Sermon

Sensitivity and Sovereignty

January 26, 2025 Maranatha Baptist Church of Columbus, OH - Latest Messages

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Well, good morning. It's good to see all of you this morning.
! If you'd open up your Bibles with me, please, to Luke chapter 19.

Luke 19 chapter mention
Luke chapter 19.

Luke 19 chapter mention
If you're using your pew Bible, it's on page 879.
Page 879.
Well, during the first hour, we have, as many of you know,
something called connect groups,
which is kind of our style of adult Bible Sunday schools,
but it's kind of driven more by discussion and interaction
and trying to draw us all into the learning process.
We have three connect groups that are taking place during these 12 weeks,
these first 12 weeks of the new year.
One of them is kind of looking at the attributes of Christ in the church,
and I saw John Massaro, you're carrying a shepherd's crook today,
so it was about the good shepherd and the sheep today.
Okay, fantastic, good.
I know that those of you who are part of that class are really enjoying that study.
Thank you, John, for your preparation and helping us understand more about who we are as a church
and how we respond to Christ.
Others of you are involved in kind of breakout groups.
The women and the teenage girls are going to a class exploring biblical femininity,
and then the men and the younger men, the teenage guys, are exploring biblical masculinity.
And the goal through these connect groups is to help kind of do this countercultural,
what does the Bible say about what it means to be a man or a woman?
It's so important.
Maybe you have grown up and there were some things that were shared to you
about what being a real man or being a real woman looks like.
Like, real men don't eat quiche.
You ever heard that one before?
I think that's true.
I think, personally, I think that's true.
Some of you may disagree, but real men don't eat quiche.
Or real men aren't afraid.
Or real men don't worry.
Or real men don't quit.
But how about this one?
It often goes to the top of the list.
Real men don't cry.
You got it.
Real men don't cry, okay?
And, you know, those of you, or those of us, I should say,
who are like 50 and older will also understand that big girls don't cry yi-yi either.
That's a song, by the way, 1962.
Big girls don't cry.
Well, this morning we're going to encounter a weeping Savior.
A weeping Savior.
And I think the reason why we get this picture of the fact that real men don't cry,
or big girls don't cry yi-yi,
is because tears are a symbol of weakness.
At least in our economy.
Tears demonstrate something that is out of control.
Something that is unexpected.
Something that hurts deeply.
Something that's a surprise.
Something that goes to the deepest parts of us.
And emotes this response because we just couldn't do anything about what has just happened.
And it breaks our heart.
But perhaps tears in tenderness is not just a part of humanity.
And that is the danger this morning.
As we work through this passage today.
And we see a weeping Savior.
The danger for us is to think,
well, this is Christ's humanity that's kind of breaking through.
We see a glimpse of his humanity coming out.
He's weeping over Jerusalem.
But I wonder this morning if really built into the image of God and the reason why we find ourselves weeping,
and by the way, we should be weeping more,
is because built into the design, the image of God,
is this glimpse of a weeping Savior.
A weeping God.
His heart is broken over the people of Israel.
These are not self-serving tears, by the way.
These are going to be tears for others.
Tears for Jerusalem.
Tears for the people.
Tears because of the looming consequences that are coming
because of their rejection of Christ
and this unique visitation that they failed to see.
Maybe it's godly to have tears.
Maybe it's right and good for us to weep.
After all, it is a command for us.
And the Apostle Paul, even before we jump into our passage this morning,
by way of reminder,
we find the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12.

