A PORTRAIT OF JESUS – JESUS WEEPS
“And
as He approached Jerusalem
and saw the city, he wept over it...” Luke 19:41
Jesus had just come into Jerusalem
riding on a colt, and being hailed as a King!
Garments and palm branches were spread on the road; Shouts of, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He
who comes in the name of the LORD; Hosanna in the highest!” were loudly proclaimed.
For a brief moment, Jesus tasted what it would be like to be hailed as king, yet
knowing it would not last, for He knew what lay ahead and it was nothing befitting
a king. He also knew what lay ahead for
these fickle people who one day hailed Him a king and a few short days later cried
out, “Crucify Him,” with the same
fervency with which they had hailed Him King just days previous.
Jesus
knew the Scriptures and He knew the prophecies that He would fulfill in Jerusalem. The view of Jerusalem
from the Mount of Olives is breathtaking; the
entire city can be seen from that vantage point. So when Jesus reached the
summit and looked out over the beautiful city, His heart ached; it ached for
these people who needed a shepherd, a Messiah, but who did not recognize the One
sent by God, who stood in their midst.
As
Jesus gazed upon the city, He recalled the prophecies of His coming as Messiah,
as well as those of Israel’s
stubbornness and future destruction. He then announced the destruction of this
city whose very name means, “He shall see;”
this city who would deny Him and refuse to see their Messiah; rejecting the One
sent to save them. A glorious Light
shown in their presence and they covered their eyes and refused to see Him. Their rejection broke Jesus’ heart. He had come to save, not destroy, and so He
wept. He wept for these whom He loved,
these whom He longed to gather to His breast and protect as a mother hen would
her chicks…but they would not have it.
It was for their sake that He who was rich became poor; it was for their
sake that He took on the role of servant and made Himself of no reputation; it
was for their sake that He would be obedient even unto death on the cross! He died that they might not perish. It was His love that caused Him to weep for
them that day long ago, and it was His love for them that would take Him on the
road to Calvary. One day that nation will know
Him as their Savior and King because of His amazing act of love.
D. Mathewson