Luke 19:42
In Luke 19:29–44 we read how the evangelist Luke describes the “Triumphal Entry,” the triumphant coming of our Savior into Jerusalem.
29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 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. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19:29–44)
There is something very striking in the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. In one and the same moment, everyone was rejoicing (v.37), and Jesus was weeping (v.41). In the whole of the New Testament only two occasions are recorded where it is expressly said that Jesus wept. The first time He wept over one man — Lazarus (John 11:35); the second time, over one city — Jerusalem. What made Jesus weep over Jerusalem? What was so sad about Jerusalem? Why was it a thing to be mourned over? We find the answer in v.42. Here the weeping of Jesus is literally described:
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. (Luke 19:42)
Jesus wept over Jerusalem because Jerusalem had no revelation of what Jesus’ mission actually was — why He was entering Jerusalem. Jerusalem thought that Jesus was entering the city to rule as a politician, as a sovereign. But Jesus was entering Jerusalem in order to sacrifice Himself for us. And they did not understand… That is why Jesus wept — because Jerusalem did not recognize the time of God’s grace, did not recognize the day of its salvation. Do you want to gladden Jesus today? Do you want to make Him stop weeping over you? Recognize what would bring you peace! And what is it that would bring you peace? The fulfillment of the mission of Jesus Christ.
In this verse 42 we can uncover three key phrases that hold three very important ideas. First, “…what would bring you peace” — this phrase speaks to us of the essence of Christ’s mission, namely, to bring us peace. At Christmas we also speak of the peace that the Son of God came to bring us. This is so because the essence of Christ’s mission as a whole is to bring us peace. Remember the song of the angels (Luke 2:14):
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)
Second, Jesus also emphasized: “on this day.” “This day” was the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem — the very day we celebrate now. These words are bound up with the declaration of Christ’s mission, for it was precisely on this day that it was most vividly displayed. How? Through the fact that He rode on a donkey. Because, if He had been coming as a conqueror who comes to impose his political dictate, He would not have ridden on a donkey. He would have ridden on a horse, been armed, and had an army behind Him. But He was a king who carried no weapon. In those days, donkeys were ridden by envoys who came to negotiate for peace. And so, on this day Jesus revealed Himself not only as a king, but as a king who brings peace.
And third, the last phrase in Christ’s lament is an exclamation that discloses to us the importance of understanding Christ’s mission: “If you, even you, had only known…what…now it is hidden from your eyes.” These words underline how important it was for Jerusalem to understand what it was not understanding at that moment. We must know what the essence of Christ’s mission is, how it was declared on this day, and not only understand it but also receive it personally for ourselves.
THE ESSENCE OF CHRIST’S MISSION — “WHAT WOULD BRING YOU PEACE!”
In its essence, Christ’s mission has as its aim to bring us peace. Everything that Christ did “served” to produce or to restore our peace.
PEACE WITH GOD
Christ could be called “the perfect peacemaker.” First of all, He came to bring us peace with God (2 Corinthians 5:18a).
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: (2 Corinthians 5:18)
Through our sin we had stood in rebellion against God, at war with Him, and as a result there was enmity between Him and us. But through Jesus Christ God removed the enmity and reconciled us to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19a).
19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19)
Do you see it? Through the cross Jesus carried out His mission to restore peace between humanity and God, but we too share in this peacemaking mission, as we carry the message of what Jesus has done. Because a person must believe in what Jesus did in order for it to become valid for him and for him to be saved.
PEACE OF SOUL
Jesus came to bring us peace not only with God, but also with our very selves. In Philippians 4:6–7 it says:
6 Do not be anxious about anything, (Philippians 4:6)
Do not be anxious about anything?! This is very hard. Because we are constantly anxious about something.
but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)
The peace of God is boundless. We cannot comprehend it. It is a peace that “no mind can grasp,” that “transcends all understanding.” Such is the peace that Christ gives us. Because we know that if we have a problem, God will step in. He knows what we need even before we have asked Him for it. He will answer us. And even if His answer is not the one we expected, it is still for our good, because we asked and God heard.
Likewise, in John 14:27 the Lord Jesus Himself said:
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
We as Christians must have the peace of God. Satan tries to rob us of our peace — to make us irritable, fearful, angry, doubting, negatively minded, depressed, and so on. But Jesus tells us that He gives us His peace. This is not an ordinary peace; this is a heavenly peace.
PEACE AMONG OURSELVES
Jesus’ mission was to bring us peace — peace with God, peace in our hearts, and peace among ourselves as well — that we should have no enmities among us, no wars among us (Ephesians 4:3).
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
In Christ we are brothers and sisters, because we have been redeemed with the same blood, because we have one and the same heavenly Father — God. And now there are no differences — it makes no difference whether we are poor or rich, it makes no difference what the color of our skin is. Whoever desires to be greater among us must be our servant.
What was that one thing which served to establish peace between us and God? The answer is one: the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Golgotha (Ephesians 2:14–17).
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. (Ephesians 2:14–17)
And so, that which served as the means by which the peace of God came upon us is the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. This peace is wonderful, but it is not free. The price of our peace with God is the blood of Christ. And in fact, this is exactly why the Lord Jesus said:
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. (Luke 19:42)
Because Jesus was entering Jerusalem not to become a political leader or an emperor, but to become a sacrifice. And this was what the people did not see, what they did not understand. But through this sacrifice, Christ brought us a peace that is not political but spiritual, eternal, glorious peace. That is why, after His resurrection, Christ greeted His disciples with this greeting: “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19, 21, 26). Because His mission to bring peace to human beings had been fulfilled. And on the cross He said, “It is finished!” This is why it is so good for us to celebrate the feasts of the great week — the Triumphal Entry, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and of course Easter — so that we may remind ourselves of what Christ did for us. He came to bring us peace. And in Romans 5:1 the apostle Paul says:
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1)
Having believed in Jesus Christ, justified through faith in Jesus Christ, we have peace with God. This is the essence of Christ’s mission — to bring us peace — peace with God, peace in our hearts, and peace among ourselves.
