Will You Weep For Our City?

John Jackson

Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

Luke 19:41–44

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Nominations for Deacon

Article VII: Government; Section 3: “The Deacon shall be persons of mature Christian experience and knowledge, who shall be expected to meet the requirements set forth in and . Deacons shall be at least 23 years old, and shall have been members of the assembly for at least one year. They shall currently support the church with their tithes and offerings, have a cooperative spirit, and regularly attend church services. They shall not hold ministerial credentials.

Church board nomination cards are located at the Welcome Center. Please give them to me or one of the board members.

Joke

Clark Kent (save name for end) - Mean when he drinks. Young Jimmy walks into a swanky uptown restaurant / bar in a high rise building in a major metropolis … try’s to cheer up the gentleman sitting in the corner by making small talk …

Tired of always having to clean up your city?

Recap

“God cares for the One”

*Zacchaeus - Righteous one (not living up to your name?)

Luke 19:41–44 ESV

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

The scene is a sad one. Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, comes near the city of Jerusalem and weeps over it. Jerusalem, the holy city, was built on Abraham’s Mount Moriah and David’s Mount Zion. Its foundations rested upon the Salem of Melchizedek.

It was made the capital of God’s nation during the reign of King David, and served as such until it was destroyed by the Babylonians. Jerusalem was rebuilt by a remnant of the Jews under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. It had heard the voice and seen the face of the Son of God.

One day, the prophets tell us, it will be the capital city of the world and the center of God’s Kingdom on earth!

But as the awful day it crucified our Saviour approached, Jesus wept over the city.

Jesus cried for Jerusalem at least three times. tells us about a day when He wept over the city before arriving there.

Luke 13:34 ESV

34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

records a sermon Jesus preached in Jerusalem just a few days before He was crucified, and at the conclusion (vv. 37–39) we read words almost identical to those of His lament in .

Matthew 23:37–39 ESV

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

In “he wept over it” - klaíō, klah'-yo; to sob, i.e. wail aloud

Mark 14:72 ESV

72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Transition

It seems a logical question to ask ourselves then, why did Jesus weep and lament? What was it that saddened our Savior? What can we learn from Christ’s sorrow?

1. Jesus wept because of man’s sin and the death it brought

Jesus delayed visiting Lazarus when he was sick, knowing that Lazarus would die. Though He could have healed Lazarus (even from a distance), He told His disciples that He was glad He was not there. Jesus anticipated the Resurrection that He would perform as a sign to His disciples, that they might believe.

John 11:11–15 ESV

11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

john 11.

John 11:33–35 ESV

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept.

But when Jesus arrived in Bethany and saw the family and friends of Lazarus grieving, why did Jesus weep?

- dakrýō, dak-roo'-o; to shed tears

Clearly Jesus was affected by the grief of his close friend Mary and the rest of the Jews who were lamenting with her and Martha.

Romans 12:15 ESV

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

John 11:35–38 ESV

35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

Jesus was weeping and still groaning within Himself, this time in response to death itself and the disbelief of the people.

Luke 19:42 ESV

42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

The New American Commentary: Luke Comments

The city, within whose name is the word “peace” (salem), rejected the messianic peace offered

Although does not tell us specifically why Jesus wept, we can infer one reason from our text this morning: Jesus was grieved over death as the result of mankind’s sin.

Genesis 2:16–17 ESV

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Romans 5:12 ESV

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5

2. Jesus wept over Jerusalem and grieved over mankind’s hard hearts

Jesus knew that most would reject Him, just as had been prophesied ().

Isaiah 53:3–4 ESV

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

He also knew that the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed, the Temple laid in ruin, and many people would be killed by the Romans (; ).

Matthew 24:2 ESV

2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

So Jesus wept for their hardness of heart, as He did not want them to perish but desired them to come to repentance ().

Luke 15:7 ESV

7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

God will judge sin, but He makes clear that He wants people to turn from their sin and live, not die ().

Ezekiel 33:11 ESV

11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

ezekiel

Our Response

1. Repent of our sin & Guard our lives from Worldliness

Galatians 6:7–9 ESV

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

James 4:8 NLT

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

Galatians 6:7–9 ESV

James 4:8–10 NLT

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

2. Give ourselves to the work of the Lord and Pray for the advancement of the Kingdom of God

Give ourselves to the work of the Lord

Revelation 3:15–16 ESV

15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Closing

Jesus was weeping over the tragedy of a lost opportunity. The Israelites that assembled in Jerusalem for the Passover missed the opportunity to be saved from both earthly and eternal destruction. They were visited by their Saviour, but they did not know it. Instead of receiving Him, they killed Him.

Will we join our hearts together and seize the opportunity that God has given Grace Community Assembly to reach our city with the gospel of Jesus Christ?

1 Timothy 2:3–6 ESV

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.