Sermon Notes

2015.03.22                           Luke 19: 37-44   

                  Jesus weeps over Jerusalem

As we prepare our hearts for Resurrection Sunday….     We are walking with Jesus during the last 2 weeks of His earthly ministry… Jesus told His disciples that He would be betrayed and crucified…….. He warned and encouraged them… He wanted to prepare them to endure the grief and sorrow that was soon to hit them…..

Jesus is preparing the disciples for hard times...…… Sorrow and fear will soon come upon them like a massive flood…… They will soon be discouraged and scattered as their world comes falling down….. He is not only preparing them…… He is also comforting their hearts by telling them what will happen….. He says you will be sorrowful….. but the sorrow is only temporary….. Your sorrow will turn to joy! Today and again next week we will look at Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem…. These events were absolutely necessary as Jesus fulfilled every prophesy…. This event is so rich that we will return to it again next week….

As we pick up our Bibles today…. It is the 10^th of Nissan….. This is the day that Jesus will present Himself as the Lamb of God… This is the very day that the Passover lambs were chosen….. The lambs will be examined for 4 days until it is time to sacrifice the Passover lambs on the 14^th of Nissan…. Jesus is fulfilling prophesy this day as he arrives to be hailed as the Messiah on the very day that Daniel the prophet foretold…..

Just a few days ago….  we saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead…… It was an incredible and powerful miracle…. Jesus and the disciples traveled through Bethany as He rode toward Jerusalem…. The people were very excited and were ready to hail Him as the Messiah….. Many of the Jews believed on Jesus when they witnessed that resurrection…..

Jesus was giving them a preview of the ultimate proof that he was the Messiah because in a few days now…. He will be betrayed and crucified….. And He will rise from the dead…..

Luke 19: 37-44    NKJV

37 Then, as He was now drawing near 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 they had seen, 38 saying: ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”

40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Luke 19: 37- 44   Schlachter 2000

37 Und als er sich schon dem Abhang des Ölberges näherte, fing die ganze Menge der Jünger freudig an, Gott zu loben mit lauter Stimme wegen all der Wundertaten, die sie gesehen hatten,

38 und sie sprachen: Gepriesen sei der König, der kommt im Namen des Herrn! Friede im Himmel und Ehre in der Höhe!

39 Und etliche der Pharisäer unter der Volksmenge sprachen zu ihm: Meister, weise deine Jünger zurecht!

40 Und er antwortete und sprach zu ihnen: Ich sage euch: Wenn diese schweigen sollten, dann würden die Steine schreien!

41 Und als er näher kam und die Stadt sah, weinte er über sie

42 und sprach: Wenn doch auch du erkannt hättest, wenigstens noch an diesem deinem Tag, was zu deinem Frieden dient! Nun aber ist es vor deinen Augen verborgen.

43 Denn es werden Tage über dich kommen, da deine Feinde einen Wall um dich aufschütten, dich ringsum einschließen und von allen Seiten bedrängen werden;

44 und sie werden dich dem Erdboden gleichmachen, auch deine Kinder in dir, und in dir keinen Stein auf dem anderen lassen, weil du die Zeit deiner Heimsuchung nicht erkannt hast!

I want to ask a question this morning… I want us to think about it in the context of the increasing intensity of Jesus ministry in these last few days of his earthly ministry…..

If you know that you only have a little time left……. If you see that many are not listening…… If you want them to repent and believe…….. How do you get their attention? I mean you love them …. You are willing to lay down your life for them…… You are going to die for them…… How do you shake them into reality……

This is exactly the problem that Jesus is facing….. Time is short….. most of the leaders and the people have not repented and believed…. Soon they will scream out for His death…..  and for most of them there will only remain the certainty of judgment……

Remember John´s description of Jesus in the Gospel of John:1….

Let´s remind ourselves….

John 1: 14              NKJV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1: 14              Schlachter 2000

14 Und das Wort wurde Fleisch und wohnte unter uns; und wir sahen seine Herrlichkeit, eine Herrlichkeit als des Eingeborenen vom Vater, voller Gnade und Wahrheit.  

