A Triumphant King With a Broken Heart

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." (NKJ)

This message was preached March 24, 2002 at FBC Toulon, by Albert Harmon. See it at http://toulonbaptist.com  

Set the scene. Jesus had not openly declared His Messiahship to anyone except the disciples and the woman at the well and Mary & Martha.

But today on His entry into Jerusalem He will make it clear. He will not tell them all in so many words but He will play it out in the fulfilment of one of the better know OT prophecies.

Zech 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; he is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. (NKJ)

Now without a word Jesus has declared to all that He is the Messiah the King of Israel. And it is recognized by all. The people shout out praises reminiscent of a couple of OT passages. There is such great festivity and celebration in all of this. So much so that the Jewish leaders ask Jesus to restrain the people.

But all of that changes. You do not see it if you do not read the Scriptures carefully.

The passage we use for our text is spoken at Jesus approaches the city. So although Jesus will not silence the fervor of the people, as He gets closer to the city, He stops and gives this lament. He morns over the city. Immediately after this we see the reaction to the crowd. They have been proclaiming Him as the King, the descendant of David, the one anointed by God. But now as the crowd that is accompanying Jesus meets the crowds already in the city, remember the city had a high wall around it, that they ask who is this that all the rejoicing is going on.

What do they say? Matt 21:10-11 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee." (NKJ)

Now it was not the Son of David, the Messiah. No now it was only the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.

What could have changed them so? It was that a king, a triumphant king could not have a broken heart? But why was His heart broken?

 

  1. Because they were rebellious and wanted their own way.
    1. "If you had known.
      1. They did not know.
      2. They did not know who Jesus was.
      3. They did not know God's timing,
      4. They did not know God's plan for their lives.
      5. They had chosen the wrong way, the way of all the world, the way of sin and rebellion.
      6. But I am convinced that God was more sad than angry.
        1. Now some might say God is not like that.
        2. But I know that Jesus was the very image of God's person and that He was know as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
    2. Even you.
      1. Especially them.
      2. To whom had been delivered the oracles of God.
      3. To whom God had sent prophet after prophet.
      4. To whom God had now even sent His Only begotten Son, who they are about to kill.
      5. But look at us, at America, have we not been blessed even beyond the reaches of ancient Israel.
    3. Especially in this your day.
      1. What they had missed was the final attempt by God of melting their cold hearts.
      2. They had missed the Messiah.
      3. Not because He had not made it plain but because they did not want to see.
    4. the things that make for your peace!
      1. But it was this that would bring their peace.
      2. It amazes me how Satan convinces people that different things will bring them peace.
      3. But like Israel they missed the prince of peace.
    5. But now they are hidden from your eyes.
  2. Because they rejected all His concern and even His very person.
    1. He came to His own and His own would not receive Him.
  3. Because He loved them.
    1. Matt 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (NKJ)
    2. I do not understand how that the God who controls the stars and the galaxies seems frustrated with us.
      1. Some would say I need to get my theology straight.
      2. I would if I could.
      3. I just think that God is more complected that we can comprehend.
    3. But I do believe it.
      1. I know that God is perfect.
      2. I know that He is sovereign.
      3. But I also know that His heart is broken this morning.
      4. We have broken the heart of God.
      5. By our continued rebellion and self will.
      6. By our rejecting His claim upon our lives.
      7. Because we have spurned His love and His gracious extensions toward us.
  4. Because judgment was coming.
    1. Gal 5:16-21 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (NKJ)