LUKE 19:41-44 JESUS'S TEARS OVER JERUSALEM

JESUS’S TEARS OVER JERUSALEM

Luke 19:41-44

Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

Susie: This was not the only time Jesus grieved over the unrepentant, unbelieving state of the city of Jerusalem, but Luke is the only gospel writer who records that Jesus shed tears over it.

Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

Susan: Luke, being a doctor, may have been more attuned to the compassion of Christ. Perhaps Luke felt it was important to transparently record the emotion and passion of Jesus toward people.

Luke 19:42 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.

Susie: Jerusalem, the city of the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees, the leaders of the Jewish faith, should have been able to recognize Jesus as the Messiah based on the teachings of the Prophets. But they had blinded themselves to the truth that was right before their eyes.

Susan: A very few of the religious leadership were given the ability to see Jesus as Messiah, such as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea. However, those who refused to see were, in the end, given over to their blindness by the Lord.

Luke 19:43-44 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, 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.

Susie: Jesus prophesied the judgment that would come upon Jerusalem for their failure to recognize Him as the Christ, the Son of God.

Susan: Even though Jesus, the righteous judge, would eventually execute vengeance upon the city, He compassionately wept over them because of the judgement the Lord would have to carry out. Jesus shed tears for the very people who would shout “Crucify Him!”, demanding His execution. Jesus, the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice, cried for those who would condemn Him to an agonizing and humiliating death on the cross.

Susie: The events Jesus described would occur in AD 70 when the Romans besieged then demolished both Jerusalem and its inhabitants. The Temple and the city, including homes, were completely leveled. Most of the inhabitants were killed outright, and those who were not were taken prisoner to fight as gladiators or in other ways die as a spectacle for the Roman citizens.

Susan: The reason for this future calamity upon Jerusalem was their failure to recognize Jesus. As the Voice translation says:

Luke 19:44b because you did not recognize the day when God’s Anointed One visited you.

Ponder this and Apply it: The Lord has revealed Himself in nature (Romans 1:20), through His Word, and through the testimony of believers. If you have not already seen the truth of Jesus, ask God to open your eyes. Seek Him in the Bible and listen to the witness of those who serve Him. Today is the day to recognize Jesus as the Son of the Living God and surrender your life to Him, the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Tomorrow is not promised to you. Trust in Jesus now!