We have seen so very much of His grace and mercy as we have walked with Jesus in the scriptures… On Sunday we were reminded that Jesus continued to love and teach His disciples to the very end…. We saw Jesus unfailing love for us as he interceded for us in His High Priestly prayer… He prayed that the Lord would protect us and take us to be with him….. But Jesus at the same time also warned those who refused to repent of the truth…… Unless you repent you will all likewise parish….. Luke 13…..

Just like His heavenly Father… When Jesus warns anyone of judgment…… He is showing mercy…… He is offering them a chance to repent…..

When He calls the Pharisees hypocrites and deceivers…….. he is rebuking their pride and rebellion……Everyone who hears the truth has to decide…… They heard his rebuke and had a chance to repent……

Some heard him and repented….. some plotted to kill Him…..

Back to Luke 19….. As we look at Jesus´ entry into Jerusalem….. we see Jesus receiving Worship and adoration………. He allowed Himself to be crowned and worshipped as King Messiah…..  we saw that clearly in Luke 19 verses 36 to 38…….  The words they used come  from Psalm 118….. part of the Great Hillel…… “the great Praise” this is a coronation Psalm…..

They say, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” 

Matthew adds that they said, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”  His disciples and the crowd began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice…… They said this is the moment when He is going to come as the conquering Messiah…… Now finally he will set up the Kingdom…… and  defeat our enemies……  They start the celebration……  The crowd catches the fever and they all begin to cry out in praise…… pointing to Jesus as the Messiah…….  He receives their worship and praise…. . 

He receives worship because He deserves it…..

Now the leaders see it as blasphemy…….  They don’t think He deserves to be worshiped and adored…..

Look at verse 39……. 

Luke 19: 39,40             NKJV    Schlachter 2000

39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

 39 Und etliche der Pharisäer unter der Volksmenge sprachen zu ihm: Meister, weise deine Jünger zurecht!

40 Und er antwortete und sprach zu ihnen: Ich sage euch: Wenn diese schweigen sollten, dann würden die Steine schreien!

They’re outraged at this messianic honor being given to Jesus…… They saw this adoration as blasphemy….. And It is all being accepted by Him as if He is worthy of it…...  They cannot handle that…. But He is worthy of all praise and Glory and Honor….. The leaders are angry but…. The Scribes and Pharisees have a problem…… They know they can’t control the crowd, it’s huge……  There’s only one who could stop them….. Jesus….. So they go to Him….

v39… “Teacher “Rebuke Your disciples......

They ask Jesus to silence the crowd and His disciples……

verse 40…. “He answered and said, ‘I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out.’”

Jesus allows Himself to be openly worshipped…… He tells the Pharisees that if they are silent the stones will cry out…… Because Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords……. He will be praised forever and ever….. And yes…we might see rocks singing the praises of Jesus if we don't! Maybe........ maybe not……. There is another sense in which the stones may cry out….. The stones may cry out in testimony against those who have heard and refused the Lord Jesus…. Saying we will not have this man to rule over us….. Just like the parable that Jesus told earlier in this chapter…..

I don´t think that Jesus was saying that the stones will sing praises if the crowd stops singing them……

That makes a great illustration but This text doesn't exactly say that…... Neither does the Greek…. The Greek word KRAZO…. Means to cry out with a loud voice… to scream…. It doesn't say the stones will sing praises if the disciples don't…….

What does it say? It says that if the crowd doesn´t worship and sing the Lord´s praises……. They will testify against those who refuse to worship the Savior….

The stones could serve as a witness against the people if…. For an example…. Turn to  Habakkuk 2….

Habakkuk 2: 10,11           NKJV Schlachter 2000

10 You give shameful counsel to your house, Cutting off many peoples, And sin against your soul.

11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, And the beam from the timbers will answer it.

10 Du hast beschlossen, was deinem Haus zur Schande gereicht, [nämlich] die Vertilgung vieler Völker, und durch deine Sünden hast du deine Seele verwirkt.

11 Ja, der Stein wird aus der Mauer heraus schreien und der Balken im Holzwerk ihm antworten.

Here the stones hear and then testify against those who did wickedness in their presence…... This is I believe…  a picture of Judgment….. A way of saying, “you will be brought to account for what you have done...... and will not be able to deny it…… These stones will serve as witnesses against you.”

When we look at our text in Luke 19:40….