THE DECLARATION OF CHRIST’S MISSION — (“ON THIS DAY OF YOURS”)
Perhaps there is no other day in the ministry of Jesus that displays more plainly the essence of His person and His mission than this day — the day of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. For before this too He had been ministering. But He had been made known more as a rabbi and a prophet. People addressed Him with the title “Teacher.” But on this day, by their attitude and by their acclamations, they called Him “King.”
THE KING OF THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM
On this day Jesus was welcomed by the people as a king. He accepted royal honors. He revealed Himself as the Messiah, as the Son of David, as the fulfiller of the Old Testament prophecies (John 12:12–19).
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” (John 12:12–15)
Notice that in this case the donkey not only underscored the peaceful mission of Jesus, but it underscored that He is the fulfiller of the messianic prophecies — of the prophecies about the King and Savior coming from God.
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. 17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (John 12:16–19)
On this day even the opponents of Jesus admitted that they could not stop Him. Why? Because not long before, He had raised Lazarus from the dead. Many of those who had seen this incredible miracle with their own eyes were, on this day, among the crowd that welcomed Jesus. When He raised him, Jesus did not even go inside to touch him. He simply commanded him to come out of his tomb, and Lazarus obeyed Him. The witnesses of this miracle were convinced that Christ is God’s chosen One, and they told the others what they had seen Him do.
A KING WHO RIDES ON A DONKEY
Yet, although Jesus unmistakably entered Jerusalem as a king, as we have already said, He rode not on a horse but on a donkey. This was a demonstration not only of the fact that He is the fulfiller of the messianic prophecies, but also of the purpose of His coming. He was not coming to impose Himself, but to reconcile. Jesus entered Jerusalem not as a conqueror, but as a peacemaker, as an envoy, as a diplomat who comes with an offer of peace. Never before had Jesus displayed His peacemaking mission more openly. And yet, in His day Jerusalem did not recognize what would bring it peace. But you, today, on “this day of yours,” recognize what would bring you peace! Recognize the mission of Jesus Christ! Recognize the mercy and the love of the Lord.
THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING CHRIST’S MISSION
THE TRAGEDY OF NOT UNDERSTANDING THE MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST — “WHAT…IS NOW HIDDEN FROM YOUR EYES”
And finally, we see the tragedy of not understanding the mission of Jesus Christ. For, although He said, “This is what would bring you peace…,” although He revealed Himself as a king, revealed Himself as a peacemaker, the people did not understand Him. And this was “hidden from their eyes.”
The people cried “Hosanna” = “Save us now” (Psalm 118:25–29). They, however, understood salvation in a different way — material, political, human.
John 6:14–15
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (John 6:14–15)
Their eyes were shut, their minds were locked, their hearts were turned to stone. The same people who now cried “Hosanna!” would, three days later, cry “Crucify Him!”
Luke 23:20–21
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Luke 23:20–21)
Luke 18:31–34
31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. (Luke 18:31–34)
Luke 19:11
11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. (Luke 19:11)
Even immediately after the resurrection:
Luke 24:9–11
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. (Luke 24:9–11)
Acts 1:6
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)
Today things are not much different. People celebrate Palm Sunday, celebrate the coming of spring, keep Lazarus Saturday, cut willow branches, rejoice… But how many understand what actually would bring us peace? Without a true understanding of what would bring us peace with God, without the revelation of who Jesus is and what His mission is, our celebration is vanity, and we are a thing to be mourned over.
Luke 19:41
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it (Luke 19:41)
Today Jesus continues to weep, because the failure to understand His mission and the squandering of the favorable, saving days continue to lead to this: that many go to eternal ruin in the fiery pit.
One day the scales will fall from the eyes of Jerusalem, the veil will be lifted, they will see again, and in a single moment they will grasp who Jesus actually is and what His mission is.
Zechariah 12:10
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zechariah 12:10)
This revelation will lead to the blotting out of their sins.
Zechariah 13:1
1 “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. (Zechariah 13:1)
THE BLESSEDNESS OF UNDERSTANDING THE MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST — “IF YOU HAD ONLY KNOWN! YES, YOU!”
Jesus wanted the salvation of Jerusalem. He wants your salvation today as well. But in order for us to be able to receive the salvation that He worked out for us, the peace with God for which He paid with His own blood, we must know and understand His mission.
Isaiah 53:11
11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)
Learn everything you can about God’s righteous Servant; understand everything about His mission. Why did He come to this earth? Why did He go to the cross? Why was He pierced?
Jesus wants to reconcile you to God — you, you personally! If you understand and receive the mission of Jesus Christ personally for yourself, you have absolutely everything you need for salvation from sin and for receiving eternal life. Recognize what would bring you peace! If you did not know, if you did not understand why Jesus entered Jerusalem… if until now the purpose of the triumphal entry has been hidden from your eyes, then today God is changing that. He is sending His Word and His Spirit to make you recognize “what would bring you peace”!
- Recognize it, and you will gain peace with God!
- Recognize it, and your heart will be filled with the peace of Christ!
- Recognize it, and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and King!
This revelation will bring you salvation, eternal life, and true joy!