Romans 12 chapter mention
He's commending sincere affection among God's people
to echo the heart of God
and built into this instruction by the Apostle Paul.
We find in Romans chapter 12, verses 9 and 10, it says,

Romans 12:9
Let love be without hypocrisy.
Abhor what is evil.
Cling to what is good.
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love
in honor giving preference to one another.
So what does love look like?
Well, it looks this way.
It means that the posture of our heart is to bless those who persecute us.
To bless and curse not.
It's to rejoice with those who rejoice.
It's to weep with those who weep.
So the measure of spirituality and maturity in the Christian life
is to echo the heart of God in weeping these kind of tears.
This word, by the way,
this word for weeping here in Romans chapter 12

Romans 12 chapter mention
is the same word we find in our passage this morning,
the weeping of our Savior.
I wonder when was the last time you wept?
I wonder when the last time that you wept,
especially not just for the hurt in your own life,
but you wept especially over the lostness around you.
You came to appreciate and understand and recognize
not just the danger,
but the looming consequences
of what's at stake for those
who resist and reject the message
of God's visitation that comes to us through the gospel.
It is this morning as we look at the life of the Savior
where Jesus,
if we're really going to be the kind of man
or the kind of woman that God has designed us to be,
that biblical masculinity and femininity
will echo the Savior in this.
Weeping, concern, brokenness,
and sensitivity for the lostness around them.
And unlike the sensitivity that we might have
where it's a limited sensitivity
and we can't control the future
and there is weakness in us,
this is not the sensitivity we see in Jesus
where Jesus had mastery over the circumstances,
over the things that were going to go down
that week in Jerusalem.
Jesus knew not just what was going to happen,
but by God's divine control,
he was putting everything into place.
So we see this morning in our passage today,
we see our king.
He's riding into Jerusalem,
but he's not like most kings.
And we're going to see this morning
two things that help to stand out about this king.
We're going to see his sensitivity.
The sensitivity of our king in verses 41 to 44.
And then we're going to see the sovereignty of our king
in verses 45 to the end of the chapter.
Sensitivity and sovereignty
that are beautifully mingled together.
It's almost beyond comprehension.
How do these things fit together?
And that's what we're going to check out
in our passage today.
We're going to read beginning in verse 41 to 48,
or excuse me, 44.
And then we'll pick up this first statement,
the sensitivity of our king.
It says,
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 barricades 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 the other in you
because you did not know the time of your visitation.
The sensitivity of our king.
And we're going to see the sensitivity
that will come because of three factors.
First, because he has a larger picture in view.
How is Jesus able to be sensitive?
Well, it's because of his sovereignty,
of the events that are unfolding,
that drives him to this very response,
this sensitivity that's breaking through,
that's coming out
because he knows what's happening.
He knows the posture of the hearts
of those in the audience.
Here we find him drawing near the city
in verses 41 to 44
are kind of in conjunction
with the passage that we read last week
about the triumphal entry.
If you remember,
Jesus and his disciples
in last week's passage
were part of this massive crowd.
A massive crowd that's described
in verse 37 as a multitude,
numbering no doubt in the thousands,
everywhere multitude or crowd is used
in the gospel record.
It's referring to thousands of individuals
who've gathered there at Bethany
and are now making this procession
to Jerusalem.
Bethany was a village
about three miles away from Jerusalem.
And I just want to put this graphic
up here on the screen
so we can kind of visualize a little bit
of maybe what Jesus was seeing here.
And Jesus has made his way
from Bethany
about three miles away from Jerusalem.
We're kind of looking
at the south side of Jerusalem.
And so in the top right corner
on the eastern side of the city,
you see that big walled area there.
That is the temple mount.
That's the great temple mount
that Herod built
about 40 years to build.
And just this side of that structure,
there was an eastern gate
that opened right up
to that temple mount.
And Jesus would have come from Bethany.
He made his way to Bethphage.
And you know,
he sent disciples ahead.
Those disciples retrieved a donkey.
They brought it to Jesus.
They put Jesus on that donkey.
And they're making their way
to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem.
The electricity in the air
was unmistakable.
The tone of celebration
and worship.
Cloaks that were laid on the ground.
Branches that were waving.
A chorus of praise and celebration.
Hosanna.
Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
And somewhere,
somewhere on this approach,
making his way
down the Mount of Olives,
rounding the corner
from Bethphage.
And now this view opens up
where the entire city
lies before him.
And the gravity
of what will happen
in this coming week
lands on Jesus
as he's making his way
into the city.
And he weeps.
Here Jesus will weep
over the city.
This word for weep
is a word
that is the strongest word
in the Greek language
for weeping.
This is not petty weeping.
This is expressive.
This is deep.
This is all out loud
kind of weeping.
It's the same kind of weeping
by the way
that we find
in Matthew chapter 2

