What Caused Jesus to Weep?

“What Caused Jesus to Weep”

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Did you cry when you saw your bride come down the aisle? Did you cry when your baby was born? Did you cry when your mother or father died?

Did you shed tears of joy when you were saved?

Many of us are not emotional people….

BUT....Something in life will make you cry, sooner or later!

I am amazed at the things that people cry over, and the things that people don’t cry over.

People cry over a sad movie, their team losing, someone hurting their feelings, their boyfriend breaking up with him. There’s not anything wrong with that necessarily. We are emotional creatures, and when our hearts are touched, tears flow.

But we must be careful that we don’t shed tears over temporal, unimportant things; and yet not be moved to tears by the tragedies that are happening in people’s lives, and our country every day.

When we see that our Senate is okay with infanticide… That a baby can be aborted at full term, and if it does not die, a doctor, a nurse can just push it to the corner of the room and let it die.

This is God blessed America! This is the place where a doctor takes, and oath to preserve and protect life!

My brothers and sisters, our hearts are broken, and tears run down our face because we have lost all respect for human life!

Where are the tears for human life?

Where are the tears for the injustice, human trafficking, the drug addict, and the prostitute, and the abused and neglected, and the child who’s been abused? God help us to recover our tears!

God help us not to be, a dry eyed church; in a hell bound world.

If there’s ever been a time when God’s people should have a broken heart, and shed tears it is today! The Lord Jesus Christ is our example of love, compassion and tears. It is true, nobody ever walked on this earth with as much joy in their life as a Lord Jesus! , says that Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness above all others.

Jesus, turned water to wine, and brought joy to a young couple’s wedding.

Jesus, turned Peter’s miserable fishing trip, into a great catch.

Jesus, open the eyes of a blind man, who ran off singing, I saw the light, I saw the light no more in darkness, no more in night.

Jesus was a man of joy; and Jesus puts joy in your heart when you get saved. The fruit of the Spirit is love… Joy!

Someone said, “Joy is the flag that is flown from the castle of the heart when King Jesus is on the throne”

Paul tells us “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice”.

And I often say, we don’t come to church to mourn a dead corpse, we come to worship a risen Savior!

There is no joy, like the joy that comes from knowing Jesus Christ as your personal savior!

There is no joy, no peace; no victory like knowing Jesus as your Savior.

But… The Christian life is not all joy, shouting, and good times.

The Lord Jesus Christ was also a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief.

The Wiseman Solomon said in the book of Ecclesiastes; there’s a time to laugh, and there is a time to weep. And I believe that we as Christians need to realize it is a time to weep, just like Jesus does in this passage of Scripture.

The Bible records 3 times that Jesus wept.

· Jesus wept up at the grave of Lazarus.

Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus, the word wept at Lazarus tomb means- a quiet, silent weeping.

Those were tears of sympathy for Mary and Martha.

Jesus wept when a friend died; Jesus knew that Lazarus would rise from the grave, yet he still shed tears. Jesus weeps over personal loss-Death.

· Jesus wept in the garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus wept in the garden of Gethsemane. Those were tears of agony, as he was making final preparation to be our substitute, to take our sin, and die in our place on the cross. Jesus made his soul and offering to sin for us; and he shed tears, and sweated great drops of blood in agony as he prepared for his death on the cross for our sin!

· Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem.

Jesus weeps over the condition of the people in the city of Jerusalem, and over what he knew was going to happen to the nation. When you are saved, you do not cease to care about your city, our nation; it is the saints of God who should weep over their city and nation more than anyone else.

Jesus is riding into the city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives….and He weeps. These are tears of a broken hearted Savior over the people that were lost in their sin in the city of Jerusalem.

The word for wept in, V:41, means to wail out-loud, lament, agonizing sobbing.

Jesus wasn’t just sniffling over this city, shedding a few quiet tears, No! What you have here is weeping.

You have the loving, compassionate,

Broken-hearted Savior weeping his eyes out over the city of Jerusalem and the people.

There were three things that caused Jesus to weep; and the things that caused Jesus to weep, should cause us to weep.

First of all Jesus wept over:

1. Superficial Religion.

V:41.

Get the picture in your mind, Jesus is coming into the city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. We refer to this as Palm Sunday, it is the beginning of the last week of Jesus life, the Passion Week. The people are shouting, V:38-Read.

