LUKE 19:41-48
INTRODUCTION
I. THE ANGUISH OF THE SAVIOR
VV. 41-44
Prior to this very
occasion Jesus had paid several trips to the city of Jerusalem . As a week old baby boy, Jesus was
presented at the Temple
for consecration (Luke 2:21 -28).
At the age of twelve he accompanied His parents to the city of Jerusalem
and also to the Temple ,
where He baffled the teachers and elders with His knowledge of Scripture (Luke 2:41 -52). That is the only inside
scoop we have of the teenage years of Jesus. Besides these references, Jesus
had made several other trips of His own to Jerusalem as an adult. In some of His visits
He had performed miracles and healing that have aroused the envy, jealousy, and
hatred of the religious leaders. But His final visit to Jerusalem is a unique one. In previous
occasions, He had hidden His messianic identity, but now He enters the city as
the official Messiah, riding on a donkey. He can no longer hide His identity as
the Messiah, the Christ, and the Anointed One. His hour to go to the cross has
come. His supporters have warmly received Him. They have acknowledged His role
as the Christ, but opposition stands in the way.
A divided Israel
receives the King into its capital city, just as humanity is divided over Jesus
today. If one listens to Jesus and to the creation, Luke says, it is obvious
who is on the side of truth and right. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem evokes the different kinds of
responses. Some know who He is and serve Him, following His instructions.
Others are open, but not with much understanding like today. Still others are
hostile toward Him as many do today. Even the creation has a response to what
is happening. A famous saying goes, “All the world is a stage and we are merely
players in it.” Yet as the heavens watch, the question remains: which response
do you support? On whose side are you? The prophecy of the aged Simeon is being
fulfilled in our very eyes: “Behold this child is destined for the fall and
rising of many in Israel ,
and for a sign which will be spoken against” (Luke 2:34 ). You and I are summoned to make a
choice, either to stand with Jesus, or to stand against Him. There is no middle
ground; there is no neutral ground. Either you stand with Jesus with total
commitment or you reject Him with your indecision.
Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem ? Jerusalem has played many significant roles in the history
of Israel .
It was the city of the Hittites that King David conquered and rebuilt. It was
known as the city of David .
It was the center of the worship of the true God until Jesus came. It was the
stronghold of Judaism, the religion of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. It was
the city that had also witnessed the brutal murder of some of God’s prophets. Jerusalem was a city that
had seen much blood, destruction, and reconstruction. It is now the center of
the Sanhedrin, the elite religious council and the staunch opponents of Jesus.
Can you see the contrast
between verses 36-38 and verse 41? The multitude, the crowd is rejoicing, but
Jesus weeps over the city of Jerusalem .
Is Jesus oblivious to the joy of the masses as they welcome Him? No He is not.
Jesus knows better and He can see things in the future that are hidden from the
people. You can also see the contrast between the multitude and some of the
Pharisees. While the crowd is rejoicing over the Messiah, the Pharisees are
rejecting Him. As the multitude is rejoicing, the Pharisees are rebuking them.
Let me ask you a question. What is your first reaction when someone is praising
or rejoicing in the Lord? What is your reaction when we praise Jesus in this
church? How do you feel when a Christian is bragging on Jesus? Do you react
like some of the Pharisees? Do you tell jubilant Christians to stop praising
Jesus because they get on your nerves? Then you have a heart problem; you have
a spiritual problem. This is the second time that it is recorded in Scripture
that Jesus weeps. The first record is at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11: 35 ). But now Jesus’ weeping is
of a different nature. He is not weeping because He is going to die on the
cross. That was the purpose for which He had come into the world. He is weeping
not because He is leaving His loving mother behind. He is weeping not because
He is leaving His brothers and sisters behind. He is weeping not because of the
loneliness that His disciples will feel. He is weeping simply because of the
opportunity that the religious leaders and many in the city have missed. He is
weeping because of the impending destruction that is awaiting the city and its
inhabitants. Could it be that you are here but Jesus is weeping for you today?
He is weeping for you because you like the Sadducees, scribes, and Pharisees
have heard the gospel repeatedly, but you have hardened your heart to Jesus Christ.
There is no room in your heart for Him. But Jesus can see what you cannot see.
He can see that if you die in your sin of rejecting Him, judgment awaits you on
the other side. He can see that you are heading for hell, a place prepared for
the devil and his demons. He can see that you are going to spend eternity
without Him. That is the reason He is weeping for you. Could it be that Jesus
is weeping for the United
States today? This is a nation that could
have facilitated the rapid spread of the gospel throughout the world, but many
people are increasingly becoming intolerant and hostile to Jesus Christ. Jesus
is weeping because time is running out and the nation of Israel is missing its moment of
salvation. Ladies and gentlemen, peace with God is not possible for those who
reject Jesus. Like the people of the city of Jerusalem , you too have a decision to make.
You can choose Jesus and experience peace with God, peace from God, and the
peace of God.
In verse 42, Jesus
utters His sincere longing that even now at the eleventh hour the Jewish people
should accept in time the offer of redemption by God through Him. Whenever God
wants to send a judgment upon a nation or a people, He gives them ample
opportunity to repent. Even on His way to the cross to die for you and me,
Jesus is offering an opportunity for redemption.
