Our Lord Jesus Christ rides into Jerusalem in a lowly manner. The Jews had followed Him for the bread and when they found out His Kingdom was not an earthly one, but the way of the cross their chants changed drastically to "away with Him." Today, however, we look at the fact that Jesus weeps. He also wept at the death of Lazarus as His family did not understand the meaning of death and corruption. Here, as Jesus enters Jerusalem He understood that as He entered so would He be crucified outside of that very city.....

Regarding Jerusalem: "He wept over it...." The cross becomes very near in this Passion week and He leaves Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. There are two things happening here. 1. Matthew and Mark talk about Christ's dissention from Bethany while 2. John speaks of the multitudes gathering in Jerusalem with enthusiasm. Their enthusiasm also takes hold of the disciples who were not enthusiastic as they traveled towards Jerusalem. Mark tells us that Jesus wept as He came upon the city while even the crowds and disciples have been celebrating the festivities with enthusiasm. Jesus WEEPS over the city however. No doubt His disciples thought He was weeping for joy....but not the case and Luke beholds this very fact.....

Why: Why did Jesus weep even at the very opening of Jerusalem for His arrival? Contrary to what scholars believe (not weeping because He saw the future destruction of Jerusalem) Jesus saw things much deeper than the surrounding carnal minds. He saw and worried for the souls of His people and His Kingdom opposed to the brick and mortar of the city of Jerusalem. He understood the atonement He had to face and certainly if they understood this the people would not be rejoicing as such even as their chants would turn from celebration to "crucify Him" when they learned that there was no "earthly bread" as a result of His entrance. Jesus sees the city differently and sees the earthly city that had to pass away as it was only a mere picture of the Heavenly Jerusalem! He weeps for Jerusalem as the people did not see the way of salvation planned for them. They had carnal eyes without the spiritual element being in their exuberant joy.

Wonderful: We do not bemoan the weeping of Jesus as we see it with our spiritual eyes and see the very wonder. Blessed was Jehovah God who bought salvation to His people...the very same people who rejected him. God's people are delivered and given a place that passes all understanding and Jesus SAW IT! And that is why He indeed wept! The Man of sorrows who had to be crucified and would take upon Himself our grief so we could enter into the heavenly city and Kingdom!

Do we see this? Can we read this story and with our spiritual eyes see the very soul of our Savior and weep also as we see eternal and everlasting life given to us by Him...the very people who reject Him? If so, we will have joy unbounded and know our salvation and the cost of it.