Matthew 2:18
verse 18
where you remember Herod.
He sent for the babies
in Bethlehem
that were under the age of two
to be slaughtered.
And it describes
Rachel weeping
for her children.
That's the kind of weeping.
Heartfelt.
Anxiety driven.
Weeping.
Jesus is not caught up
in the moment.
He's not caught up
in the celebration.
Jesus has a laser
like focus
on what lies ahead.
He's not soaking it up.
This much deserved
and long overdue
worship and praise.
Finally it's come.
But it must have seemed
unusual
in this moment
as Jesus is making
his way into the city
with a chorus of praise
and the joyous
shouts and accolades
and here
as the crowd
will turn to Jesus
he's not smiling
he is wailing.
He's wailing.
Riding into Jerusalem
surrounded by multitudes
and here he is
he sees this course
of this week.
He sees the ultimate rejection
and it causes him
to cry.
It's a surprising response
in the midst
of this triumphant chorus.
Anyone in the crowd
who would have noticed
must have been confused
what is going on.
But the tenderness
of our Savior
breaks out into the open.
His sensitivity
comes right out
into the open.
He is unashamed
of his tears.
He's not unaffected
by his soon rejection
and he's not unaware
of the coming consequences
on his people
but make no mistake
these are not
self-serving tears.
These are tears for them.
Tears for the very people
that are part of this crowd
and that are leading him
into Jerusalem.
Jesus is crying
not for himself
he's crying
and weeping for them.
He was one
who understood
this larger picture
that was in view.
But this is not
an isolated incident
of the compassion of Christ.
We find that his entire ministry
is marked by compassion
and I want to just draw
our attention to that briefly
so we can see
that this is
the heart of our Savior
throughout his public ministry.
It's not just a
kind of once and done
kind of thing.
We have a compassionate Savior
and so anyone
of us who wants
to echo
the pattern
of Christ's life
will also
adorn themselves
with the same compassion.
His compassion
has often been
the compelling part
of his ministry.
He's moved
by deep
feelings
for others.
You catch that?
Jesus is moved
by emotion.
Emotion is good.
It can be healthy
feelings for others.
In Matthew

Matthew 9:36
chapter 9
verse 36
it says
when he saw
the multitudes
he was moved
with compassion
for them
because they were
weary and scattered
like sheep
having no shepherd.
In Matthew 14
14
this is the feeding
of the 5,000
he says
when he went
ashore
and saw
a great crowd
he had compassion
on them
and healed
their sick.
In Luke

Luke 7:13
chapter 7
verse 13
as Jesus
is making
his way
through
a really
obscure part
of upper
Galilee
he comes
to this city
this little village
out in the boondocks
called Nain
and he
he sees
this widow
woman
and her only
son
on a
on a
on a
pier
and they're
walking him
through the city
this funeral
procession
and Jesus
comes up
and when the
Lord saw her
he had compassion
on her
and said to her
do not
weep
do not
weep
this was not
an out
of the ordinary
kind
of expression
for Jesus
his heart
was tender
his service
to people
was driven
by deep
compassion
and feeling
you know
the tenderness
of Christ's heart
over this
great city
reminded me
of tears
over another
city
and another
prophet
800 years
before
another great
city
the city
of Nineveh
and that
prophet
Jonah
who was
called to
go to
that city
he had
tears
as well
in Jonah

