Sermon for Sunday April 4, 2004

Why Did The Cheering Stop by David Taylor

Luke 19:29-44

Gene A. Smith, an American historian, authored a book entitled, “When The Cheering Stopped.” The book told of Woodrow Wilson, and the events surrounding WW1. Upon the end of the war, people were optimistic. They believed that the last war had been fought. The dream was that the world had at last been made safe, and the way had been paved for democracy and freedom everywhere.

When Woodrow Wilson paid his first visit to Europe, he was greeted by large crowds, and he was cheered every place he went. In many people’s eyes he was more popular than the greatest war heroes throughout the land. He was viewed as an icon of hope.

In all, the cheering lasted for about a year. Then it began to stop. The political leaders throughout Europe were interested more in their own agendas than a lasting peace, and the people slowly lost hope. On the home front, Wilson met opposition in the Senate, and his league of nations was never ratified. Under tremendous stress, his health began to fail. In the next election, his party lost. Woodrow Wilson, who almost two years earlier was heralded as a hero, came to his last days as a broken and defeated man.

History is filled with examples of people who started out humbly, rose to great popularity, and came to the end of their life in utter humiliation.

In our text today, we see such an example. Jesus, the son of a carpenter, educated in Nazareth, one who gained favor with men, one who was cheered and praised, would soon be mocked, scorned, and cast aside by the same ones who did the cheering.

On that Palm Sunday as Jesus approached Jerusalem, there were several things that He was aware of. He knew the conditions surrounding the people, and He knew the condition of the people’s heart.

The Jews found themselves under heavy Roman oppression. There were heavy taxes, restrictions, numerous executions by means of crucifixion, and Jesus knew all about those things. But He knew their heart.

The Jews were in search of someone. They desired a king, a conqueror, someone to set them free. They had seen the mighty works of this man Jesus. They were witness to Him restoring sight to the blind. They saw the evidence of Him healing the lame. They saw Him feed the multitude with a little boy’s lunch, and had leftovers to spare. They heard about Him raising Lazarus from the dead. They listened to Him teach with authority. Surely, with power and authority like that, Jesus was without a doubt the one who would set them free. So, Jesus came to Jerusalem, and the crowds began to cheer.

The timing was right. It was approaching the Passover feast. That was symbolic of the event where the death angel passed over Egypt, and Pharaoh let God’s children go. And now, just maybe now, Jesus would somehow lead them from the restraints and cruel treatment they received from the Roman government.

Jesus knew their heart. He knew their desires.

The Roman soldiers knew something as well. These soldiers knew that it was Passover. They realized that it was traditionally a time that brought about skirmishes and violent reactions. They had not forgotten that several years earlier, Theodus of Jordan had ridden into Jerusalem with a similar greeting. They remembered how he promised to do the miracles of Elijah, and how he led a fairly large revolt. The soldiers remembered how that Theodus, along with over 400 of his followers was slain, and the head of Theodus was hung on the garrison wall. They knew Passover could bring trouble, and so they were ready.

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the crowds waved palm branches, a long-standing symbol of Jewish nationalism. They shouted, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” Cheering, praising, exalting…but then something happened. The cheering stopped.

Jesus didn’t gather any troops. He didn’t lead a revolt. He didn’t do what they expected. Instead, He drove the moneychangers out of the temple. He paid tribute to Caesar. He taught that giving out of poverty is worth more than giving out of abundance. He taught that in order to be great, you must be a servant. Jesus did everything the people didn’t want, and so the cheering stopped.

It’s amazing that when things go our way, when God does what we want, when Jesus rises to our cause; it’s easy to cheer. But what about when He doesn’t do these things? What happens when you face oppression? What happens when you experience troubles? Too often, the cheering comes to a stop. Words of adoration and praise quickly fade when you face life as it really is.

Sometimes God does give us what we want, but you better believe; He always gives us what we need. It’s just that sometimes we experience a little problem. Often our wants and desires blur our vision to our real needs. The same thing happened to the crowds that lined the Streets to cheer Jesus. There were some things that they didn’t see, but Jesus did. Look again at verses 41-44.

“And when He was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, “If thou hadst even known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee; that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”

I would like to give to you three things from these verses concerning what Jesus observed. Before I give them to you, it is important to realize that our culture may not be the same, the times are not the same historically, but the application of these things to us in today’s time is of utmost importance. Look with me if you will at these things as we answer the Question, “Why did the cheering stop?”

Why did the cheering stop? First it was because they did not recognize His purpose. Notice with me first at the end of verse 44, “because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” The word visitation could have one of two possible meanings, as we would consider it in the English language. Jesus could mean to visit someone in the sense of bringing judgment, but that doesn’t fit the context. It could mean someone visiting to bring relief or deliverance. That would seem to fit.

The word translated as visitation in our text is the Greek word episkeptomai (epis-kept-o-ma-ee). It literally means “to relieve.” It is in fact, the same word used in Matthew 25:36, where Jesus said, “sick and ye visited me.” And can you see the irony? Here is a group of people desiring relief and salvation from oppression, and failing to see their opportunity for true relief.

Look at that phrase again. Jesus is not implying that they didn’t know His purpose. These people were looking for the kingdom of God and Jesus had already told them that the kingdom is already in their presence, Luke 17:20-21. They were aware of His claims to be the Son of God. They were witness to His miracle working power. Jesus even told them once that they could look at the sky to discern the weather, but they could not discern the time in which they were living. But, there is a reason that they could not see His purpose. They could not see Jesus’ purpose because they had their eyes on their immediate circumstances instead of their current condition.

