“And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!' And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples.' He answered, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.' And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, 'Would 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 hem 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.' 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.'”  Luke 19:35-46

As Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday we read of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, his weeping over the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the disruption of the mechanistic worship in the temple. In this narrative we have the key to our purpose, the encouragement to passionate living, and the attitude which feeds proper worship and passion. Our purpose: to be people who honor/worship the triune God

New City Catechism
Q 1: What is our only hope in life and death?
A: That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and in death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ.

“How much has that man profited who, having been taught that he is not his own, has taken away dominion and rule from his own reason that he may yield it to God (acknowledging God’s wisdom is higher than his own he gladly submits to the shepherding goodness of Jesus)! For, as consulting our self-interest is the pestilence that most effectively leads to our destruction, so the SOLE HAVEN of salvation (and gospel oriented freedom of living) is to be wise in nothing and to will nothing through ourselves but follow the leading of the Lord alone.”  John Calvin

1. The priority of honoring the Lord

“If these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (v. 40)

If men and women made in the image of God did not praise the one who created everything (Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth...”) then inanimate objects will get the joy! 

2. Passion regarding life and eternity

Jesus is tenderly moved as he prophetically feels the sorrow of the situation. He prophetically sees the future and understands the coming sorrow of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. 

“Leave your simple ways, and live and walk in the way of insight. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.”  Proverbs 9:6, 10-11

3. The replenishing power of life: zeal for the proper worship of the character of the triune God (vv. 45-46). 

QUESTIONS:

1. Why did the pharisees ask Jesus to “rebuke your disciples”?

2. What does Jesus’ statement “if these were silent the very stones would cry out” underscore the purpose of God for man which leads to human flourishing?

3. Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem?

4. How does zeal for the purposes of God replenish our purpose and our passion?