The Biblical theme of lament is strong, although much neglected in churches in the west today. Jesus wept, John says, at the grave of Lazarus. He weeps here over the city of Jerusalem. His cry is directed at the city, at the entire people of Israel. Their Messiah had been revealed, as promised for many centuries; He had announced His own arrival in Luke 4, where Isaiah 61 was fulfilled in their hearing. Jesus’ wonderful ministry daily declared His Messiah-ship, as the blind saw, the lame walked, the dead rose, and the gospel was preached to the poor.

But, having come to his own people, they rejected Him (John 1.11)

Luke records a previous lament in 13.34-36 (See Matt 23.37-39), as well as the words recorded in 19.41-44. He saw the city. He wept over it.

Both writers include the word ‘O,’ a word from the depths of the heart. David uses the same word when he heard his (rebellious) son Absalom had been killed (2 Sam 18.33). ‘O my son Absalom!’

And, He cries, ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem.’ When the speaker repeats the name, that speaks of urgency. Like the angel calling ‘Abraham, Abraham’ on Mount Moriah as he was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

So He wept.

Jesus words echo the heart-wrenching lament of Jeremiah in the book of Lamentations. He walks around the wreckage of the city, the ruins of the temple, strewn with bodies of young and old, men, women, and children. Many say that Rachel wept for her children, as Jeremiah himself reported, because they were no more (Jer 31.15).

40 years later that Jesus’ lament, Roman General Titus broke into the same city, destroyed the temple, slaughtering thousands. It happened again!

The first of the three incidents we call the triumphal entry.

Jesus’ arrival into the city was obvious. There were a lot of people and a lot of noise. Palm branches were cast before the ‘King’ who had arrived, fulfilling the words of the prophet Zechariah. Had the people kept silent, we are told, even the very stones would have cried out.

Here were the people sharing Jesus’ joy. He who was anointed with the oil of joy more than His companions (Heb 1.9, quoting Psalm 45.6), was totally comfortable in joyful exuberance.

There is a nod here to David accompanying the ark of God into Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6. They king danced undignified through the streets of the city. There were party-poopers there too, in the person of Michal, Saul’s daughter, who became barren. Would not the nation of Israel, in rejecting Jesus, become dead, like a fig tree cursed!

Aside – Saul’s line, representing the old order, was all but wiped out. Saul and his sons had died on Mount Gilboa (1 Sam 31); later, the sons of Rizpah and Merab (2 Sam 21) were put to death. Only Mephibosheth remained, listed in 1 Chron 8 with the longest genealogy. He became, perhaps, the ancestor of Saul, who was converted to Christ, became Paul, the preacher of grace in Christ. In the midst of judgment and even vengeance, the light of the grace of Christ shines.

It was in the following chapter that David’s heart birthed the idea of a temple, a permanent dwelling place for God. Jesus came to the temple (admittedly the replacement of the original!)

Jesus’ comment concerning stones is significant too. John Baptist had declared that God could raise up stones for Abraham in Luke 2.8. Now, at the climax of Jesus’ ministry and life, He declares that, if His followers were to stay silent, stilling their praise and adoration, those same stones would cry out. The reference to the dead religion of the day is clear.

In chapter 19.28-48, Luke brings together three incidents, the triumphal entry, Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, and the cleansing of the temple) which highlight Jesus’ strong emotions of joy and lament and anger. These few verses also link to other parts of the ‘big story’ of the Bible. I will highlight some of these later.

Our Bibles already have chapter and verse divisions, and publishers often add paragraph titles. This has many benefits. But one down-side is that we look, especially in the gospels, at the various events in a granular way. We can then miss the broader context and the flow of the larger story.

Under the Holy Spirit, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are telling a story, the story of Jesus Christ. They gather material, ordering it to serve their story. Incidents are drawn together to make particular points. Chronology is not the writers’ primary concern. Frequently, therefore, one part sheds light on the preceding or succeeding event. And so it is in this part of Luke 19.

Jesus Christ was and is the perfect man, totally full of the Holy Spirit, perfectly manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. In this instance, self-control, such that His emotions, like His words and actions, are perfect, utterly under godly control.

Luke is painting the picture of Jesus Christ the man, the perfect man. So Luke, Doctor Luke, tells of His birth, of sacrificial offerings made at the birth of a male child; he makes reference to His childhood, and twice writes, ‘He grew,’ perhaps the archetypal human trait. And, emotions are a key element of humans.

In all His interactions with fallible and imperfect humans, Jesus’ perfect character shines through. We rightly adore and worship Him. But we also admire and seek to follow His example.

Jesus is drawing near to Jerusalem (19.28); this is His final conflict with the nation of Israel, represented by its leaders, Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin. Significantly, these later chapters include much Old Testament imagery and allusions. Observers, whether the religion leaders or ‘lay’ people, going up the temple to the Passover festival, would recognize these allusions. Jews, whether born Jews, or proselytes, were generally very familiar with their own scriptures.

An aside, following the story beyond chapter 19…

This final conflict is very strong. There is much discussion between Christ and the religious leaders concerning authority, with an implied final call to repentance. This is later echoed by Stephen, ‘you stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your father did, so do you.’ (Acts 7.51)

Luke 20.1-8: the chief priests and scribes challenged Jesus’ authority; He brilliantly answered them; ‘was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? … Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’

Luke 20.9-18: the parable of the wicked wine dressers. See Matt 21.45, where the chief priests and Pharisees thought Jesus was speaking about them. They were right! He was!

Luke 20.19-26: Jesus entered the discussion about whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar, a major issue of the day.  ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s’

Luke 20.27-39: The Sadducees joined the fray, with their foolish question about seven brothers. Jesus answered them clearly from the OT, such that some responded; ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’

Luke 20.40: the conclusion of the matter; they no longer dared ask Him any questions, leaving Jesus the opportunity to put His own question. Quoting Psalm 110,   “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool,” He asked ‘David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?’ The response? Silence!

He adds a warning, of ‘greater condemnation’’ for those whose religion was empty, a performance, law without mercy; lacking compassion and integrity.

Luke 21.1-4: and, to make His point, Jesus commended the poor widow, who gives two tiny coins into the offering.  She put in ‘more than all of them.’  Here is righteousness more than that of the Pharisees. This is religion that is, ‘pure and undefiled.’