The religious leaders tell Jesus; tell your disciples to quit praising you as the king.

They do not believe that Jesus is the King, and they cannot stand to see others worshiping him as the king. From this viewpoint, Jesus could see the entire city of Jerusalem, and the temple, and the people making their way up the Temple steps to offer sacrifices, and to pray prayers.

At this point Jesus stops, he looks over the city and he wept over it. Jesus was not an overly emotional man, he was not moody, or bad tempered. Jesus was perfect deity, and perfect humanity mixed together. What a contrast between what was going on around Jesus, and what was going on in Jesus.

The people were singing his praises and calling him King.

But Jesus was weeping openly, heaving in sorrow, great tears rolled down his cheeks as He looks over the city of Jerusalem. Jesus was not weeping for himself, there was no self-pity in the Son of God. Jesus was sobbing with compassion for the people who were caught up in superficial, dead religion, lost in their sins, on their way to a church service!

Yes, Jesus heard the people crying out “Blessed is the king that comes in the name of the Lord”.

Yes, Jesus saw them waving palm branches, and laying their coats on the road in front of him.

Yes, Jesus saw the thousands upon thousands crowding into the city of Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. But Jesus knew it was all just superficial religion; it was not from the heart, and it did not change anyone’s life!

They were just going through the motions, caring out the rituals, singing the songs, offering the sacrifices, and walking away unchanged!

Jewish historians tell us that the temple, stood like a mountain of snow, with white marble walls, with a roof of gold, glistening in the sun. It was an impressive sight, a beautiful building; that had been rebuilt after Solomon’s Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. So Jesus and the people would see this beautiful place of worship.

But it had become a hollow-shell, the glory-cloud of God no longer rested on that building. The religious leaders, were not serving Jehovah God, they were serving themselves. They had turned the temple of God into a den of thieves, and where taken advantage of the people who came there to worship. Those who were to be the shepherds of Israel, were not leading people to God, are pointing them to the Messiah. They were concerned about their own position, possessions, no wonder Jesus wept!

It was Passover week, the week they would kill the Passover lamb. And Jesus Christ was the Passover lamb; and in all their religion, they failed to recognize the Lamb of God, who had come to take away the sin of the world. There is nothing sadder, than to come to church; and sit in a beautiful building, and sing songs, and give an offering, and fellowship with believers; and fail to worship the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ who died on the cross, rose from the grave to take away your sin.

Jesus wept over superficial religion when he rode into the city of Jerusalem; and Jesus still weeps over superficial religion. Religion that does not recognize who he is, come to him, and worship him!

Jesus said on the Day of Judgment:

-“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

No sadder words could ever be spoken! For a person who was religious, and served and worked for Jesus, and did many wonderful things.

But because they never bow their knee to Jesus as Savior and Lord, they will go to hell wrapped in the robes of religion.

Religion never have saved anyone, and never will! If all you have is religion, church membership, and good deeds; repent of those things, and come and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior!

As we look at the city of Springfield and all the religion, may we understand that religion, and church membership will not get a person to heaven!

And the worst place in the world to go to hell from is off of a church pew. God help us to look at our city, the city of Springfield and weep over it!

Jesus wept over superficial religion.

His house was no longer a place where sinners were saved, and Saints were encouraged, and his word was taught, and people were loved. But it had become a cold, dead, lifeless religious marketplace.

God help us, not to come to church and just go through the motions, and fail to worship Jesus from our heart!

If you’re cold, dead, lifeless in your spiritual life, just going through the motions; get right with the Lord Jesus this morning.

This world is full of false religion that offers a false security that should bring tears to our eyes, and cause us to share the gospel.

Jesus wept to over superficial religion.

Secondly Jesus wept over:

2. Passing Opportunities.

V:42-Read.

V:44-“because you knew not the time of your visitation”.

Jesus, with tears running down his face said if you only knew, if you only understood the opportunity that you have had! But you have been blind to who I am, you’ve been deaf to what I’ve said.

The Lord God of heaven in the person of Jesus Christ had visited them, and they refused to accept him.

Jesus tells them in, V:42-In this your day, your day to experience peace, salvation… But the opportunity is passing!

