The prophet Zechariah prophecies about the day we are currently celebrating, Palm Sunday, the day Jesus came triumphal into Jerusalem before He was betrayed and killed.
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 NIV
He goes on to say, He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. Zechariah 9:10 NIV
Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy when He rode in to Jerusalem on a certain Sunday almost 2000 years ago.
It was an exciting day when Jesus came into Jerusalem that final time! As a matter fact the weeks leading up to this day was pretty exciting as well.
The last The last few months of Jesus’ life on earth was filled with all sorts of excitement and drama that stretched the emotions of God.
PRAY
Lord God and Father,
open our eyes so we can see Your truth.
Open our ears so w can hear Your voice.
Open our mind so we can understand Your Word.
And open our heart so we may receive all that You want me to receive. AMEN
I am an emotional person. I cry easily.
I cried when my nephew died.
I cried when my grandparents died and when my dad died.
Those are normal times to cry.
I also cried when Ole Yeller was shot. Who didn’t?
I cry every time, when Ray and his father reconcile in the movie Field of Dreams, I also cried when Ray’s daughter fell off the bleachers and choked on the hotdog, you know the scene, when the doctor had to decide if he was going to play ball or be a doctor and save a life.
I cry every time at the end of Saving Private Ryan, when an old Private Ryan stands at the grave of the captain who gave his life and saved him and asks his own wife, “Am I a good man? Tell me that I have been a good man.”
Or in the movie Armageddon when Harry says goodbye to his daughter Gracie.
I even cried during Braveheart, when William Wallace said, (VIDEO) “Aye, you may die, run, and you’ll live…at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take…our freedom.”
And then remembering at the end of the movie, right before his head comes off, with his last breath, William Wallace screams out “FREEDOM!”
I am not afraid to admit that I cry during bad times and during good times. I cry when helping people deal with tragedy, I cry at some weddings, I cried at the birth of my children, I cry during times of personal pain, and I cry when God moves in the lives of the people who I have the privilege to shepherd.
Real men cry.
Has God ever cried? Yes. Have you ever wondered what would ever bring tears to the eyes of God? Jesus, being fully God, cried.
We think of Jesus as the Lord and the King and the man who endured the beatings and the cross. But sometimes we miss the three times in Scripture that a real man cried.
Let’s set this up so we can understand what the Lord wants to say to us today.
Jesus was in Jerusalem about two months before the Passover for the Festival of Dedication which is now called Hanukkah, at that time He taught in the temple. From there He would travel to Perea which was a about 2 days away from Bethany.
While in Perea Jesus ministered to the people, healing their sick and teaching them about the Kingdom of God.
While there, Jesus received word that His dear friend Lazarus was ill. Jesus knew all that awaited Him during the next few weeks, He knew what He was going to have to endure to fulfill God’s plan and in the middle of all this Lazarus is sick and Jesus knows that it is going to end up with Lazarus dying.
By the time Jesus arrives in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for 4 days.
The Gospels record three different times and three different places and three different reasons that Jesus wept. Today as we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry, I want to look at what moved the Son of God to tears and see what God is speaking to us.
1. Tears of Compassion
A day or two before Jesus comes into Jerusalem for the final time, Lazarus dies.
Jesus had a very close relationship with Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. The three of them had committed to following Jesus and their example inspires people even today to be hospitable, study God’s Word, love God and love their neighbors.
As I said before, Jesus was about 20 miles from Bethany which is where Lazarus was, which is about 2 days walking.
When Jesus first heard that Lazarus was sick He did not leave for Bethany, Jesus waited. I believe there are two reasons why Jesus hesitated. First, I believe Jesus wanted to demonstrate His divine power to raise the dead to life and second, I believe Jesus wanted to share in the pain so that He could bathe them in His love.
When Jesus arrives in Bethany the people are weeping and mourning the death of their friend and family member. Jesus sees this and it moved His spirit and troubled Him.
This short verse speaks volumes to us especially as we read it in context.
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” John 11:33-36 NIV
The shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” The Greek verb wept is dakruo, which means “to tear up in the eye” or “to shed tears”.
By contrast, the Greek verb, "weeping" in John 11:33 for the others is klaio, which means “to wail”.
So Jesus was shedding tears while the people around Him were wailing.
What was it that caused the Man, Jesus Christ to cry? It was compassion. Not compassion that comes from the loss of a friend but rather compassion for people who were hurting a compassion for people that just didn’t get it.
It was because Jesus was spiritually saddened, "groaned in the spirit" by the unbelief of "friends" whom He "loved".
There Jesus was, just weeks from the cross, weeks away from giving His life as a ransom for all, and His even His closest friends didn't fully believe in Him or His power.
Yes, they were hurting, yes, they had experienced loss. According to Hebrews 4:15, “We have a chief priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses.”
Jesus understands but Jesus also wants us to trust Him during those times.
Why? Because only Jesus can turn a mess into a message, a test into a testimony, and trial into a triumph, and a victim into a victory.
No matter what you are going through, no matter where you have been, God cares, He understands and He is right there with you with tears on His face. He promised to never leave or forsake us.
