Please explain Luke 19:41-44.
Listen: 151.7
The portion you are referring to is speaking of the last entrance into Jerusalem of the Lord Jesus. Luke 19:28tells us, “…he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.” If we go back and read Luke 18:31-33, we’ll see that the Lord knew exactly what would happen to Him in Jerusalem. That says, “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.” The Lord was returning to Jerusalem to die; to give Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.
Sadly enough, the Lord was largely rejected by the people of Jerusalem. In all the scriptures, we only read three times that the Lord Jesus wept. Here is one of those times. Let’s read Luke 19:41-44, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” It simply broke the Lord’s heart to be rejected by these people that He loved so much. It was said prophetically of the Lord in Psalms 69:20, “Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.” While the Lord desired to bless these people, He realized that because of their rejection of Him, that they must be judged for refusing to bow their knee to Him.
If only these people had received the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, it would have meant peace for them. Because of their rejection, their eyes would be blinded. Because they WOULD NOT see Him, now they COULD NOT see Him. The Lord spoke of the impending judgment upon Jerusalem which was accomplished around 70 AD by the Roman emperor, Titus.
What is the lesson here for us? Simply put, we learn that the Lord is heartbroken by the rejection of the people. His desire is that all men believe on Him and receive the free gift of eternal life. 2 Peter 3:9tells us that, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” We read in Acts 17:30 that the Lord, “…now commandeth all men every where to repent.” Have you repented of your sins and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior? Jerusalem waited until it was too late. Why will you wait any longer? 2 Corinthians 6:2tells us, “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Now! Not tomorrow or the next day. Now! You will meet the Lord either as your savior or as your judge. You do not want to face the Lord while you are yet in your sins. His judgment will be without mercy and it will be harsh. Come to Him now, by faith, and receive the forgiveness of your sins and become a child of God. The Lord promises to accept you if you will come to Him by faith. He promises us in John 6:37, “…him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (151.7)