The Tears Of A Crown Series

Intro>In the 1972 Presidential Primary race, Edmund Muskie seemed well on his way to becoming the Democrats’ nominee for President. However, the Manchester Union Leader published what came to be known as “the Canuck Letter,” which stated that Muskie had made disparaging remarks about Canadians, and that his wife, Jane, was a heavy drinker and used filthy language during the campaign. In an emotional speech, given during a snow storm, Muskie shed some tears when defending his wife. Those tears became his downfall as voters believed his former reputation of being a calm, cool, and collected and “above emotions” leader was forever shattered. Tears, the voters believed, were inappropriate for a President.

---Ironically, in this year’s Presidential Primary experts credit Hillary Clinton’s emotional, tearful speech given prior to the Massachusetts Democratic Primary for saving her candidacy. Tears, in her case, showed that she is not the “machine” many thought she was, that she had real emotions, a softer side to her personality, which made her more someone who could be trusted as a Presidential candidate.

<>Obviously, it seems we’re a little confused as to whether tears are appropriate or not in our leaders.

--But the Bible helps us in understanding the important place of tears as we look at Jesus’ example.

-We’ve already looked at Luke 19:32-41, but now I’d like you to open a Bible to Romans, chapter 8.

-Today we’re beginning a new Sermon Series I’ve entitled, “From Palms to Paradise,” which will lead us up to Easter Sunday.

--Each week we’ll be looking at an event which occurred during the final Passover of Jesus’ earthly life, and look at lessons we can learn from the event.

-It is important to know that Passover is an 8-day Jewish celebration, beginning on a Sunday and concluding the following Sunday.

--The concluding Sunday we call Easter.

---Before 30 a.d. it was known primarily as a celebration of the Spring Harvest.

---However, after 30 a.d. we celebrate Easter as Resurrection Sunday, for it was on Easter Sunday that Jesus rose from the dead.

--The first Sunday, first day of Passover, we now call Palm Sunday, because in 30 a.d. when Jesus entered, as we read earlier in Luke 19, the people greeted him with cheers and waved palm branches, welcoming into Jerusalem as a conquering hero, as a king.

<>But, as seen in our text today, an important event occurred just before Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem...

--He wept over the lostness of the citizens of Jerusalem.

Today, I want us to look at

FIVE IMPORTANT TRUTHS JESUS’ WEEPING TEACHES US...

1) IT’S OKAY TO CRY.

--Lk.19:41 - "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it."

<>There is a false notion that “big boys don’t cry.”

--It may be true that big boys don’t cry, but real men do.

->On two occasions Scripture records Jesus weeping...in public.

->The second of those cases is our text today, and we’ll look at it further in the moments to follow.

->However, the first time was when Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus, as recorded in John 11.

---This event resulted in the shortest verse in the Bible, but one of the most powerful, when it simply states, ”Jesus wept.”

-->Notice, Jesus didn’t chastise the people who were crying at the tomb...instead He joined them and wept WITH them.

--In fact, Scripture instructs us that we, as believers, are to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.

-APP>In other words, we’re not to suppress our emotions, but learn how to rightly express them.**

->You see, God designed us as multi-dimensional beings: physical, spiritual, with souls and emotions.

--In Scripture we see the early church praising God, rejoicing, weeping, expressing sorrow, even acknowledging their fears.

--It’s normal to cry for happiness at a birth, or at a wedding, or when celebrating a victory of some kind.

--And it’s not a lack of faith to be sad at the loss of a loved one.

---Remember...Jesus wept too!

<>A relationship with Jesus brings into our lives a whole gamut of emotions.

-And, our emotions are actually heightened because the passion He brings into our lives.

-So, yes, we experience sorrow, but we also experience joy, peace and celebration.

<>Tears can also be a sign that we truly care...and people need to know we care before they will ever care what we know.

2) HOW JESUS FEELS ABOUT US IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON HOW WE TREAT HIM.

--Jn.13:1 -- "Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."

->On that first Sunday of Passover the crowd was shouting His praises... “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”