March 1, 2016 - This week we will be in the book of Luke, Chapter 19, Verses 41-44. In the days leading up to their arrival at the city of Jerusalem Jesus foretold to His disciples of His entry into the city, of His betrayal and of His death and resurrection but even they did not truly comprehend what was going to happen. Verse 41 of our scripture says that as Jesus drew near to the city of Jerusalem that He wept or lamented over it. The dictionary describes "lament" as; "to feel or express sorrow or regret: In verse 42 Jesus laments over the people of Jerusalem, knowing that they would soon reject Him, call for His death; even call for a murderer to be released in place of the Lord Jesus.
Jesus knew that they would be left without excuse for their rejection of Him and He agonized over their coming fate. As he rode into the city there were many people there praising Him, spreading palm fronds in his path and acclaiming Him as the Messiah. They had no idea that in one week they would be calling for His death on the cross.
Only Jesus knew the events of the coming week. He would clean out the temple one last time. He would institute the Lord's Supper that we still celebrate today. He would suffer agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, He would be falsely arrested, tried and crucified. But as He rode into the city his thoughts were not on Himself and His upcoming agony but on the people of the city who were going to pay for their actions against Him and the many prophets God had sent to them in the past.
They had stoned each one who had come to proclaim the coming Messiah and now they would cry out for his death as well. Verses 43 and 44 tell of the overrunning of the city in AD 70 when the Romans overthrew Jerusalem. The city was leveled with not one stone being left upon another just as Jesus foretold in these verses. The Romans even burned a pig upon the alter in a final gesture of disrespect for the Israelites and their beliefs.
The Jews paid a heavy price for their rejection of Christ, yet their nation has finally been restored to some extent though not nearly as large geographically as originally promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That gift required obedience by the people to acquire in full. Judgment follows rejection of Christ and only through repentance and faith can one be justified and receive eternal life with the Lord. "Whosoever will" can come and be saved by His grace. Salvation waits, but it is up to man to claim it. Please feel welcome to join us at Spring Hill Baptist
Church for our weekly Bible study each Wednesday evening at 6:00 PM. may God bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you each day. For more information call: 936-615-1427