Jonah 3:1
chapter 3
verses 1
and 2
we find
the instruction
that God
gave to
Jonah
then the
word of
the Lord
came to
Jonah
the second
time
saying
arise
go to
Nineveh
that great
city
and call
out against
it
the message
that I
will tell
you
so Jonah
finally
obeys
and then
there he
goes
to this
city
and he
preaches
this message
of judgment
and then
after the
message is
preached
we find
in the
narrative
that he
goes to
the east
of the
city
and he
begins to
set up a
booth
and he's
there to
watch
God
take care
of business
that's in
his heart
he wants
the wicked
enemies
of his
people
to die
but in
Jonah chapter

Jonah 4:1
4 verses 1
and 2
we find
something
different
we find
that God
moved in
the hearts
of the
people
of
Nineveh
God
opened
their
eyes
to see
their
impending
disaster
and the
people
of the
city
repent
and here
is Jonah's
response
to the
largest
revival
in Bible
history
and likely
the largest
one time
revival
in all
of history
itself
200,000
Ninevites
come
to God
repent
from sin
and how
does Jonah
respond
it
displeased
Jonah
exceedingly
he was
angry
he was
crying
in other
words
and he
prayed to
the Lord
and said
oh Lord
is not
this what
I said
when I
was in
my country
this is
why I
made haste
to flee
to Tarshish
for I
knew
that you
are a
gracious
God
and
merciful
slow
to
anger
and
abounding
in
steadfast
love
and
relenting
from
disaster
a heart
that was
set
against
weeping
the right
way
certainly
not the
heart
that we
see
in the
apostle
Paul
and not
the heart
that should
be true
of any
believer
who is
moving in
the direction
of spiritual
maturity
as the
apostle
Paul will
say
in
Philippians

Philippians 3:18
chapter 3
verses 18
and 19
this is the
expression
of weeping
that we
need to
emulate
he says
for many
walk
of whom
I have
told you
often
and now
tell you
even
weeping
that's our
word
they are
enemies
of the
cross
of Christ
whose
end
is
destruction
whose
God
is their
belly
whose
glory
is in
their
shame
who set
their
mind
on
earthly
things
the
weeping
heart
of the
apostle
Paul
that echoes
the
weeping
heart
of our
savior
over the
same
things
this is
the point
that's
emphasized
in the
next part
of our
passage
the
impending
doom
the
disaster
that's
coming
the
purpose
for
tears
and so
we see
in
verses
42
to 44
we see
what
Jesus
desires
he desires
peace
for these
people
he's
weeping
because of
the
invitation
and the
welcome
to enjoy
peace
but they're
not
participating
verse
42
would
that
you
even
you
had
known
on
this
day
the
things
that
make
for
peace
but now
they are
hidden
from your
eyes
these were
not
self-serving
tears
that Jesus
is weeping
these are
tears
of pain
that saw
through
the empty
praise
that saw
through
the
superficial
celebration
Christ
saw
the
deception
that blinded
the minds
of those
who were
here
they were
hidden
from their
eyes
he saw
their
calloused
hearts
he saw
their fickle
spirit
and he saw
the disaster
of their
decision
to reject
him
these are
the tears
of one
who knows
that people
have already
turned the
other way
the way
of peace
was hidden
from their
eyes
this word
for hidden
is a
passive
verb
which means
that they
were recipients
of action
it means
that it
was concealed
from them
it was
made invisible
to them
it was
shielded
from them
they could
not see
the truth
that was
standing
right in
front of
them
Jesus
their
Messiah
is there
in front
of them
and they
cannot
see
the truth
they could
not see
this true
salvation
this way
of peace
peace
is the
word
for
harmony
it's
the
word
tranquility
it's
also
connected
to the
Old Testament
word
shalom
which is
the word
for health
and wellness
and peace
and it is
somewhat
shocking
that this
city
Jerusalem
shalom
that's built
right into
the name
of the city
this city
of peace
was missing
the very
peace
that has
been extended
to it
peace
that Christ
extended
to them
but peace
they were
rejecting
instead
they would
receive
the consequences
of their
rejection
that we
find in
verses
43
to 45
or 43
and 44
for the day
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 the
other
in you
because you
did not
know the
time of
your
visitation
you were
not looking
for the
right
salvation
this word
for visitation
is used
throughout the
Old Testament
to refer
to the
coming of
God
and that
coming of
God
is going
to come
one of
two ways
in the Old
Testament
either came
in terms
of God's
rescue
or it
came
in terms
of God's
judgment
but when
God's
presence
was there
one of
the two
were going
to happen
and now
the people
of the
first century
those Jewish
individuals
there had
the visitation
of God
Jesus
himself
God
in the
flesh
had taught
them
had healed
them
had served
them
his visitation
was there
his presence
was a reality
and they had
a decision
to make
enjoy the
salvation
of God
or experience
the consequences
the devastating
consequences
of rejection
and they
missed him
they missed
the salvation
because they
clung so
tightly
to their
own idea
and understanding
of what
salvation
involved
and Jesus
describes here
the total
destruction
of the very
thing that
they hung
on to
so much
they loved
Jerusalem
they loved
the temple
and Jesus
helps them
understand
that the
very things
they're hanging
on to
are the
things
they're going
to lose
enemies
will surround
the city
walls and
homes will
be torn
down
destruction
of property
and families
mothers
and children
not one
stone
that will
stand
on the
other
what was
meant to
be a
visitation
of salvation
becomes a
visitation
of judgment
and in
fact
a partial
fulfillment
of that
would happen
in 40
years from
the time
of Christ's
words
where Rome
would come
and sweep
through the
city of
Jerusalem
and they
would destroy
the city
they would
kill the
people
and they
would decimate
!
the temple
that visitation
of the Lord
had come
and because
of the
rejection
of Christ
resulted
in the
consequence
of harm
to their
city
you know
Jesus
extends
an offer
of peace
to us
as well
his
visitation
is still
present
today
in and
through
the gospel
in and
through the
presentation
of the
good news
he invites
us to
participate
to enjoy
the
presence
of God
in our
lives
and so
the
ultimate
peace
of course
is peace
with God
through our
Lord Jesus
Christ
it's a
peace
that comes
through faith
it's a
peace
that comes
through
confession
of sin
through
repentance
it's a
peace
that comes
through
dependence
on God
alone
for salvation
it's that
peace
that comes
and is
described
for us
by the
apostle Paul
in Ephesians

