Sunday, April 2, 2023
Full Text Luke 19:11-44
Selective Reading Luke 19:41-44
Every year, when Palm Sunday comes around, I struggle to understand how I am supposed to feel. In one sense, I want to celebrate with the worshippers at the Triumphal Entry. In another sense, I am astounded at how the crowds could miss the day of their visitation.
Imagine how Jesus must have felt as He entered the city. Surrounded by the crowds of people worshiping Him, amidst His own mix of emotions, He wept.
He wept, first of all, because the people didn’t fully understand who He was. They were there to worship Him as their king, but the true destiny of Jesus was hidden from their eyes. They could not fathom the way of the cross.
Second, He wept over the inevitable destruction of Jerusalem and all of those who would reject His terms of peace. In the parable leading up to the Triumphal Entry, Jesus describes the punishment for His enemies who would refuse to bow the knee and acknowledge Him as their king.
Finally, Jesus wept over the means by which His victory over His enemies would be won. He would go to the cross, a cruel means of capital punishment, but worse than that, He would bear God’s wrath as He suffered the punishment for the sins of the whole world.
“Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!” (Luke 19:42)
What are the terms of peace? Jesus has been declaring this since the beginning of His ministry. He demanded repentance and unwavering devotion. He would accept nothing less than total surrender.
But the ultimate terms of peace could only be achieved by one means. Someone would have to pay the penalty for all of mankind’s sins. Jesus knew that in order for man to be reconciled to God, He would have to face the cross. There was no other way.
Jesus wants us to understand the true cost of our salvation. We have been redeemed. We belong to God because we have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ.
Therefore, because of God’s great love for us, we ought to surrender ourselves over to His will, not out of compulsion but out of love. By taking up our cross daily, we are choosing God’s will for our lives.
Furthermore, weeping and lamenting ought to be an equal and active part of our worship. We ought to sorrow over sin and the destruction it causes in our world. We should sit and ponder what Christ endured as He bore the punishment for our sins. Then we ought to celebrate that Christ has paid it all, and that we have been redeemed.
Have you made peace with God through Christ? Does He rule and reign over your heart and life? Are you actively taking up your cross daily and following Him?
Adam Miller is the President and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church.
You can hear his teaching on our daily broadcast on the radio or online, watch his preaching live on Facebook, and read his articles on our website.
