Tell-Tale Tears

Tell-Tale Tears

WHAT KIND OF GOD COULD RELATE AND HAVE HIS HEART MOVED FOR HIS PEOPLE?

 What kind of god would show such emotions?

 What kind of god weeps?

 THE GOD OF THE BIBLE DOES.

 This really shouldn’t surprise us.

 The Old Testament said that God’s anointed would be “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (Isa 53:3).

 Topic: Jesus was that man of sorrows, who is familiar with our human condition.

 JESUS WEPT ABOUT THINGS THAT REALLY MATTERED.

 John 11:35 “Jesus Wept”

 THESE TWO WORDS IS AN EASY BIBLE VERSE TO MEMORIZE. IT’S ALSO AN AWESOME PICTURE, OF REALITY, AND TRUTH TO CONTEMPLATE.

 “JESUS WEPT.” BUT FOR ALL ITS GRAMMATICAL SIMPLICITY, IT’S PACKED WITH UNFATHOMABLE COMPLEXITY.

 When you walk through sorrow, when you walk through pain, know this, you have a God in heaven, you have a King, you have a Savior who is able to identify with your hurt and empathize with your weakness and in this to bring healing, and help, and strength, and comfort, and peace, and ultimately victory.

Three Times that Jesus Wept in the Bible

1.   Over an individual (Lazarus) – John 11:35

John 11:35 “Jesus Wept”

Jesus wept in among groups of mourners, touched with the feeling of their sorrow.

This reveals Jesus tender human heart.

 Our great High Priest (Heb 4 -15).

 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

  He wept in sympathy, and empathy with those Broken and weeping.

 This reveals His true humanity.

 This reveals his tenderness of the character.

 2.   Over a nation (Jerusalem/Israel) – Luke 19:41 and felt deeply for all of hurting humanity.

 Jesus wept because He knew the future of Jerusalem.

As His tear-filled eyes swept over the city the Lord Jesus Christ saw the city for what it was. 

 The Lord Jesus Christ preached to the multitudes.  He fed the multitudes.  He ministered to the multitudes.  But He never lost sight of the fact that the multitudes are individual people who have individual needs and who need an individual Savior. 

He saw them as individuals.  He loved them individually.  And His heart was broken over their individual condemnation.

Jesus wept because of those who would never understand the way to peace, real peace, and eternal peace.

He said in the next verse “the things which belong unto thy peace!”  Remember that the word “salem” means “peace.”  The word “Jerusalem” means “foundation of peace.”  So the true “foundation of peace” is riding into the city named “foundation of peace,” knowing that they will reject Him.

This city which had known so little peace, which had been destroyed by her enemies and which would be destroyed yet again by the Romans, was about to throw away her only hope of peace.  

So, Jesus, the Prince of peace, wept for what they might have had, wept for what they would never know but what they might have had, had they only embraced instead of rejected this One now entering the city.  He knew that in less than a week’s time they would crucify Him, and He wept.  Not for Himself, but for the sinners who refused Him

3.   Over humanity as a whole (in the garden of Gethsemane) – Mark 14:33

JESUS WEPT BECAUSE HE KNEW THEY WOULD PERISH would reject their opportunity for salvation.

Picture the scene.  Jesus was riding on the foal of an ass, a young donkey.  Palm branches and clothes were laid in front of His path as the donkey colt was led along.

As He crested the Mount of Olives multitudes of people rejoiced and cried out, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

It was such a rousing scene that “some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.  And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” 

But when He cleared the top of the Mount of Olives and saw the city spread out before Him . . . .  And this is where we look to our text for this evening, Luke 19.41:  “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.”

Jesus wept because those who would never believe that He was the Messiah and Redeemer.

Jesus wept because He had come to bring eternal life to all who would repent and trust in Him and their Lord and Savior, yet He knew many would choose death not life.

Jesus wept because He knew that by rejecting Him, people were rejecting the only way, the only truth.

Jesus wept because He new that rejecting him, they were rejecting a new life.

He loves those who were lost, He loved and loves you and me and He was willing to die on the cross so that we could be forgiven, made whole, and empowered

Jesus wept because mankind was blind and walking in darkness. They did not understand the purpose of His coming, or his kingdom.

Verse 42 ends, “but now they are hid from thine eyes.”  They had refused to see, and they had refused to see, so God blinded them.  And that’s what had happened before.  Remember Pharaoh.  He hardened his heart, and then he hardened his heart, and then God hardened his heart. 

Jesus wept over all who are separated from God

In Genesis 6.4, God said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man.”  They had been warned by Enoch and by Noah.  Then the opportunity to respond to Noah’s preaching passed, and the Flood swept over them and they all died, except for Noah and his family.  Neglected opportunity resulted in ruination for millions.

Jesus wept over those sinners, He knew that their opportunity to be saved would be neglected, as so many had neglected before and as so many would neglect afterwards the opportunity to be saved from their sins

Am I Weeping For What Jesus Wept For? 

As followers of Jesus we aren’t called to be passive. We are called to be active. We are actually supposed to follow Jesus

The church is described in the Bible as the body of Christ. In other words, anyone who follows Jesus is part of his body. What we do and say tells those around us something about Jesus—a responsibility we shouldn’t take lightly. 

When we ask this question (why did Jesus weep?) we must also remember that we are his body. So, let me ask you, if you are following Jesus… Are you weeping for what Jesus wept for? 

Are you moved by what moved Jesus?

Are you disturbed by mans fallen condition?

Are you pained by the pain others face?

Are you overcome by emotion because of what those around you are going through? 

TODAY WOULD JESUS WEEP OVER ME, IF HE WERE STILL WALKING ON THE EARTH?

An ungrateful man is like a hog walking alone under an oak tree eating acorns, never once looking up to see where the acorns were coming from.

I DON'T WANT TO MAKE JESUS WEEP.  DO YOU?

Would He weep over my ingratitude?

Would He weep over my unbelief?

Would He weep over my unconcern?

Would He weep over my selfishness?

Would HE weep over my carelessness?

Would Jesus weep because I am unmoved?

WILL WE FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE?

 We need to spend some time interceding for others as Jesus did.

IF WE’RE GOING TO WEEP ABOUT SOMETHING LET’S WEEP ABOUT THE THINGS PEOPLE ARE DOING TO BRING HARM TO THEMSELVES.

Let’s weep about what Jesus wept about and not waste our tears on selfish, insignificant concerns.

Let’s weep about our neighbors without Christ.

Let’s weep about the teens in our community who don’t know how much God loves them.

Let’s weep over those addicted to drugs and alcohol.

Let’s weep for the homeless.

Let’s weep for those with broken, shattered, and meaningless lives.

 Psalm 126:6 KJV

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.