Fosdick tells this story: Some years ago a little church on the coast of England was ruined in a hurricane. The congregation thought themselves unable to rebuild. Then one day a representative of the British Admiralty came to the clergyman to ask if they intended to reconstruct the church. The clergyman explained why they could not do it. "Well," said the representative of the British navy, "if you do not rebuild the church we will. That spire is on all our charts and maps. It is the landmark by which the ships of the seven seas steer their course." A true parable, that! Never more than now, when the souls of men need divine help, stable and secure, strong, sustaining, and empowering, is the church's message needed. Though the hurricane of hell brought the sins of the world down upon the body of Christ, crushing the life from its limbs, that body was rebuilt on Easter. And the spire of the cross stands to this day as our chart and map. It is the landmark by which the church and our lives steer their course. The Cross and the empty Tomb: Stable and secure, guiding, strong, sustaining, and empowering help! (Brett Blair, Sermon Illustrations, 1998)