If you would now turn in the scriptures to the Gospel of Luke, we are at the end of chapter 719. Luke 19. And I'm going to be reading from verses 41. Actually, in the chapter 22, verse eight. So Luke 19, beginning in verse 41, reading into chapter 20, verse eight.
But let's go to the Lord in prayer asking for his blessing on His Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you, you are not silent. We have not gathered together to hear from then but to hear from you. And Lord, I pray that Your Word would go forth, it is powerful, it is sharper than any two edged sword. Lord, let it go and cut to our hearts. Let it make us bear before you know we might turn from our sin, that we might repent and put our faith in Christ. Open up our blind eyes, that we might see and behold Christ, that we might call upon Him, that we might be saved, that we might have peace. Bless your people, and bless all those who hear Your word now. Help us to receive it. And it's in Jesus's name we pray, amen.
People, God hear God's word this morning from the Gospel of Luke beginning in verse 41. And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, wood that you even you had known on this day, the things that make for peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hen you in on every side and tear you down to the ground and you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you because you did not know the time of your visitation. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them it is written My house shall be a house of prayer. But you have made it a den of robbers. And He was teaching daily in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes in the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him. But they did not find anything they could do for all the people were hanging on his words. In one day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, tell us by what authority do do these things? Or who is it that gave you this authority? answered, I will ask you a question. Now tell me Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? And they discussed it with one another saying, If we say it's from heaven, He will say then why did you not believe him? But if we say from man, all the people will stone us to death? For they are convinced that John was a prophet. So they answered that they did not know where it came from. And Jesus said to them, and neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. He was ears, let them hear the Word of God, please be seated. Last week's text we looked at what is often referred to as the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem.
And it was a very public revelation of who Jesus is, that is, he is the king. And that was the emphasis of last week's text Jesus is the true and rightful king. This king first comes humbly and peacefully. But He will come again, with power to judge both the living and the dead, as we just confessed, and the Nicene Creed. Now that passage and our passage are actually very closely connected.
In the life of Israel, there were three roles, three offices, if you will, that God appointed, anointed and gave authority to them. The first was the king, God appointed, anointed and gave authority to the kings of Israel. The king was appointed by God, and the king ruled over his people and put his enemies under His feet. The second role or office in Israel that God appointed, anointed and gave authority to was the role or office of the Prophet. The Prophet was God's mouthpiece and proclaim God's will and purpose.
is, and the typical message of the Prophet was that your sin brings destruction, that your rebellion against God has brought destruction upon you.
But if you repent and turn from your sin and you turn to the Lord Jesus Christ or turn to the Messiah, there were torn turned to God. God is merciful. And then the third role, the third office in the Old Testament that God appointed, anointed and gave authority to was the role of priest, the priest, they protected the holiness of God, they, they looked over the worship of God, they made sure that God's people were brought in to worship God to worship him properly, the priests made intercession for the people, and they reconciled the people of God through sacrifice. And what I want you to see in this text, and even connected with last week's text, is that Jesus is fulfilling all of these as our Redeemer. All of those roles in the Old Testament of Prophet, Priest, and King, are all pointing us to what's happening here, that Jesus is taking upon himself, all of these roles, that all of the Old Testament is pointing us to Jesus, our Redeemer, our Prophet, Priest, and King, and ultimately, who has authority. Jesus has authority, not only authority in this realm as king, but authority overall, he has all authority, and we urge to submit to Him, not only as king, but as profit. And as our priest. Our king has entered Jerusalem. We looked at that last week, and it seems like a triumphant day. The people are excited, the atmosphere is ecstatic. And remember, it's already Passover, people are coming in from all over the region. Jerusalem is tripling in size, it's already an exciting time to see friends and people you haven't seen for a while, and they're all there.
And now Jesus is coming in. And they are proclaiming and shouting, bless it as the King who comes in the name of the Lord, and it seems like a great and glorious thing. You can just imagine the disciples, as the crowds are gathering and they're shouting out their praise, and they're looking at each other.
It's like, Yes, this is, this is what I've been waiting for. I've been waiting for this Jesus, and it's finally happening. It's finally here. You know, I'm tired of going from town to town, they finally are recognizing you as King Jesus isn't isn't this great Jesus.