Ephesians 2:14–16
chapter 2
verses 14
to 16
he says
for he
himself
is our
peace
who has
made
us
both
one
speaking
of
Jews
and
Gentiles
and has
broken
down
in his
flesh
the dividing
wall
of
hostility
by abolishing
the law
of commandments
expressed
in ordinances
that he
might create
in himself
one new
man
in place
of the
two
so making
peace
and he
might reconcile
us both
to God
in one
body
through the
cross
thereby
killing
the
hostility
in other
words
Jesus
himself
fulfilled
the law
and Jesus
himself
died
the death
that you
and I
deserve
on the
cross
he paid
the consequence
for sin
so that
in and
through
Jesus
alone
faith
in Christ
the separation
the division
the hostility
that we would
experience
with God
because of
our sin
has been
met by
Jesus'
sacrifice
and in
his body
it's wiped
away
do you know
Jesus this
morning
are you
part of
him
through
faith
are you
experiencing
and enjoying
not only
the peace
of God
for salvation
and for
eternal life
with God
but the
peace that
God desires
to give
every single
day
Colossians
3 15
says this
let the
peace
of Christ
rule
in your
hearts
to which
indeed you
were called
in one
body
and be
thankful
God has
called us
to peace
the
visitation
of God
is here
the
welcome
to peace
is present
and that
peace
is not
the kind
of peace
that takes
away
all the
problems
of your
life
but it's
the kind
of peace
that settles
your heart
in the
authority
and wisdom
and sovereignty
of God
as you're
moving through
very hard
times
that God
is in
control
and God
is good
he is working
through those
things
and your
heart
can be
at rest
your heart
can be
at peace
he welcomes
you to enjoy
that
but he also
welcomes
you to
extend that
peace to
others
that your
heart would
break
for those
around you
that don't
know Jesus
because you
see the
looming
consequences
of sin
and you
like Christ
and the
apostle Paul
will weep
over those
who do not
know Jesus
and it will
compel us
to gospel
ministry
in verses
45 to
48 we
see not
just the
sensitivity
of the
savior
but we
see the
sovereignty
or the
authority
of our
king
the sovereignty
of our
king
comes right
out into
the open
and so
the sensitivity
of Christ
is perfectly
and beautifully
intermingled
with his
sovereignty
notice in
verse 45
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
God is
sovereign
over his
house
he's sovereign
over his
house
his temple
and Luke
arranges the
events of
this narrative
to seem
like it's
moving in
consecutive
order
and of
course
it is
moving
in a
consecutive
way
but there's
an
interruption
that we
find
in the
gospel
of Mark
that helps
us realize
that this
event that we
read in
Luke 19