 I believe it is helpful to remember these events in the scriptures as we think about what Jesus says….. Especially because of the things that He then does….

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost….. but  if after seeing all these miracles and hearing Jesus words of Life….. They refuse to repent and be saved….. Then their  judgment is certain….. and the stones will testify against them…. Possibly the very stones of the Temple mount…… The very place where Jesus so often proclaimed the Good News……

When I read Luke 19:40…. I imagine stones witnessing the rejection of Christ by those who saw the miracles and deeds crying out guilt in the face of their certain  judgment…...

I pray that  we will always respond to His grace and mercy….. and sing the praises of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords… Worshipping and serving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…..

Jesus´ hearers had a solid understanding of the power and authority of a King….. I´m not sure we do…..

In ancient times the king was an absolute ruler…. He demanded total and complete loyalty and obedience….. That is exactly what the Lord Jesus expects from us…. Do you remember what Jesus said in Luke 9…. Let´s remind ourselves….

Luke 9: 23             NKJV  Schlachter 2000

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

23 Er sprach aber zu allen: Wenn jemand mir nachkommen will, so verleugne er sich selbst und nehme sein Kreuz auf sich täglich und folge mir nach.

The cross is the terrible price that Jesus paid for our sin and rebellion….. Jesus said….. no man takes my life from me….. I lay it down…. Sprinkling if you will…… His blood on the horns of the altar …… Jesus´ blood is the permanent… final sacrifice for our sins….

Soon the Lamb of God will give His life’s blood for our sins….

Look now at Luke 19 verse 41…

Luke 19 : 41,42       NKJV    Schlachter 2000

 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

41 Und als er näher kam und die Stadt sah, weinte er über sie 42 und sprach: Wenn doch auch du erkannt hättest, wenigstens noch an diesem deinem Tag, was zu deinem Frieden dient! Nun aber ist es vor deinen Augen verborgen.

Jesus weeps…… There are different words for weeping…...  This is not a simple word for crying…..   This is a much stronger word….. This is the strongest word in the Greek language….. it would be equal to our word “sobbing...heaving....  Jesus sees Jerusalem and He’s racked with sorrow and agony…...  He begins to heave and sob….. 

He is weeping because of Israel´s unbelief and rebellion….   The people were worshipping Him…..  It all looked good……  But He could see through it…..  He wept in the face of their worship and praise….. He knew that in a few days they would as one voice cry….. crucify him…. crucify him….

And He wept because He knew their condemnation was coming…… Most of you know John 3:16 by heart…… but let´s turn there and read a little farther in the text…

 John 3: 16-19                       NKJV  

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 3: 16-19            Schlachter 2000

16 Denn so [sehr] hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, damit jeder, der an ihn glaubt, nicht verlorengeht, sondern ewiges Leben hat.

17 Denn Gott hat seinen Sohn nicht in die Welt gesandt, damit er die Welt richte, sondern damit die Welt durch ihn gerettet werde.

18 Wer an ihn glaubt, wird nicht gerichtet; wer aber nicht glaubt, der ist schon gerichtet, weil er nicht an den Namen des eingeborenen Sohnes Gottes geglaubt hat.

19 Darin aber besteht das Gericht, daß das Licht in die Welt gekommen ist, und die Menschen liebten die Finsternis mehr als das Licht; denn ihre Werke waren böse.

Notice verse18…. he who does not believe is condemned already….. This is the condemnation…. This the reason for Jesus´ deep sorrow…. Remember Jesus´ mission…… He has come to seek and to save the lost…. And then He goes on to pronounce judgment……  verse…..43

Luke 19 : 43,44         NKJV   Schlachter 2000

43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

43 Denn es werden Tage über dich kommen, da deine Feinde einen Wall um dich aufschütten, dich ringsum einschließen und von allen Seiten bedrängen werden;

44 und sie werden dich dem Erdboden gleichmachen, auch deine Kinder in dir, und in dir keinen Stein auf dem anderen lassen, weil du die Zeit deiner Heimsuchung nicht erkannt hast!

Jesus knows the future…… He  possesses the authority to pronounce judgment…… Judgment is certain for all who refuse to repent……

Remember back to Luke 19 verse 40….. “I tell you, if these become silent...” 

Stop there, if these people become silent….. If they refuse to worship and receive me as their King and Redeemer…. The stones of this city will testify against them……..

