The Day the King Cried
Intro: Four days before Passover, the people of Israel were required to present their lambs to the priest for inspection. This was known as Inspection Day. The law of Moses prohibited Israelites from bringing a lamb from very far away, because an unblemished lamb was required. They were to buy one in Jerusalem to commemorate the Passover.
-In Jesus’ day, the priesthood was very corrupt. People would buy their lambs from markets in Jerusalem and bring them to the priests for inspection. Quite often, the priests would pretend to find something wrong with the lamb, which would require them to sell it for a fraction of its value, (since it was deemed unfit for sacrifice), and buy an approved one from the temple authorities at double the price. It was extortion, and Jesus was not happy about it. That appears to be the main reason He turned over the tables of the moneychangers in the temple. They were the ones who were robbing the people in this highly dishonest way.
-Also on this day in the first century, a lamb was chosen by the high priest outside of Jerusalem on the tenth day of the Jewish month Nisan, (This was Inspection Day or Palm Sunday as we know it). Then the priest would lead this lamb into the city while crowds of worshippers lined the streets waving palm branches and singing Psalm 118, "Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord."
-Jesus our Messiah entered Jerusalem this same day, on a donkey. In times of war conquerors would ride in chariots or upon prancing stallions; but in times of peace, the king would ride a colt to symbolize that peace prevailed. So, for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem upon a colt is to declare that He is a King proclaiming peace. He may have entered Jerusalem right behind the High Priest's procession. The crowds that had just heralded the entrance of the sacrificial lamb also heralded the entrance of the Lamb of God - Jesus. Jesus identified himself with the Passover sacrifice by being led into Jerusalem, like a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53).
-Enthusiasm filled the air on this day. All of Israel knew that Jerusalem was where Messiah would be enthroned as their King. One scholar notes, “Everyone in Israel was thinking about the Feast, Everyone was going to Jerusalem, or had those near and dear to them there, or at least watched the festive processions to the Metropolis of Judaism. It was a gathering of universal Israel, that of the memorial of the birth-night of the nation, and of its Exodus, when friends from afar would meet, and new friends be made; when offerings would be brought, and purification would be obtained and all would worship in that grand and glorious Temple” (Edersheim).
-The High Priest would then take the lamb to the Temple, where it would be tied in public view so that it could be inspected for blemish. In the same way, Jesus sat and taught in the Temple courtyard, and was inspected and questioned as the Sadducees, Pharisees, and teachers of the law, who sought to trip him up in His words and entrap Him. They could not, because He was perfect and without blemish (Lancaster, 1996).
-Jesus presented Himself to the people and priests that day as the Passover Lamb – the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He made the crooked religious leaders angry, but many of the common people honored Him as their King – even if they seemed to miss the fact that He had not come to conquer Rome.
-Well, something very emotional and significant happened during this procession into Jerusalem. As Jesus looked over the throngs of people, He must have seen the mixture of expressions on their faces. There were those who loved Him: Bartimaeus may have been there, a man who had received his sight, no longer in his beggar’s rags. Perhaps Zacchaeus, who had paid back his debt to society, & made his peace with God. Even the lepers may have been along the road somewhere. Their skin had been cleansed & now they were rejoicing for the healing that the Lord had given them. Maybe Jairus’ daughter was there back to life again after experiencing death. Lazarus & Mary & Martha & Mary Magdalene they were all there! Their lives reflected the love that was in their hearts for this man who had taught them, & molded them & changed them.
-Other less friendly faces gazed intently at Him, hiding behind their long flowing robes and prayer shawls. The Romans were there, fearing revolt & watching for any sign of rebellion against Rome. They were ready & waiting to crush any uprising.
-Jesus begins His descent along the road from the Mt. of Olives, across the brook, toward the gate, the crowds thronging around Him. All of a sudden the whole procession stopped. Let’s read in Luke 19:41-44 and see what happened.
Luke 19:41-44 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."
-You just don’t get it! The people of Jerusalem didn’t get it!
-Have you ever tried to patiently explain something to someone, but somehow there is a mental block that keeps them from seeing what you are trying to say? I’m sure we’ve all been on both sides of that situation at one time or another.