And during those times He is hoping that you will trust in Him. The first time we see Jesus cry is because of compassion.
2. Tears of Sorrow.
A couple days after Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave Jesus went into Jerusalem for the final time to celebrate the Passover, but more importantly He went to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s plan of redemption.
Let’s look at this through the eyes of Luke.
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it…” Luke 19:37-41 NIV
Jesus is being welcomed into Jerusalem as a hero. The people are cheering, praising God, worshipping the Christ, waving palm branches, throwing their cloaks into the road. It must have been an awesome sight to behold.
And right in the middle of this parade of praise Jesus breaks down and begins to cry.
Was He afraid of what was about to come? Maybe, but that is not why Jesus is crying here. He tells us why 42 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. 43 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. 44 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.”Luke 19:42-44 NIV
Jesus knew that they were not going accept the salvation He came to bring. Jesus knew that the same people that were welcoming Him now were the same people who would turn their backs on him in a few days.
The Jewish people had been waiting for many years for the coming of the Messiah and Jesus was the One. All of the prophets foretold His coming and Jesus fulfilled, over 300 separate prophecies in the Old Testament and Jesus fulfilled everyone of them.
Did you hear that? Every Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Jesus came and the people did not accept Him.
Jesus would have done anything to get them to believe in Him and accept God’s plan, as a matter of fact, Jesus did do everything!
He had done all He could do to get them to believe and what did they do? They rejected Him. Instead of choosing God’s plan of redemption they chose darkness. Instead of choosing everlasting, abundant life they chose death.
Church, it is not that much different today. God still reaches out to humanity.
He still loves us and cares for us and even does things for us. He blesses people, He heals people, He provides for people, He has given people His Word and all His promises and yet, time after time people continue reject Jesus Christ and they continue to reject the Kingdom of God.
Every day, sinners and saints make decisions that cause great sorrow for God.
It breaks His heart and brings tears to His face when we reject Him because He knows the fate that we bring upon us when we reject His love.
The second time Jesus cries is because of His sorrow for our rejection.
3. Tears of Struggle.
I want to fast forward you to Thursday because this is the third time we see the Man, Jesus Christ cry.
After eating the Passover meal for the final time with His disciples Jesus is pressed to have some time with God the Father. So He and the disciples go to a familiar place to pray, the Garden of Gethsemane.
Here in that quiet place of the garden Jesus reveals something that we have never seen so clearly before, He shows the depth of His humanity.
Jesus comes to the Garden of Gethsemane to prepare for the event that laid ahead of Him. He was about to die. Not just die, He was about to be cruelly punished. He was about to be mocked, beaten, whipped, stabbed, His hair pulled out, pierced and crucified for something He did not do.
He was about to go through all of this because of the sin of every person who had been on this earth, who was on this earth and who would come to this earth.
He was about to face His destiny and His fate. And so He prayed.
His decision drove Jesus to His knees, Hebrews 5:7 says, During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
The thought of Jesus’ near future was so excruciating that it magnified the stress in His life and He prayed to His Father in heaven.
He sought an answer and direction for His life. He sought for a way out and an alternative to this plan, but in the end, He ultimately sought the will of His Father and submitted to it.
Jesus also was experiencing something else here, and that was the thought of the separation from God that was about to take place. Jesus was about to take on the sins of the entire world.
Sin separates us from God. Jesus had never experienced separation from God and it was not a pleasant thought for Him.
Remember Hebrews 4:15? “We have a chief priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses.”
Every one of us face challenges in life. We struggle with decisions and our faith is often tested. Just like Jesus was.
And when that time came, what did Jesus do? Yes He cried and He sweat great drops of blood. But He did something else that is more noteworthy. Jesus prayed.
As God’s children, prayer is our greatest resource. When we are going through tough times and have tough decisions to make and our faith is being tested, if we lift up our heads and our tear stained faces toward heaven, we can call upon our Father, the God of the universe and He will turn His face towards us and He will hear our prayers.
God hears our prayers.
Jesus was a real man and Jesus cried. He cried at the tomb, He cried at the city and He cried in the Garden.
He cried at tomb because He loves people.
He cried at the city because He loves the lost.
He cried in the Garden because He was in turmoil because of the pain He would experience and because of the impending separation from His Father.
So what does all this mean for us? It means that it is OK to cry. Real men cry, Real women cry. We cry to the God of the universe.
We cry because of joy.
We cry because of the people we love.
We cry because of the lost world that needs Jesus.
We cry because His kingdom is now and needs to be built.
We cry because of the trials that we go through.
We cry because of turmoil.
We cry because of struggles that come and go.
But most important, when we are crying, we need to remember that we don’t have to cry alone. Whatever struggles or sorrows or pains or even happiness you are going through, God is always there.
He is there waiting for you to come running to Him.
Remember what Jesus said, 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
Rest is the gift of salvation. It is something that we do not deserve and did not earn, it is a gift from God. There is rest for us when we are crying out to God.
There is calmness, comfort and refreshing. There a relief from the pressures of this world and rest is give from the God of the Universe to His people.
So cry out to God and find your rest.
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