Luke 19:45
verse 45
actually happens
on the next
day
Jesus will
ride into
Jerusalem
this triumphal
entry
and we find
from Mark

Mark 11:11
chapter 11
verse 11
that Jesus
after the
triumphal
entry
enters
Jerusalem
he goes
into the
temple
and when
he had
looked around
at everything
as it was
already late
he went
out to
Bethany
with the
twelve
that would
be on
like a
Sunday
and then
in verse
12
on the
following
day
and then
we pick
up our
narrative
here in
Luke
it's coupled
with Mark
and Matthew
they came
to Jerusalem
he entered
the temple
and began
to drive
out those
who sold
and those
who bought
in the
temple
and he
overturned
the tables
and the
money changers
and the
seats of
those
who sold
pigeons
now why
do I
go into
any
detail
about that
at all
is to
help you
understand
the reliability
of the
scripture
it's dependable
it's
trustworthy
it doesn't
conflict
with itself
but as we
understand
how the
pieces of
the narrative
fit together
it helps
us recognize
the wonder
of what's
taking place
Luke wants
to draw
our attention
to the
Messiah
the son
of David
he wants
you to
see
that in
this
concurrent
set
of events
that Jesus
truly is
the Messiah
he's the
one who's
not just
the king
of Israel
he is the
priest
over Israel
as well
Luke wants
to draw
our attention
to the
savior who's
king
his authority
his sovereignty
and it
serves to
help show
this one
massive
object
lesson
of Christ
identity
it comes
into full
view
for us
in this
account
we find
that Jesus
he comes
into the
temple
and he
drives out
the money
changers
he drives
out those
who are
using the
temple
for profit
he exercises
his authority
in the face
of the
authorities
of the
Jews
those
Jewish
authorities
that were
in the
temple
and also
the
governing
authorities
that were
also
in the
temple
on that
day
but
interestingly
enough
while the
crowd
expected
Jesus
as the
king
to come
and overturn
the Roman
empire
to address
the
oppressions
that they
were experiencing
in a
political
way
Jesus
actually
comes
in
and
surprisingly
addresses
a different
kind
of
oppression
a spiritual
one
darkness
of
heart
the
pollution
of
spiritual
life
that's
taking
place
here
in the
temple
the
Lord
was
declaring
that
he
was
not
so
concerned
with
Israel's
relationship
to Rome
but with
the relationship
they had
with God
he was
prioritizing
what really
mattered
the temple
here
is a
general
term
for
the
temple
grounds
as a
whole
this
complex
system
of
courts
that
went in
progressively
smaller
increments
the
outer
court
was the
court
of the
Gentiles
it was
named
this
way
because
this
was
the
place
where
Gentiles
could
go
and
assemble
but
they
were
forbidden
to go
any
further
the
inside
of
this
court
was
the
court
of
women
which
was
as
far
as
women
were
permitted
to
go
it
was
the
gate
beautiful
is
what
kind
of
stood
at
the
beginning
of
this
court
the
next
court
was
known
as
the
court
of
the
Israelites
it
was
through
the
Nankanor
gate
the
gate
the
Nankanor
gate
was
made
of
Corinthian
bronze
it
glistened
in
the
sunlight
and
it
was
so
massive
that
it
took
20
men
to
push
the
Israelites
they
could
look
in
and
see
the
court
of
the
priest
which
was
this
inner
court
where
the
priest
would
perform
their
function
of
sacrifices
but
here
in
the
outer
court
the
court
of
the
Gentiles
was
where
all
of
this
money
exchange
was
taking
place
here
worshipers
would bring
their
sacrificial
animals
and
while
they
were
permitted
to
bring
their
own
animals
those animals needed to be without blemish.
And so what would normally happen,
it was an animal that needed to be approved by a priest,
and it behooved the priests that were in Jerusalem,
in order to profit off the people,
they would normally decline those animals
and force those pilgrims to buy the animals
that were offered to them on the temple grounds.
Hundreds and thousands of animals
would be exchanged or purchased.
The temple tax was also needed to be paid
and using Jewish coinage.
And so any of the foreigners that were coming from other lands
would need to go through an exchange process.
But because those who were in the temple court
had a monopoly on the exchange,
they were profiting and taking advantage of that exchange rate,
thus turning this place of worship,
and in Jesus' words, into a den.
of thieves.
This will serve as bookends in the ministry of Jesus,
where at the very beginning of his ministry,
you remember from John chapter 2,