Because the people have refused to repent and believe the Good News….. they stand under judgment…… Back to Luke 19…..verse 40….

Luke 19: 39,40             NKJV    Schlachter 2000

39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

 39 Und etliche der Pharisäer unter der Volksmenge sprachen zu ihm: Meister, weise deine Jünger zurecht!

40 Und er antwortete und sprach zu ihnen: Ich sage euch: Wenn diese schweigen sollten, dann würden die Steine schreien!

If these become silent, and they will.... the stones will cry out…. 

Cry out, krazo, scream…… future tense...... when in the future these people become silent… in the future the stones will scream….  Screaming stones?  What does that mean?....  It’s more than just the expression of praise from Creation…..  We do see that in Psalm 148 for example….

As we read in Habakkuk…. The stones cry out testifying of the  guilt and the judgment of God upon those who refused to repent and believe..…   This is exactly why Jesus weeps…… Because of His unfailing love and mercy…. Jesus longs for these rebels to repent and believe the Gospel….. He is exactly the same as the Father who pleaded with the Children  of Israel to repent and turn from their sins…. Why will you die…. Ezekiel 33:11…. Jesus said if you only knew the things that really bring you peace….

What makes for peace?  Repentance, faith in Christ, believing the message of the Kingdom…..  He had preached it from the very beginning….. He preached repentance and the Kingdom of Heaven…..  Jesus told them how to come into the Kingdom…..

You come into the Kingdom through faith in Him…. And in  repentance from sin….  He had preached it all along…..  I’m not going to take you back through the gospel of Luke…. but you can go all the way back to chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, chapter 8, all the way through and see Jesus offering them the good news again and again and again and again……

But rebellion and sin and unbelief had blinded them all the way along……  They chose to be unbelieving, hard-hearted, self-righteous rejecters of Christ……  He gave invitation after invitation…. And they rejected them all…… Therefore  they rejected their only chance to have peace with God…..

Jesus had already pronounced judgment on them at the end of Luke chapter 13…...  Luke 13: 34,35                    

In the last days…. There will be a great revival in Israel……. 

But For now they had made their choice…...  Although the people are thrilled and proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah today…. The celebration was superficial and He knew it……  They wanted an earthly kingdom….. They wanted to be delivered from the Romans…….. They wanted too little from the King of Kings…… Jesus came to seek and to save the lost….. He came to set them free from sin and death……. To give them eternal life…..

This is not just a statement of divine judgment….. It is a statement of their own self-imposed blindness…….  In fact, now they have been hidden from your eyes…..  Right now… you are in the dark……  Look at  verse 43…

Luke 19: 43   NKJV   Schlachter 2000

43“For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, surround you, hem you in on every side, level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another.”

43 Denn es werden Tage über dich kommen, da deine Feinde einen Wall um dich aufschütten, dich ringsum einschließen und von allen Seiten bedrängen werden;

v 43… The days will come upon you,” This is an Old Testament expression used many times…. Isaiah 39:6; Hosea 9:7; Amos 4:2; etc., It is often used as an  expression of coming judgment.......  It’s just another time when Jesus refers to coming judgment…….

This destruction of Jerusalem occurred in 70 A.D., forty years after Jesus gave this prophecy…..

Notice please verse 43b… “They will not leave in you one stone upon another.” Those are the stones, friends, that cry out……  When you go silent, the stones will cry out……  Forty years later, the stones that made up that glorious city will lie on the ground as rubble, mute, screaming of the judgment on Israel’s unbelief…… Testifying that they….. At least most of them refused the King of Glory……. They refused to repent and believe….. They refused to be redeemed……  The Romans destroyed the city…..  Jesus tells them why the destruction is certain….. They have rejected their salvation…..He was their only hope and they spit in His face….

Look at the end of verse 44,

44b “Because you didn’t recognize the time of your visitation.” 

Visitation…. episcope… the visit of the incarnate God for the purpose of salvation….. 

Do you remember what Zechariah said when he heard that the Messiah was finally coming? Luke chapter 1….He said…..