-I think that is partly what Jesus was expressing on this day as He saw people getting all fired up about the wrong things. The corrupt religious leaders were excited about how much money they were going to make off of the 1 ½ million visitors who packed themselves into the city. The disciples were excited about which of them was the greatest. And the people were excited about Jesus leading a revolt against the Roman govt. and restoring the kingdom to Israel once again. As Jesus looked at these people and looked down on the bustling city, He was overcome by grief. He looked down through time about 40 years when Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple would be destroyed by the Emperor Titus b/c the Jews had tried to take matters into their own hands and had revolted against Rome. This is the scene that Jesus is describing 40 years ahead of time, as He weeps over Jerusalem and the 2 million Jewish people who were gathered there that day.
-They didn’t get it! They didn’t understand who God was! They didn’t know His plan. They did not recognize that God Himself was among them, offering them peace.
-So, with this XL introduction, let’s look at a few thoughts that relate to the tears of Jesus on Inspection Day / Palm Sunday.
1. The King cries over those who have no peace
-Jesus told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” John 14:27. Eph. 2:14 says that Jesus Himself is our peace. If you don’t have Jesus, you won’t have lasting peace. Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
-Jesus came as the Prince of Peace, showing us that God’s kingdom was not going to be brought about through violence and warfare. Those under God’s rule would need to humble themselves and trust themselves to Him. But Jesus knew that these people would force the issue to their own demise. They would fight for peace, but would not achieve it.
-Later, during the Jewish Revolt, Jew turned against Jew, destroying one another, rather than their enemy. Jesus wept for them b/c they had no peace.
2. The King cries over those who cannot see their way to God
-The Bible describes them as blinded, deceived, and even hardened in their hearts. Jesus described some who hear God’s word as being open to it and at first they receive it, but the cares and riches of this world choke the life out of it so it does not grow. Sometimes people allow the stuff of life to blind them to who God is and how much He is involved with us.
-Quite often it all boils down to what we want vs. what God wants. People miss God and His amazing plan for them b/c they refuse to give up what they want! Jesus wept for them!
3. The King cries over those who do not know when God is near
-They did not know the time of their visitation from God. They did not recognize that God was truly with us, Immanuel.
-Are you able to recognize God’s nearness? How do you respond?
-The next major visitation from Jesus will be monumental! His next visit will be to take those with Him who trust in Him for forgiveness and walk with Him by faith.
-Jesus can see ahead of us. While we hope and pray for peace and prosperity in our nation, we have little reason to expect it. I wonder what Jesus sees as He looks ahead? What would He cry over us? “Oh, America, America, you who murder the innocent. You who indulge yourselves in every luxury and every pleasure, but find no comfort. How often I have called you to Myself, but you would not come. If only you had turned to Me when you had the chance!”
-God is near, and he is calling us to come to Him! Our nation needs God! Our families need God! We need God! We need Him to give us His peace, and it is His pleasure to do so!
4. It is the King’s Joy to give you His peace
-The good news is that it is still the time of our visitation! God is still with us and walks among us through His Holy Spirit. It is still the year of the Lord.
-Earlier in His ministry Jesus said He had come to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. Now, even though a million Jews died during the Jewish Revolt against Rome, that was not the day of God’s vengeance or the Day of the Lord. Paul affirms that in 2 Thess. 2, which we have been studying. The Day of the Lord has not yet come b/c the great apostasy has not yet happened, the restrainer has not been taken out of the way, and the man of lawlessness has not yet been revealed.
-Christians have long recognized that we are living in an amazing time in history, which is why we’ve used the designation, A.D. for over 14 centuries to identify our times as the time of God’s favor. We are living in the year of the Lord’s favor now, but the Day of the Lord’s vengeance is coming on all who reject Him and His offer of peace.
-Both Matthew & Luke tell us that sometime earlier Jesus looked down upon the city & had cried out, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…. how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37 & Luke 13:34)
Today, just like the city of Jerusalem, we find ourselves in the presence of Jesus. I wonder what He finds when He looks into our faces?
Does He see people concerned about so many things worried about income taxes worried about job security worried about their health, or lack of it? Does He see people who are so busy doing things here & there so busy that they never bother to consider those things that are eternally important?
Does he see people who recognize Him for who He is - The Messiah, our Savior, the Son of God?
When He turns & looks into our lives, I wonder, will He weep once again because of what He sees? Will He say, “How often I’ve longed to gather you close to Me like a hen gathers her chicks, but you refused”? Or will we receive His peace that passes all understanding as we respond to His invitation to come to Him?
[Song, Come to Me, Kari Jobe]
[Some of the thoughts and words of this sermon adapted from Melvin Newland on sermoncentral.com]
