Jesus Weeping Over The City

Monday, March 25 | by Dr. Jay Harley

A Note About the Video

Video Transcript:

On this sunny day in Jerusalem, I'm standing on the Mount of Olives. You can see behind me, the old city. To my east would be the village of Bethany, the hometown of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Not far from where I'm standing would be the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where Jesus prayed on the night He was arrested. 

Jesus likely walked this hill a number of times and saw a beautiful view of Jerusalem. His view was definitely a little different than the one I see today. The temple stood where, now, the Muslim shrine, the Dome of the Rock, stands with its striking gold dome. 

Luke 19 records Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a Sunday and then immediately following this triumphal entry, Luke records Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. He is not weeping over the architecture and buildings but over the hearts of the people. 

Then, Jesus goes to the temple, and His lament turns to action. The thought is that Jesus leaves the city after the triumphal entry, rests for the evening, and then on Monday, begins the short walk back to the temple. 

During the walk, maybe from the Mount of Olives, He sees the beautiful panoramic view of the city.  Luke records this in chapter 19, verses 41 through 44:

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, have known on this day the things that make for peace. But now, they're hidden from your eyes. For the day will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground and you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Jesus' sadness and mourning for Jerusalem is a symbolic mourning for the past and current spiritual condition of God's people, which is going to culminate in their rejection of Him, their Messiah. He is also foreshadowing the events, which will occur in 70 A.D. when the Romans will squash the Jewish revolt and destroy the temple. 

The last phrase of Jesus' lament said: “Because you did not know the time of your visitation.” He was there in person—close—could be heard—they could ask questions. They saw the miracles, they could touch Him, see Him, talk to Him, and they missed it. They rejected the one they had for so long hoped would arrive. 

Jesus does arrive at the temple soon after His lament over Jerusalem. And Luke 19:45-48 records that fiery visit to the temple:

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, "It is written, my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers." And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy Him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on His words.

Jesus arrives at the temple angrily and made the people who sold goods and exchanged money leave. The merchants around the temple were often charging high fees and rates for exchanging currency or purchasing sacrificial animals, taking advantage of pilgrims who had traveled to Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover.

People who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate God's rescue of His people from slavery in Egypt are being abused. Jesus quotes part of Isaiah 56 and part of Jeremiah 7 when He says, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, and you have made it a den of robbers.” 

God's vision for His temple is that it would be a place where all people could access Him. The context of Isaiah 56 was a message that the temple would be for foreigners and outcasts too. God would always welcome the marginalized and poor to come and worship. 

The merchants around the temple were keeping people from God, and Jesus ran them off. We often read this account of Jesus driving out the merchants and like His passion for the cause, and some even use Jesus' anger here to justify angrily confronting people that we disagree with or that we feel are wrong about a certain belief. 

But do not miss the significance of why He was clearing the temple. He was making sure that all people from everywhere and no matter their situation or background had access to worship. 

The merchants were changing fees to worship, and Jesus would, a few days later, pay the final price. Through the events that would unfold later in the week, He will accomplish this finally for all of us through His death on the cross and defeat of death on Sunday morning. All people from everywhere, no matter their situation, will always have access to God through Jesus Christ. 

Be encouraged, God wants you. No matter how far away you feel from Him, there is no merchant or fee to gain access. All you need is Jesus.

Dr. Jay Harley serves as Vice President for Student Affairs at Dallas Baptist University.