Luke 1: 68,69            NKJV   Schlachter 2000

68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,

69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David,

68 Gepriesen sei der Herr, der Gott Israels! Denn er hat sein Volk besucht und ihm Erlösung bereitet,

69 und hat uns aufgerichtet ein Horn des Heils12 in dem Haus seines Knechtes David,

The day of visitation is an Old Testament phrase used by Isaiah and Jeremiah and other Old Testament writers…. It points to the coming of God... His drawing near to His people……  It Could be in blessing….. It  could also be in judgment…... 

This visitation…. This Advent of the Lord Jesus the Messiah…. was in blessing and salvation…… Jesus said….  You didn’t recognize that God was visiting you for salvation, for redemption….. 

Was Jesus the Messiah?  Absolutely…..  Was it evident that He was the Messiah?  Of course…..

Is He the Son of God?  Of course, who else could do the miracles He did and say the things He said…..  Yes He is the rightful King, fulfilling prophecy, omniscient……  Yes He has a right to receive worship……  He’s been given all authority in heaven and earth….. 

The visitation of God had come to Israel…...  John puts it this way….. John 1:  10-12

John 1: 10 -12    NKJV    Schlachter 2000

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own,  and His own  did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

10 Er war in der Welt, und die Welt ist durch ihn geworden, doch die Welt erkannte ihn nicht. 11 Er kam in sein Eigentum, und die Seinen nahmen ihn nicht auf. 12 Allen aber, die ihn aufnahmen, denen gab er das Anrecht, Kinder Gottes zu werden, denen, die an seinen Namen glauben;

He came to his own…. But they did not receive him….. but as many as were willing….. They became children of God….

CLOSE

Jesus Proclaimed the Gospel perfectly…… Grace and truth….. Come to me and be saved…… Repent the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand….. Some accepted His authority and repented and some refused to repent…. It was a disaster….. That´s the History of the Children of Israel….

But it’s not just Israel’s history…..  Can I make it very practical for us?  Rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah…. is catastrophic for us too…..  It’s no less catastrophic for us than it was for them…..  He was their only hope….. Today Je4sus is our only hope too….. They missed their day of opportunity….. They missed their day of salvation…..

What about your day of opportunity?  What about the time when you’ve heard the gospel, when the gospel’s been presented to you?  The time when you’ve been told how you can be reconciled to God?  What have you done with your visitation?  Have you recognized the time of your spiritual opportunity or is the end going to be a disaster for you as it was for them?  What are you doing about God’s grace and mercy in your life….. You have also heard the truth of the gospel?

That’s the question you have to answer…...  The destruction of Jerusalem is history…… but it’s also an unforgettable lesson to the catastrophe of rejecting Christ…..  Don’t follow that path…..  Jesus has come to seek and to save the lost…..

The other day as I was at school, I saw a familiar face and I turned to say hello…. I asked how she was doing……. Tears welled up in her eyes and she cried out….. I´m doing terrible…… I´ve lost my son….. Her grief was powerful…… I know her son… I felt her pain……. I thought oh no what happened….
At this point I thought that her son had an accident or something terrible…. Her problem was a huge problem….. but her grief was caused by her feelings of hopelessness…… Nobody was dead…… She poured out her heart through the tears….. I told her that only Jesus could help her…… She said oh no….. I left God a long time ago…… I said well then I have good news for you….. He wants you to come back…… He is ready to forgive you and help you…. She said I went to a christian school when I was young but I walked away from God….. But I do meditate every morning at 6 am….. That´s not going to help you…… You have to cry out to God to forgive your sins…… Are you ready to do that? NOW? She said yes and we prayed together  right there in front of Alex and all of the people walking by…..

well really she was dead in her sin….. When she repented and cried out to the Lord He burst into her life…. What about you?

Come to Jesus today…. Cry out to Him today….. Embrace Him as your Savior…….

How do we respond to the Lord´s free gift of mercy and forgiveness that we do not deserve?

Weep with those who weep…. Share the sorrow and pain of the lost people that you meet…… And tell them all is not lost…. There is Hope! His name is Jesus!

Let´s pray….

Numbers 6:24-26                     NKJV slt 2000

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”’

24 Der Herr segne dich und behüte dich!

25 Der Herr lasse sein Angesicht leuchten über dir und sei dir gnädig!

26 Der Herr erhebe sein Angesicht auf dich[c] und gebe dir Frieden!