And they look over at Jesus. And what's Jesus doing? And it's kind of surprising, isn't it?
Jesus isn't just smiling. He's not. He's weeping. He's weeping.
Oh, and maybe they they think, well, maybe maybe Jesus is overwhelmed with emotions. You know, he wasn't expecting this welcome. And it's just too much for him to handle. You know, he's just so overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness and he's just weeping out of excitement and thankfulness. But that's not it is it? Is he weeping for himself? You know, he did say in Luke chapter 18, just the chapter before that. He's going to be delivered over to the Gentiles and he's going to be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon and after flogging him they will kill him and on the third day, he will rise Is he is he weeping? Maybe he's sad for it because he knows what's going to happen. Is that why he's weeping? Not that that's not why either. He's weeping over the city of Jerusalem.
Why? Why? Verse 42 tells us, he said, would that you even you had known on this day, the things that make for peace, but now they are hidden from your eyes. What does that mean? What are the things that make for peace that have been hidden from them that they are not embracing? What what what is Jesus talking about? Well, if you've been for us, for what here for a few weeks, you will remember what are the things that make for peace, and it's actually pictured and a few accounts that Jesus has just interacted with other people, things that make for peace, but we have just seen very recently, a blind beggar blind A picture of his heart, not able to see not able to embrace the things of God. But God opens up his eyes, and he puts his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is saved. Peace. He cries out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. And there's peace. Then you also might remember shortly after that, there's another character, Zack Zacchaeus, and he's a tax collector. Of course, he deserves the wrath of God.
He's the worst of the worst. Not only is he's a tax collector, he's the chief tax collector, he's the chief of sinners. But is there a piece? For Zacchaeus?
Yes, sir, is Jesus even tells him salvation has come to your house well, how? repentant repentance, turning from his sin, and turning toward the Lord Jesus Christ. So what are the things that make for peace, that Jesus is talking about? faith and repentance, receiving and resting upon Christ turning from sin and turning to him, and what ultimately makes for pieces submission to the king. But they're blind. They're like the blind man, and they yet they remain in their blindness, and they cannot see. And they will not see Jesus for who he is.
They will not see him as the Prophet, Priest, and King, they will not see him as Redeemer, they will not see him as their only hope. They are blind.
There's failure here to make peace with the visiting king.
And it will lead to their destruction. They don't make peace, they reject it. And Jesus then says in verse 43, for the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you, and surround you and have you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation. The King has arrived. And he is now offering them peace, but they will not receive it. And this is the irony about Jerusalem because Jerusalem literally means city of peace. But they reject peace.
And they go to war with the king. And what results by going to war with the King of kings, just as Jesus has described their utter destruction, and ruin. And I think what is so brain for them, and I'd also be very sobering for us is to remember whom Jesus is talking to. Jesus is not in some gentile land far out in the middle of nowhere. They're doing witchcraft and all of that. No, these are people that come to church every Sunday. These are people who are going to the synagogue, they are singing songs. In fact, they are praying to themselves. God, I thank you that I'm not like other men that are participating in the sacrifices. And yet Jesus tells them, they are the ones who have forsaken peace and they will be destroyed. It's not the tax collectors. It's not the sinners, who have embraced Christ, it is the self righteous, the ones that they think that they have standing by God because they aren't the tax collectors, because I'm not so bad. I'm not like that. I'm not so I'm a pretty good person, and God must be pretty happy with me. And I says, No, that's not the way of peace, utter submission to the king is a way of peace. And is this you? Is this you have that Jesus is talking to someone who is here, and you go through the motions and maybe even weekly on a regular basis, and I participate in the prayers and and singing tonight. I do all these very church things. I look very good.
And my mom is very happy with me and very proud of me, but yet I have not submitted to the Lord Jesus Christ. I have I have not seen that I am blind. I'm a blind beggar. I have not seen that I am the chief of sinners and my only hope for peace is to cry out for mercy and receive it is that us? Well, let us not be fooled, but let us turn to Christ because now is the time of peace. Now in history, these very words of Christ will come true Rome will be Rome will come in and utterly destroyed Jerusalem in 70 ad, Rome will come in, they will tear down Jerusalem, to the very stone, the temple will be destroyed.