Verse 43 is a warning of
impending doom or destruction. The verse is set up with the phrase “days shall
come.” The phrase, “days shall come,” spells out judgment. For instance, 1
Samuel 2:31 , “Behold days
are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s
house so that there will not be an old man in your house.” Write down 2 Kings
20:17; Isaiah 39:6; Jeremiah 7:32-34; Zechariah 14:1. The destruction of the
city of Jerusalem
is inevitable. Not only will the city be captured it will also be totally
destroyed. Jesus uses the pronouns you
and your ten times in verses 43 and
44. This shows that His message is personal. It is a message for the
inhabitants of Jerusalem .
It is a personal message for you who have not received Christ as your Lord and
personal Savior.
In verse 44, Jesus is
saying that the city is going to be utterly destroyed because they did not
recognize the time of their visitation. When Jesus was born and walked among
them in the land
of Israel Jerusalem
have to live with the consequences of their rejection. It is this that brought
forth Jesus’ tears. Before I conclude this message I will tell you what this
judgment is all about. Ladies and gentlemen all humanity is like a drowning
man/woman and Jesus is throwing a rescue rope to you and me. It is up to you
either to grab the rope and be rescued or to let go the rope and drown.
II. THE ANGER OF THE SAVIOR VV.
45-48
After His lament for the
city, Jesus now enters the Temple .
The Temple has
always been Jesus’ favorite place for Him to teach the word of God. In fact, He
has performed some healing ministry in the Temple . The Son of God has paid a visit to
His Father’s house, but this time He doesn’t like what He sees. Realize that the Temple of Jerusalem was the fulcrum upon
which the entire life of the Jewish community revolved but these religious leaders
have made it a hub for black-market and cheating for those who came there to worship. Jesus becomes
furious because the sacred temple has become a sordid place. The holy place has
become the profaned. The place of worship of the living God has become the hide
out for black marketers. The house of God has become a trading center. A place
of confession of sin has ironically become a place for committing sin of the
worse kind. If Jesus were to come to our church in person what would He find;
and what would He do to you and me?
Today some people
practice or carry out their drug deals in the church. If I find anybody using
this sanctuary for drug business, credit card fraud, or any clandestine
activities, I will blow the whistle on the person. Some churches have become
the hide out for thieves, criminals, child molesters, and sex offenders. If you
have joined this church because of your business, then may God help you. Jesus
threw away their tables, their black market money and whipped them mercilessly.
This is righteous indignation. In my sanctified imagination I could see the
lacerations on their backs as they were running helter-skelter. Hear me and
hear me well. I am not suggesting that you should give up your business. What I
am saying is that don’t bring your business here during our day of worshiping
the Lord. The sanctuary is a place of worship of the living Christ. It is a
place for the study and preaching of the word of God. The sanctuary is a place
for praise and prayer to the risen Christ. The sanctuary is not made for
business. Do your business deals at home, and don’t bring them here. It is no
wonder that many are not being saved in our churches today. It is no wonder
many are not healed in our churches today. Why? Because the house of God has
become “Wall Street.” The house of prayer and praise has become the den of
robbers.
Prior to the birth of
Jesus no miracle and healing took place in the Temple for almost four hundred years. When
Jesus came and turned the fraudulent religious leaders away and cleansed the Temple , miracles, healing, signs and wonders began to take
place in the Temple .
Jesus consecrated the house of God, which had been desecrated by greedy and
profane religious leaders. Jesus Christ is and remains the divine Purifier. If
you are tired of your sinful life style come to Jesus and He will purify you
with His sin cleansing blood.
Permit me to stretch
this message in order to bring the matter home to us. As Jesus cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem He
wants to cleanse the temple of your heart. After all, your body is the temple
of the Lord. What does Jesus find in your temple that needs to be cleansed? I
believe that if one day you came here and someone had desecrated this place,
you would be upset, but you desecrate the temple of God
After Jesus drove out
the black marketers, He was teaching in the Temple daily. Jesus gave meaning and purpose
to the temple. He restored the Temple
to its useful purposes, but the religious leaders were plotting how they could
destroy Him. He has disgraced them. They were bereft with authority and so they
planned to kill Him. They were mad because they were exposed. They were mad
because they could not have their own way. Have you taken offense at Jesus
because He has exposed your sin? By the way, He is the very person who can save
you from your sin if you would throw away your pride and come to Him with
humility.
For the religious
leaders, the battle lines are drawn. Jesus must surely pay for what He has
done. Jesus must surely die; they plotted His death.
Before I close let me tell you why Jesus was weeping over the city of
Jerusalem. Jesus was weeping over the city because He knew that after His death,
resurrection, and ascension the Roman Army will march to the city and completely
raze the city and its temple to ashes and many of the people will be killed. This
event certainly happened in A.D. 70 when the Roman General Titus and his army invaded
the city of Jerusalem. Since then, the Temple of Jerusalem has not been rebuilt.
NOTE: I will continue the
Miracles of Jesus in the Gospel of John after Easter.
