The Entry on a donkey is Found in all four gospels Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11;1-10, Luke 19:28-44 and John 12:12-17 (His disciples did not believe then, but after his death, they remembered ref.John 12:16). They celebrated the procession but did not know what they were doing. They missed Jesus the messiah coming as the savior of the world.
Jesus rides a donkey into Jerusalem. The crowds in Jerusalem have swelled to several hundred thousand, crowding the streets of Jerusalem as pilgrims and residents of the city prepare for The Feast of Passover, the most memorable feast in the history of the Jewish people. For it is this Passover feast that memorializes God’s deliverance of the nation from the slavery of Egypt. The seder meal of lamb and bitter herbs and other symbolic foods will be eaten that week, reminding the first century Jews that God freed their ancestors from the oppression of Egypt. The prayer in Jesus’ day was, of course, that God would free the Jews from the oppression of Rome. And so when Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem on the first day of Passover week, the crowds were looking for someone to rally around, someone to carry the banner of freedom and liberation for the Jewish people.
But Jesus is not traveling the road to revolution, he is traveling the road to Calvary. Today’s Scripture includes the final two journey notes. One to Jerusalem and one to Calvary. Even though Luke doesn’t mention it, Matthew and Mark tell us that some people also went into the fields to cut branches, which they laid on the ground, and which some waved. John tells us that they were palm branches, which is where we get the name for this particular Sunday.
There are two journeys during this week. One is the journey to Jerusalem, where the people hail him as king. The second journey is the 'journey of the cross from Jerusalem to Calvary. The meaning of palm Sunday becomes real when one travels the journey of the cross. There is no kingdom without the cross.
Clearly, there is this sense of purpose that drives Jesus toward Jerusalem. He was fulfilling prophecy. In Zechariah 9:9 we see a prediction that a King would ride into Jerusalem one day on a donkey Solomon also rode on a donkey during his crowning as we can see in 1 Kings 1:32-40.
For over 500 years the Jewish leaders had these words to contemplate and turn over. But when the day came - they missed it. The declaration was made around 550 years before Jesus rode into Jerusalem. At that time Israel had no king. They were just returning to Israel after their Babylonian exile and captivity when Zechariah prophecied, “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”[Zech 9:9]
Jesus was lookng toward Jerusalem and was crying, just like Jeremiah the Prophet wept over the city centuries before. Weeping does not fit into a jubilant occasion of celebrations. “If you had only known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 19:43. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. They will demolish you—you and your children within your walls—and they will not leave within you one stone on top of another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” It is Matthew who adds that as Jesus looked at the city He said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. How often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings. But you would not come."
It is well documented that the armies of Titus in 70 AD surrounded the Holy City. Temple stones were taken down and the whole city was leveled. Bodies were in the streets and blood was running in the gutters and thousands of people were starving to death while Titus, the Roman general, waited 143 days for Jerusalem to surrender.
Shedding of tears is biological and if you don’t have tears, doctors will treat you with different medicines to make tears. We know a person close to us has that problem. The reason for shedding tears can be: anger, happiness or sadness. The act of crying has been defined as "a complex phenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears from the lacrimal apparatus, without any irritation of the ocular structures."
I don’t think there are any human beings ever lived who had never shed some type of tears unless it is a medical condition. At the time of birth all babies are supposed to cry and if they don’t, the medical staff will make them cry. It is the first sign of life. There is debate among scientists over whether or not humans are the only animals that produce tears in response to emotional states. Charles Darwin wrote in "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals" that the keepers of Indian elephants in the London Zoo told him that elephants shed tears in sorrow.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people didn't know who has come into their city. Who is this man who rides on a donkey and weeping over a city? And amid the celebration and praises, he is weeping. Palm branches and clothes were laid in front of His path as the donkey was led along. It was a startling contrast to the scene of rejoicing. It was in the midst of the Triumphal Entry that this occurred, when all were exulting and shouts of hallelujah thrilled the air. Had they studied their prophets earnestly and sincerely, had they refused to surrender themselves to political dreams that colored all their thoughts and hopes, they would have seen in Jesus of Nazareth the Divine Visitor, He is the one they the Israel had for long been expecting. John 1:11 "He came to those who were his own, and his own people did not receive Him."
Jesus wept over the darkness that blinded their eyes. The Rejection of the Light
The Jews were blind to their opportunity. They knew not the day of their visitation. Verse 42 ends, “but now they are hid from thine eyes.” They had refused to see. The people of Jerusalem knew so much, but they didn’t know Jesus. And sad thing was that they didn’t know what they didn’t know and do not want to know. This triumphal entry was already in the scripture foretold by the prophet. The declaration was made around 550 years before Jesus rode into Jerusalem. At the time Israel had no King. They were just returning to Israel after their Babylonian exile and captivity. In Zechariah 9:9 we see a prediction that a King would ride into Jerusalem one day on a donkey. For 520 years the Jewish leaders had these words to contemplate and turn over. But when the day came - they missed it. And the Lord Jesus knew that they would refuse to know, because “He knew what was in man.”
Jesus wept for the City because he knew the coming destruction of the city. Jesus, the Prince of peace is weeping over the persecution and destruction waiting to come upon that city. “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. 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 Jesus, their only hope of peace. It is well documented that the armies of the Roman General Titus in 70 AD surrounded the Holy City. Temple stones were taken down and the whole city was leveled. Bodies were in the streets and blood was running in the gutters and thousands of people were starving to death while Titus, the Roman general, waited 143 days for Jerusalem to surrender.
Roman Tear bottle: Tear bottles or Tear Catchers were commonly used during Ancient Roman times, with mourners filling glass bottles with their tears, and placing them in tombs as a symbol of their respect for the deceased. It was also used to show remorse, guilt, love and grief. The women cried during the procession, and the more tears collected in tear bottles meant the deceased was more important. The bottles used during the Roman era were lavishly decorated and measured up to four inches in heigh. You can buy these tear bottles online, just do a search for 'tear bottles or tear catchers'
In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Jesus still weeps for the lost souls of every generation. He refers to the city v-42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes". Meditate on the fact that we have a Lord who is not far off and removed. He is very near. He is the One who is touched by our broken hearts and who weeps with us. Psalm 56:8, David says "you collect all my tears in your bottle."
Life challenges us. Children grow move away. Loved ones depart us. Seasons of change bump into our normal status quo. When this happens, tears often spring up and efforts to contain them fall short. He is present with every tear shed, and we can count on Him to collect them. No matter what sorrow we face today, we can have confidence God cares. Friends, I am not sure God has a huge tear bottle or a single bottel for each one of us. But the Word of God says “He collects every tear we drop from generation to generation.” He knows your anguish and you anxiety. He shed His tears so that we can hope. A hope, as described in Revelation 21:4. about a beautiful scene in heaven: where “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” This is our hope.
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