Jesus, was greater than Jonah- Jonah looked on the city of Nineveh and hoped it would be destroyed.

Jesus looked on the city of Jerusalem and wept because they were destroying themselves.

People had mistaken Jesus for Jeremiah; because Jeremiah was a weeping prophet. Jeremiah in the Old Testament wept bitterly over the destruction of Jerusalem in his day.

, Jeremiah said my eyes are a fountain of tears and I weep day and night for my people.

Jeremiah’s tears, were tears because of the passing opportunities that missed by the people in his day.

Listen to Jeremiah as he weeps and says:

-“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved”.

Jeremiah, wept as he warned the people that the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed; what did they do? They laughed at him. They threw him in a dungeon, and rejected him, and silenced him. Why? Because; the Dow Jones in Jeremiah’s day was up. The nation was prospering, they were indulging in every immorality imaginable, no longer even able to blush at the sin that was rapid in the city of Jerusalem.

But the day came when the Babylonians army surrounded Jerusalem, and cut the people off from their fields of ripening food. And the people inside the city were starving to death, historical records tell of mothers killing and cooking and eating their own children. Jeremiah saw the harvest in the fields rotting and the people inside the city starving, and he said; it is too late now, the harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

The spiritual application is this: God gives people an opportunity to be saved, to experience salvation and peace with God! Don’t miss the opportunity!

God gives Christians, and churches opportunities to bring in the spiritual harvests of lost souls. But when the days of your life are over, or Jesus comes again, and destruction comes; our opportunities will be passed!

Noah- preach for 120 years while he was building the ark; he cried out “come into the ark, the door of God’s salvation is wide open”! But the people did not respond; and the mercy of God gave way to the wrath of God, and the people were destroyed. The time of opportunity past for them!

Children of Israel- the children of Israel were given an opportunity to cross over Jordan and move into the land of Canaan.

But they refused to trust God, and they missed their opportunity, and they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness.

-“Today if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts…

God gave them an opportunity, and they let it pass, and wasted their life’s wondering in the wilderness.

Listen child of God; when God gives you an opportunity to serve him, to share the gospel, to step out in ministry or missions; do not let that opportunity pass!

You may be a young person here today, but your youth is passing! You will not always be, in middle school or high school or college; your opportunity to be a witness for Jesus in school is passing- don’t wasted!

Statistics tell us that half of the people who are saved are saved before 15 years old! God is giving you an opportunity; right here today to accept Jesus as your personal savior; Jesus is weeping over you, and your passing opportunity!

You may be here and you are a senior adult, you have fewer days ahead of you than you do behind you. But you are here today, and you have an opportunity, to swallow your pride, step out of that pew, and come and accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior! Do not let this opportunity pass!

The Holy Spirit is speaking to someone’s heart today about your need for Jesus; the Holy Spirit may not continue to convict you, do not let this opportunity pass! Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem and the people; and he wept because of the opportunity they had to accept him; but they were rejecting him, and the day of opportunity for them was passing!

Jesus weeps as he says to them; you don’t understand the things I had for you: peace!

The thing they wanted most was peace; they said “shalom” to one another, but they didn’t have shalom.

V:42, if you had known in this your day the things that make for your peace.

People are searching for peace today, they search for peace in a pill, bottle, possessions, false religion. But Jesus came to give us his peace, peace that comes because your sin is forgiven, and you have been given eternal life.

Jesus weeps as he looks over the city of Springfield and sees people who are missing their opportunity to come to know him as their Savior and Lord.

Jesus is weeping over someone in the service this morning; who is wasting another opportunity to place their faith in Jesus Christ!

Jesus sees you, Jesus loves you, and Jesus is brokenhearted for you!

Jesus sees:

· The person whose life is being wrecked by drugs and alcohol.

· The person who is making lots of money, but their lives are empty and meaningless.

· The single mom who is struggling to raise her children, and pay her bills, who has a husband who will not pay child support.

· Jesus sees the older, lonely, sick person who is one step from eternity, and does not know Jesus.

The Lord Jesus sees all those people in the city of Springfield, and he weeps over them. My prayer is that my heart, and your heart will be broken over what Jesus heart is broken over.

If you’re here and you are not right with God, “Behold now is the day of salvation, now is the time to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior”!