And Caesar will want everyone to know that he is the king. But in God is using wicked Rome as an instrument of His holy justice upon this city. But as a reminder to you, that even what Jesus is talking about is yet to come. The triumphal entry that we looked at last week is not really the triumphal entry. It's really the the tearful entry, and the triumphal entry of Jesus. It's soon upon us, we don't know when, but that is going to come. And unless you have cried out for mercy, unless you are, are resting upon Christ for peace, everything that Jesus describes here, about what happens to the city will happen to you, you will be destroyed.
Jesus knows their character.
Jesus knows their cruelty. He knows their stubbornness, and their pride. And yet he's so willing to receive them. He's willing to share it share, give mercy and grace to them if they would ask. And even knowing all of this, Jesus is weeping for them weeping, even though they know he knows exactly what's going to happen to him in just a few days. And Jesus isn't saying you deserve it. You're gonna get it. Hey, just wait a few days, and you're gonna be destroyed.
Now he's weeping for them. He's weeping for the last. And even in a few days, Jesus will cry out himself, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me. And Jesus is crying out again on the cross to save sinners. He cries out on the cross to save you that your eyes might be opened, that the power of his Spirit might enlighten your eyes and your mind and your hearts that you might see him as the Lord and King that your ears might be on unstopped and you might hear his word, and your heart might receive it, and have peace and rest for your weary soul and that your lips might be loosen that you might praise and worship God, which is what you are made to do. And if you cry out, not just with tears, no amount of tears will save you no matter the size will save you.
But if you cry out to Jesus, Jesus will save you. For you who are saved, who are resting in Christ, do we feel this deep concern and loss for the souls that are lost? Here we have Jesus who's weeping? Do we feel that I confess I often don't, my heart feels cold. And I'm just busy in life. And I get caught up in this or that. And I'm not caring and weeping for my neighbors or my friends who do not know the gospel. The psalmist says in Psalm 119 136, my I shed streams of tears because people do not keep your law. And as one famous minister said, missions exists because worship doesn't. And this is all why we why we do missions that that people might submit to Jesus and worship Him. Because people are worshipping things that will destroy them and everything but Jesus will destroy you everything but Jesus will rob you of your dignity, everything but Jesus will manipulate you but we are meant to worship Jesus.
There was a well known minister in Scotland in the mid 19th century. His name was Robert marine McShane, I don't know if you're familiar with him or not.
But whether or not you're familiar with his name, you're probably familiar with his Bible reading plan. He was one of the first people to put together Bible reading plans and to read the his plan you you read the New Testament, a twice in one year and the in the Psalms twice in the Old Testament once and he also had a great heart for reaching Jewish people in Scotland. This was his his mission. And he died very young.
He died when he was 29 years old, a young man but had a great impact for the kingdom of God.
And we are still using his resources today. And there's a story of someone going shortly after to visit Robert Murray MC Shane's church after his death, and the man enters the church and he's met there by the SEC.
Some of the church who knew pastor McShane well, and the sexton begins to show this man around the church and brings him to Robert Murray MC Shane's office and he asked the sexton what was the secret to his ministry? You know, he certainly was such a young guy, but such such great impact on the world.
What was the secret? And the sexton told him, here have a seat in his office. So he sat the man down in front of his office in front of his desk, and he told the man to put his elbows on the table like this.
And then to put his hands in his face like this. And then the sexton said, Now we, we, we forgot last we presenters, he said, because that's what he did. And that was a success of his ministry, his heart for the last, and that came out in the fervency of his preaching and teaching and his interaction with others, that he loved them so much that you wanted them to have peace with Christ. Let that be us, Pavan, let us have such firm see, to weep, to love others to share the gospel. We also hear now not only see Christ, in this role as king, but purifying as priest and the rejection of God, it's become very clear in their worship. And Jesus has been to the temple before. And he's here again during Passover. Jesus has also if you look, this is fulfilling another prophecy, you can look it up, and Malikai chapter three, that the Messiah will be here in the temple. And here Jesus shows up in the temple.