John 2 chapter mention
Jesus will also exert his authority in the temple.
He'll come and he'll move out the money exchangers.
He'll come purify the temple.
And here at the end, it's happening the same way,
to help us understand that the priority of Christ for his people
was purified worship.
Worship of God, a house of prayer.
Jesus exerts his sovereign force over this irreverent behavior.
He acts alone.
He acts as one who's in authority.
He's undeterred.
He uses this statement that's drawn from two Old Testament passages.
My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of robbers.
This temple, which was set aside as a place for God's people
to meet with God, had become polluted.
To amplify this occasion, if this was happening on Monday,
Monday would be the day in which the Passover lamb was chosen.
That Passover lamb, which at the end of the week would be slaughtered
and the blood would be spilt on the doorpost.
It would be sacrificed.
This picture of this Passover lamb, this deliverance of God's people,
and here the Passover lamb, Jesus Christ, comes into the temple
to purify his temple.
Here, the religious leaders were making a business out of people's sin
and were polluting the very courts of God.
In verses 47 and 48, we see God's authority over his future.
His authority over the future.
Notice,
Be amazed at the graciousness of the Lord.
Stand back and marvel at the wonder of Christ,
teaching again, serving and ministering to the people,
day by day in the courts,
knowing exactly what was going to happen at the end of the week.
But here he is,
extending himself in teaching ministry
to these people every single day.
Here they are, they're hanging on his every word.
This is a word that's only used here in the New Testament
to draw attention to the significance of Jesus' teaching
and the authority that he brought.
But of course, the religious leaders were resolute.
Throughout Christ's ministry,
they had set their minds on destroying him.
In Matthew chapter 12, verse 14,

Matthew 12:14
we find the Pharisees went out and conspired against him
how to destroy him.
In John chapter 11, verse 53,

John 11:53
this is after the resurrection of Lazarus.
He said,
So from that day on,
they made plans to put him to death.
But all throughout the life and ministry of Jesus,
God himself was putting his hand of preservation over his son.
We see numerous times where Jesus is able to escape.
Matthew chapter 2, verse 13,

Matthew 2:13
as we went through in our Advent messages,
where King Herod sent to Bethlehem
to exterminate the children ages 2 and under.
And a vision came to Joseph.
Get out of here and go to Egypt.
And God preserved his son.
In Luke chapter 4,

