Everett Henes: The weeping king
Have you ever seen a celebrity or major politician come into town? There is usually a lot of talk leading up to their arrival, and much fanfare that accompanies their arrival. This is a pattern that is not just common to our experience, but others as well. In Jesus’ day, there was much talk about him and when he turned his face to go to Jerusalem, everyone began to follow him and prepare. Jerusalem was the center not only of their political world – it was the City of David — but it was also the center of their religious world with the Temple, priest, and sacrifices.
Luke 19:28-48 tells us about three major events as Jesus comes into Jerusalem. The first is called his triumphal entry. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, he was greeted by crowds of people who praised him as king. They spread their cloaks on the ground and waved palm branches, which was a symbol of victory and royalty. They believed that Jesus was the king who was promised in the Old Testament, and he was, but he wasn’t the kind of king they were looking for. Many wanted a king who would take on the Roman Empire, who they saw as their greatest enemy. Jesus came to defeat a different empire, a different enemy. One unique aspect of his entry, though, was the animal he chose to ride. He rode on a donkey, proclaiming peace, and not a war horse.
Next, as Jesus comes near the city, he weeps. He weeps because of the sins of the people and the fact that they’d rejected him. He weeps because he knows what is coming in the near future, the destruction of the city. He weeps because he sees what sin and death has done to mankind. Just as when he stood at the tomb of his friend, Lazarus in John 11, Jesus weeps. In his weeping we get a glimpse of his humanity, which is important to his work. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
As Jesus comes into Jerusalem, he heads to the Temple. The way the Temple was structured was that you had the Holy of Holies in the very center. Outside of that was the place where the Levitical priests did their work and then the place where Israelite men came and worshiped. Outside of this was the court of women and then surrounding the whole thing – but still part of the temple — was the court of the Gentiles. It was in this area, the court of the Gentiles, that merchants had set up their tables and were selling various items necessary to offer sacrifices.
They weren’t selling in the Holy of Holies or any of the other courts. No, those were important, but their disdain for Gentiles had caused them to turn that court into a marketplace. But Israel misunderstood their place in the world. They were called so that they might be a blessing. They were the people of God so that, through them, God could call all people to himself.
How can God call Gentiles to himself when they have no place for worship? How can they pray and worship God, in the Temple, if the area is littered with merchants and money changers? If you look at a picture of Herod’s Temple, you get a sense of how large this court would have been and how much Jesus would have had to go through and do to drive these people out. It’s amazing to think that one man could cause such an uproar as this, but he did. In John’s Gospel, he tells us that Jesus used a whip — one that he made out of cords — to drive the people and the animals out of this court. It’s hard for us to imagine Jesus as that angry but it was righteous anger.
And so, what does his arrival in Jerusalem mean for us, today? First, we know that the time Jesus’ death, in Luke’s Gospel, is drawing near; it is his death that pays the debt we owe to God. Next, we also learn that God’s plans cannot be thwarted. The Pharisees opposed people praising Jesus, but he will be praised by his people. Lastly, we learn about how seriously God takes worship. The church is to be light in a dark world.
— Pastor Everett Henes, the pastor of the Hillsdale Orthodox Presbyterian Church, can be reached at pastorhenes@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Everett Henes: The weeping king