And what is needed during Passover sacrifices, you got to have sacrifices during Passover, that was the primary part of Passover was the sacrifice of the animals that are pointed to the forgiveness of sins. But you know, there are people that are traveling a very far distance, and so bring unblemished animals with you on a long journey, and not something happened to them.
And if they care for them, and well, that's, that's a big burden. So what ended up ended up happening was, you have animal sales beginning that happened around Jerusalem. So as travelers come, they can just purchase their animal in and around Jerusalem. But as time went by, the sales of those animals got closer and closer to the temple, you know, just for convenience sake. And then, you know, even for more convenience sake, what ends up happening, it goes into the temple. Well, that's not so I mean, it's just for convenience, right? I mean, doesn't that doesn't that help in the worship? I mean, the animals are just right here. And the other thing, too, is that the the, the temple then would have a monopoly on selling animals and sacrifices, this was the only place you could buy it in Jerusalem, not out there, you can only buy it in the temple.
And you also needed to exchange your currency to pay the temple tax. And what ends up happening is that the priests end up making God worship more difficult, rather than easier.
And they're using God's people not helping them. And it's all under the control of the high priests, and he's making a lot of money. And this angers Jesus, and verse 45, he enters the temple, and he begins to drive out those who sold saying that it is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made a den of robbers. It's a reminder to us that our worship is not a matter of indifference.
You know, there are there's I think most of these people are there in the temple and there's filthy, lucre involved, and they're just trying to make money. There's just commerce involved, and they're just trying to make money. But no doubt there are people there who probably think I'm just Trump, you know, isn't this just convenient? Isn't this helpful?
But yet, it does not please God.
And so we say that is just because we're sincere about something or we think God would be pleased with it does not mean that God is pleased with it.
Well, how do we know how God wants to be worshipped? Right here, right here. This is where we turn. And God God takes His worship. Serious, deathly serious. And so we cannot just have the ability to make up how we want to worship or how well what we do here. Whether or not we think it's convenient, or whether we like it or not, our worship is not about us. It's about God.
Jesus cares how we worship Him.
Worship is not a commercial.
Worship is not a marketplace, the church is not to be a shop.
We are not just consumers that you have come here to fill up your gas tank and then go out for, you know, and then come back and now I'm refreshed. No, you this is the place of worship. This is happening today in our churches, isn't it?
Making the church more of a commercial making the church more consumer friendly? You know, let's bring in, you know, coffee is very important, right?
I mean, how can we worship without coffee, let's just bring in the Dunkin Donuts and the Starbucks and we'll put them right in the corner. It's just very convenient. You just check it out, you can use your card right there. And have not televangelists and other have made the worship of God about making money. This is the health and wealth gospel. If you just give me a little bit more money, God's gonna bless you. Give, give that seed money now. And I'll tell you this water I got from the bathroom, you can sprinkle around your house and make you feel better and God will will bless you and make you rich and healthy. And if not, it's because you don't have enough faith. Well, that's a lie from hell. That's not worship.
There are financial costs certainly in ministering the priests were given 10% They were they the priests were given the tide that was the purpose of the tithe. But these people are robbing God's people. Worship have now been crowded out by other things. And as your worship of God being crowded out by other other things in this world, other commerce or what have you other busyness, it doesn't have to be a selling animals, but our worship often has been crowded out by other things. And we have lost a singular focus of what we were made to do that is worship. And it's not only what they were doing, but what they weren't doing as well. Praying. Jesus says that this is what they're supposed to be doing praying.
The humble king does what the priests were meant to do. And he protects the worship of God, He cleanses a temple, and he is removing the decay and the disease from the worship of God that God might be honored and glorified, he is the priest. And then they go up to Jesus, and they say, What authority do you have to do these things? I mean, you're coming in as a king. And then you're acting like this prophet, telling us what's going to happen, and we're going to be destroying, you're missing this piece, whatever. And then you what gives you the right to come in and tell me how I ought to worship. That is my own personal preference. And I'm going to worship how I want to worship, I'm going to do what I want to do, I'm going to be my own king, my own Lord, what gives you the right, who gave you the authority to write in here proclaiming You are the king, who gave you the authority to speak on God's behalf? Who gave you the authority to teach and to cleanse the temple? Because we didn't give you that authority? We didn't give you permission, Jesus, we are the teachers and the leaders of the synagogue. And you know what?