Luke 4 chapter mention
the beginning of Jesus' public ministry,
at first all the people marveled at his gracious words,
and then things turned.
And they hated him,
and they drove him out of the city,
and they would have pushed him off the cliff.
But somehow,
Jesus is able to make his way through the crowd.
He kind of evaporates before their very eyes,
and he's,
poof, he's gone.
In John chapter 7, verse 1,

John 7:1
Jesus is going to go up to Galilee,
but he would not go about in Judea
because the Jews were seeking to kill him.
And on several occasions,
both in John 7,
and in John 8,
and in John 10,
they pick up stones to throw at him,
but somehow Jesus escapes
and evades their plans.
The plan of God.
Jesus would die,
but not on this day.
And as Peter will say in his sermon in Acts chapter 10,

Acts 10 chapter mention
it was so that the definite plan of God might be fulfilled for Christ,
that he would die in the right way,
and he would die at the right time.
He would die according to God's definite plan
from before the foundation of the world.
Later in this week,
Jesus will also have another scene
where his heart is expressed for Jerusalem.
In Matthew chapter 23, verse 37,

Matthew 23:37
Jesus will say,
Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
the city that kills the prophets
and stones those who are sent to it,
how often would I have gathered
your children together
as hens gathers her brood under her wings,
and yet you were not willing.
You were not willing.
I wonder this morning how many of you,
the invitation has been extended,
but you're not willing.
The time of visitation has come.
The gospel is clear.
God welcomes you into relationship.
He invites you to enjoy peace.
He wants you to participate
in all that he has offered
through his son, Jesus Christ.
But my...
I wonder this morning,
are you willing?
Are you willing?
And for those of you who have been willing,
who have entered in
and enjoyed the benefits
of the peace that's been extended to you by Jesus,
you've come to him in faith.
And the invitation for you to experience
this ongoing peace,
this visitation of God,
is there day by day by day,
as we have in our hands
the very word of God,
and we can enter in
and enjoy that visitation,
that relationship with God.
But how many of us,
how many of us are unwilling?
We're unwilling because
of the things that are
dominating our attention,
the distractions of life,
the burdens we carry,
and so we're unwilling.
And I wonder this morning,
I wonder this morning
if our heart truly breaks
for those around us
who do not know Jesus.
Do you have a weeping heart?
This is something that God's got to help me with,
a weeping heart.
I find myself,
my posture is often,
well,
I guess they got what they deserved.
You find yourself saying that?
Instead, like our Savior,
we need to pray that God will help us
to weep.
To weep real,
heartfelt tears
for those who do not know him.
And that it compels,
the compassion of God,
like it compelled our Savior,
compels us as well.
And so nothing can get in our way
because we're driven
by the compassion of Christ
to extend ourselves
and to share the truth of God's word,
the gospel with those around us.
And what's fascinating to me
is when we really ask God
to do this for us,
when we really ask God
to give us opportunities,
you know what?
God delights in giving opportunities.
Quick story,
and I'll close.
When I was in seminary,
this is going back several years now,
I was in an evangelism class,
and part of the class,
part of the requirements for the class
was that we had to share the gospel
with a person a week.
And I'm thinking to myself,
how in the world
am I going to be able to share the gospel
with one person every week?
I'm like,
this is not going to happen.
And so I prayed,
God,
I got to fulfill this requirement.
I don't know how it's going to happen.
And wouldn't you know,
God loved answering that prayer.
And it happened in the most extraordinary ways.
He wants to do that.
He wants to use you
and your broken heart
for people who are lost.
You see their lostness,
and you want them not
to experience the consequences,
and your heart is driven by compassion
and the gospel
and visitation,
the visitation of God
that comes through the gospel.
And you're compelled
through compassion to share.
May God help us to grow
in compassion.
O Lord,
thank you for our Savior,
the true epic model
of biblical masculinity
and femininity,
as it were.
This heart of faith
and this heart of compassion.
God, work that into our own lives.
May we mimic our Savior,
imitate him in this way.
I pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
God bless you.
Have a great week.
God bless you.