God Weeps Over the Unresponsiveness of His People

Luke 19:41: "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.'"


Jesus had just entered Jerusalem with a triumphal entry to the cries of "Hosanna, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" These throngs of people were still euphoric over Jesus' raising Lazarus from the dead and for the numerous healings that He had performed in their midst. Sadly, they celebrated Jesus for what they were able to get from Him, rather than for who He was (and IS) as the Sovereign Lord of Hosts.



As Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem (which means 'peace'), He wept over it, knowing that true Peace was before them (namely the Messiah), yet they did not recognize nor surrender to Him. Jesus knew that the Jewish people had been chosen by God from among all the peoples of the earth to be the nation to whom the special revelation of God's truth through the Scriptures would be revealed (see Romans 3:1-2), and they would be the nation through whom the Messiah would come to make possible the salvation of all peoples (Galatians 3:13-14). Sadly, these people would not recognize the tremendous privilege bestowed to them, and they would forsake the very One for whom God had consecrated them to be a unique people, called out to prepare the way of the Lord.


Whereas the Jews in Jerusalem wanted Jesus to assume some type of political position to lead the Israelites in rebellion against the Romans, Jesus came to sacrifice Himself on a cross to make the solely sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the world. As can be seen from the remainder of the Passion Week, these very people who were waiving palm branches before Jesus and throwing their cloaks before the colt upon which He was riding would quickly turn against Jesus and demand His crucifixion a week later. When the Israelites determined that Jesus would not serve their interests, they wanted to destroy Him.


Jesus knew these events would occur as He looked over the city prior to His entry; and for these responses of rejection by His chosen people, Jesus grieved bitterly. He knew that the hardheartedness of the people caused their eyes to be hidden from the truth of His divine purposes. Jesus also knew that the rebellion of these people would bring divine judgment through the besieging of the city. Many Christian historians believe that this prophecy was fulfilled when the Roman military leader, Titus, invaded Jerusalem in AD 64 utterly destroying the city. Jesus explained the reason for this judgment . . . it was "because (they) did not recognize the time of God's coming to (them)" (Luke 19:44).

This is a good word for us today. We are so blessed to have the special revelation of Jesus Christ through His Holy Scriptures, which introduces to us His loving sacrifice for us through His death on the cross. We also receive through His Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit the calling to surrender our lives to Him as Lord. If we harden our hearts and refuse to yield ourselves to Jesus as Master and Savior, then we can expect the same divine judgment to befall us. And not unlike the military siege that brought swift destruction to the city of Jerusalem, so too the Lord Almighty will one day come with His mighty angels to separate the redeemed from the reprobate. He will then pronounce eternal condemnation for those who refused to surrender to Him as Lord (see Matthew 25:31f).

Let us not find ourselves in such a position of hopelessness; rather, let us commit ourselves to Jesus Christ as Lord today, while His offering of salvation is still available to us.