Jesus doesn't tell them does he?
We're in verse, we're in chapter 20. Now, just if you're tracking, we're moved into chapter 20. verses one through eight. Jesus doesn't tell them they're not genuine. They don't care. Also, that Jesus has just said they're blind. It's like holding up a picture. Let me let me show you what what you're looking at this. They're blind, they cannot see. They want to accuse him of blasphemy right then and there. Because they want to destroy him. If you look at the previous verses, that's what they want to do. They want to destroy him. You want to why they want to destroy him because he's affecting their pocketbook.
He's, he's ruining our market here. This is we can make more money, but Jesus is messing it all up. We're gonna destroy him.
But his time for the cross hasn't yet come. It will come shortly in just a few days, but he doesn't tell them. And even if they did, again, he's not they're not going to hear it.
And he answers them with a question. He answered them I will ask you a question. Now tell me Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man and they discuss Sit with one another saying, Alright, let's see. If we say from heaven, he's kind of, he's gonna say, Well, why didn't you believe him? Okay, well, if we say, from man, while the people will still want to step back, because they're convinced they're convinced John was a prophet. We know, we know John was better convinced John was a prophet. So you know what we're gonna do? Lie. And that's what they do. They lie we, we don't know. They know, they know, but they are afraid, which is showing the fear of man over the fear of God. And that is often a common response for us to have, you might even think in our language. And maybe we don't say something as bold or bluntly, or as clearly as we want B or OT, because we're afraid of what people might say, or what people would do to us.
And we do not fear God, as we all know, we feel fear man. And so we're hearing this inner dilemma within them. And John the Baptist, Jesus asked them this question because John has clearly told them who Jesus was.
He said, I am the voice crying out in the wilderness per prayer, the way of the Lord, make his path straight, every valley shall be filled, and every mountain shall be made low and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. That was John's message, a message of repentance. John's baptism was one of repentance.
His mission is to prepare the way of the Lord. John wants people to turn away from their sin to turn to Christ, the mountains of pride need to be levelled, the valleys of self pity need to be filled in you need to turn from your sin and rest upon the Lord and you will be saved. But they reject John, they reject John's baptism, they will not repent. Because if they had, they would believe John, they would believe that Jesus was the Christ. And then the leaders will seek to engage Jesus again and again, as we will see, and various debates and replies, but they will be met with silence, and it will frustrate them. Now, this is what the question they pose here about authority is often the question that is posed today.
Jesus, what gives you the right?
What gives you the right to tell me how I ought to live? What gives you the right to tell me that I ought to worship You?
What gives you the right to tell me how I should use a Sunday?
Well, Matthew 28, Jesus says, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Jesus has all authority. And I hope that's what you've been able to see in these texts.
Jesus has all authority over everything. Everything in the Old Testament is pointing to Him, and He is the Lord God Almighty. He is the Lord, He is the Creator, and he is the Redeemer. And we need a king, we need a prophet, we need a priest to save us from our sins and from ourselves. We need a king, to subdue us to arm himself to rule us to defend us and to conquer all of his and our enemies. We need a prophet to reveal the Word of God to us, and by the power of His Spirit to give us salvation. We need a priest not just to make sacrifices, but Jesus is the sacrifice the once and for all sacrifice for sin, to reconcile us to God, and who even now is continually making intercession for us. So here's the question all in with this is, will you follow Jesus? Will you hang on his words? Or will you be his executioner? Because if you look at there in the text, right there in verse 4748, those are the two options are people that are just following Jesus hanging on his words, are people seeking to destroy him? And will you follow the king or not? There's no indifference. It's not an option. You will either follow Jesus or you will not choose this day whom you will serve Jesus Christ has visited you right now by his word and the sacrament. The day of his visitation is upon us. Will you receive peace? Or will you be like Jerusalem and be destroyed?
Submit to the one who has all authority. He is the Prophet, Priest, and king he is our only hope for sinners like us. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for Jesus who has all authority. He is the king. He is the Prophet and free Son Lord He is the one that must rule over our rebellious hearts Lord we need your spirit to enliven us Lord let us cry out and be saved be merciful to your people we pray in Jesus's name amen