Dear Christian, this is your day, and time to serve the Lord, win souls, give, serve, worship, and work for your Savior.

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

The dead praise not the Lord.

Don’t waste your life, and the precious opportunities you have to do something for Jesus, and his church!

Thirdly Jesus wept over:

3. Coming Judgment.

V:43-44-Read.

Jesus, the all-knowing God, look into the future some 35 years and saw the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, he said in, V:43-“the days will come…

Jesus wept over, coming judgment.

No doubt about it! Judgment is on the way, and it broke Jesus heart.

He describes in great detail how the city would be torn apart.

There enemies, the Romans would cast a trench about the city-they barricaded them in, no one can get out or get in, they cut off their supplies.

They will surround you-The Roman army surrounded the city of Jerusalem, on every side.

V:44-Read.

The Romans leveled the city of Jerusalem. They brutally killed the women and children, and kept the strongest young men alive for gladiator games.

And not one stone was left on top of another; they tore down the walls of Jerusalem, the only thing they left was 4 high towers, and the Western Wall of the temple, the Wailing Wall.

To show what a massive city Jerusalem used to be. And what happens to the enemies of Rome.

What Jesus predicted happened in A.D. 70 when the Roman general Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem and after a siege of 143 days, killed 600,000 Jews. Taken thousands captive and destroying the temple and the city.

Josephus the historian said, they crucified Jews until there were no more trees left in the forest to crucify people with. That beautiful temple was leveled to the ground, many, many people died at the hands of the Romans, and Jesus saw it coming.

The Lord Jesus had visited them, and offered them salvation, but they rejected him, and when you rejected Jesus Christ, you will experience judgment.

Listen, once Jesus offers you this salvation, and you reject it, nothing is left for you but judgment.

Jesus wept because he saw coming judgment, and it broke his heart. Do you see the heart of the Lord Jesus, Jesus is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance!

-“I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; turn from your evil ways and live “.

Jesus weeping, reveals the heart of our Savior, slow to anger, of great mercy! It was 35 years before this judgment came.

Jesus saw men and women, boys and girls, families, under judgment, headed for destruction, death and hell and it broke his heart.

I’m not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, and I work for a non-profit organization.

But this book I hold in my hand tells us that at the end of a Christ rejecting life is judgment.

-“It is appointed under man once to die and after this the judgment”.

-"He that being often reproved and hardens his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

This morning, Jesus Christ is moved by your lost condition, he loves you, he gave his life for you! Jesus is weeping over your soul this morning as he wept over Jerusalem; because you are headed for judgment. Today is your opportunity, but if you fail to take advantage of your opportunity, and you die, or Jesus comes you will face the judgment of God.

Today, to those of us who are saved; the things that break the heart of Jesus ought to break ours today.

May God help us to see that people without Jesus are headed to a real, literal, burning hell!

The thought of someone dying without Jesus and going to hell should move our hearts, bring tears to our eyes, and a burden to our hearts.

Yes, we have joy because we know Jesus; but we need to have tears in our life as we think about lost people dying and going to hell.

-"He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

We must keep sowing the seed of the word of God with a broken heart. God help us to keep-sowing, keep-weeping, Keep-working; and we will see people saved. If you’re ever planning on serving the Lord, sharing the gospel, giving to God’s work; now is the time!

The Salvation Army was having an evangelistic meeting but they weren't having many people saved. General William Booth, who was the founder of the Salvation Army, was sick and could not be there. They sent him a wire, and asked him to, tell them what to do. He sent a wire back that had two words in it. "Cry tears."

We all have family members, who are religious but lost, and their opportunity to be saved is passing, and judgment is coming. What are we to do?

Cry tears, cry tears. We need to ask God to give us tears, and boldness to share the gospel!

We need to be so full of Jesus that the things that break the heart of Jesus will break our heart.

Jesus wept because of superficial religion.

Jesus wept because of passing opportunity.

Jesus wept because of coming judgment.

What about this day of opportunity?

We ought to look at the city of Springfield, with a heart of love, praying prayers, and shed tears at the people in this great city might come to know Jesus as her Savior.

And then we must, get outside the walls of this church, and walk our streets and pray, and put the Bible into the hands of the people.

Today God has given you an opportunity; please take advantage of it, come this morning and receive Jesus as your Savior!