We are the same way today. When you experience trials or certain hardships, and you suffer through various difficulties, and you get your eyes on your circumstances; when your focus is on everything around you that is wrong, then something happens. Your prayer starts to change. Your prayer shifts from one place to another, and it becomes, “Lord, deliver me, help me, fight for me, uplift me,” instead of, “Lord, mold me, use me, grow me through these things, change me, and get glory for yourself.” Too often the desire is for God to change the circumstances, instead of God changing the person in those circumstances. And sadly, it has an effect. In time the cheering stops. You loose sight of Him and His purpose, and you diminish in your worship of Him. You go through the motions of service, and praise Him for what you want Him to do, instead of praising Him for who He is.

The people desired deliverance from oppression. Jesus came to deliver them from the bigger problem of sin. In their desire to escape their immediate circumstances to have their brand of peace, they missed the fact that they walked in the very presence of the Prince of Peace. Don’t let that be what causes your cheering for Him to stop. Don’t loose sight of the fact that through any circumstance, you are in the presence of the Prince of Peace. John 16: 33 “These things have I spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” It’s hard to get peace from the world when it is clear that it is full of tribulation. With Jesus, you can have peace, even in the middle of tribulation.

Not only did they refuse to recognize His purpose, but also they refused to accept His terms. Notice with me in verse 42, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace.” Jesus said, “If you had known the things which make for peace.” If you were to look at the word know, you need to realize that it is not used in the sense of being aware of something, or to have knowledge of something. It is used in a different sense. It’s use is one that is common in Scriptures such as Matthew 7:23 when Jesus said, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” Certainly He knows everything there is to know about you. What is meant in that passage is that He never approved of you. It literally means, “Even though I know you, and am aware of every little detail about you, you must depart from me because I do not approve of you.” And this is the same way it is used in our text in verse 42.

Jesus’ terms were clearly spelled out. In Luke 14 you would see that they involved a cross, “Take up your cross and follow Him.” The terms involved careful consideration, “Count the cost.” The terms involved submission. As two kings prepared for battle, the weaker would send an ambassador to request the terms of peace from the stronger army. It was then up to the weaker king to submit to those terms if he desired peace.

The people in Jerusalem desired peace, but wanted it to come through conflict. Jesus was offering them peace in conflict. And Jesus said of Jerusalem in Luke 13:34, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!” And the city of Jerusalem, who’s name means founded peaceful, refused Jesus’ terms. Why? It was because they wanted to set the terms of peace.

How often do we as Christians do the same thing? We want peace, and we want blessings, but at the same time, we want to do things our way in order to get them. In essence, the attitude is, “God, I want peace and blessings, and I’m going to do this, and that, and the other, because that’s how I want to handle it. And Lord, your job it to just bless me in my actions.

How about the one who has not accepted Christ as their savior? There are many who want to set the terms themselves. “Oh, I’m going to get to Heaven one day, but I’ll get there on my own terms.” Listen, Jesus was clear when He said, ‘I am the way, and no man comes to the Father but by Him.” But, time and time again you have refused His terms. There is a way that seems right to man, but the end of it is destruction. Why? It is because you refuse to accept His terms. Jesus is the only way; the only provision for salvation has already been made. The blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary is the only means whereby you can be forgiven of sin, and it is the righteousness of Christ that must be applied to you if you desire to be in Heaven for eternity.

They did not recognize His purpose. They refused to accept His terms, and notice thirdly, they did not realize that it would bring judgment. Notice in verses 42-44, “but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave one stone upon another.”

Jesus describes the future judgment of Jerusalem in this passage. They had been warned, they knew the terms, they knew who Jesus was, but they refused to accept these things, and so it brought judgment.

In 70A.D, a Roman general named Titus, set siege against Jerusalem because they did finally revolt. The people did it their way. They went according to their purpose, they acted upon their terms, and it brought about judgment.

According to the historian, Josephus, over one million Jews were killed. He recorded that the blood flowed down the steps leading up to the temple, just like water. The temple was destroyed.

Things happened just as Jesus said they would. It was because they would not recognize His purpose, they refused to accept His terms, so, they were judged. It was God who said, “you are done.” Look at the end of verse 42, “but now they are hid from thine eyes.” They knew His claim, they knew His terms, but they would have no more opportunity to accept them. They wanted it to be their way, and so the cheering stopped with one more silencing blow…judgment.

How does that apply to us? You cannot approach God on your own terms; you must come through Jesus. You cannot come to Him in your own time; No man comes to Me unless the Father draw them. When you come to Him you must accept His claims; Jesus is the Son of God, the sacrifice for sin, the Lord and Savior. If you refuse these things, you may nail the coffin of your opportunity shut, and all that will be left for you to hear is, “it’s too late.” Your cheering will stop lost friend. All that will be left for you is destruction in a place called Hell. It is a place of eternal judgment. There is a “too late” in dealing with God.

Listen Christian friend. Maybe your desires have been self-centered instead of God-centered. You are saved, but perhaps you have never accepted His terms of service to Him, and you have been doing things on your own, and in your own strength. Shouldn’t you accept what He would have you do, and serve how He would have you serve?