This is part 3 of 3 articles looking at Palm Sunday. More specifically, Luke 19 which records Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem the week of His crucifixion.
Part 1 – Palms, Florida, and Praise
Part 2 – The Song of Praise Will Never Cease
In this final article in the series I’d like to focus on Luke 19:41-44
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.
Jesus Wept – His Desire to Deliver from Sin
As Jesus looked over the city He saw thousands of sinners. He saw their pride, their hate, their selfishness. He saw that even in the best of them there lurked a vein of darkness that grew from hearts full of evil. He saw them as children of wrath. He saw that even though some desired to do good, and even appeared good compared with others, when held up to God’s perfect standard they fell short.
He saw them deserving of judgment. He knew that amongst them lived those who in the days to come would deliver Him up to a painful death.
Yet, He loved them still. He had come to seek and to save each of them.
As He perceived them as slaves to sin and without peace with God or the peace of God, He wept.
It was not that He only felt His eyes fill with tears, or that a few fell silently down His face.
It means that He wept openly, He sobbed deeply as His heart broke for His creation.
Jesus Warned – His Desire to Deliver from Judgment
As Jesus rebuked them for their sin and prepared to offer Himself for their salvation, His weeping moved to warning.
Not only a warning about sin ignored. His purpose in coming to the world was to save sinners. He knew that any soul that died with sin undealt with would face eternity in Hell, bearing the punishment they rightly deserve.
He desired to see them repent and ask forgiveness based upon Who He is and What He would do on the cross.
He also warned of judgment falling on the nation.
Several decades later, in AD 70, Rome would turn from occupying the country and city, to destroying it. Countless lives would be lost. The gold that now covered parts of the temple would melt as the fires burned. To retrieve it the temple would be literally destroyed stone by stone and the melted gold collected from between the blocks.
Today the heart of Jesus to save sinners and His warning of judgment to come is just as sure.
Have you received Him as you Savior? Do you have peace with God and the peace of God?
Have you been delivered from the judgment to come?
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