Jesus wept
Bible scholars are not sure about when Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Matthew and Luke have these words from Jesus in two different timelines. What is certain is that before Jesus endured the suffering of Holy Week that resulted in his cruel death on the cross, he looked at the city of Jerusalem and wept. His words recorded in Luke and Matthew reveal the great heart of our savior.
“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!”
Jesus loved the city of Jerusalem. Cities are places where people live. Cities contain the young and old, generational families, and are places where many good things happen. Cities are also places where there is crime, poverty, and injustice. Jerusalem was a special city because it contained the Temple.
Like every city, Jerusalem had a history of good leaders and bad leaders. For many years, Jerusalem functioned as the capital city of Judah. As Jesus looked on the city ahead of his death, he must have thought about how much his father longed for this city as well. How many times did the prophets of the Old Testament try to get the leaders of Jerusalem and the citizens to trust the promises of God and to repent of their sins. Time and time again, so many kings rejected God’s prophets, even imprisoned some, and killed others.
Jesus knew the history, and he knew the overwhelming love of his father for the redemption and restoration of all things. Jesus expressed both his and his father’s desire to gather all of their children in their arms and protect them from the harsh realities ahead. Parts of Psalm 91 reveal some of what Jesus expressed that day:
“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.”
Because of our savior’s love, he wept, he prayed, and moved forward in obedience to his father so that not just those in Jerusalem might be saved but that all people everywhere might be saved.
Sunday begins Holy Week. As we prepare to remember the sacrifice of Jesus for us and the victory that is ours through his death and resurrection, may we approach this week in humility and gratitude for the strength of a savior who would lay down his life even when we have rejected him and sinned against him time and time again.
Father, thank you for sending Jesus to die for our sins. Thank you for a love so great that he would endure his suffering that we might be reconciled to you and that one day he would come again and restore all that is broken. Thank you for the forgiveness that flows from Calvary. We surrender our lives to you and anticipate that glorious day when you return to take us home. In Jesus name, Amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 13:34-35; 2 Chronicles 24:19-22; Jeremiah 22:1-5 ESV
Photo by Christoph Schmid on Unsplash
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