Reflections on "Jesus Is the One Who Cries over Us" Luke 19: 28-48

I had fun preaching this sermon.  I find great power in Christ who cries for us.  I felt a little hypocritical preaching this sermon about crying since I don't cry that often.  maybe I should take Jim Valvano's advice (see conclusion).  I had a sermon illustration to spare from "The Holiday."  The Cameron Diaz character does not cry form the time here in her childhood when he dad walks out on the family until the dramatic scene at the end of the movie. 

“Jesus Is the One who Cries over Us” 3/24/13; FPC, Troy Luke 19: 41-48; Jesus Is the One Who... preaching series

Introduction: “The cattle are lowing, The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus, No crying He makes”

Well, he's crying now.

As he looks over Jerusalem.

Jesus has already ridden triumphantly ridden into Jerusalem with crowds lining the streets to wave their palm branches.

They have shouted the truth about Jesus: “Hosanna, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” A truth that Jesus said the stones would shout out if the people were silent.

If the story would stop at this moment, with echoes of “Hosanna, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” in the air, the story would finish with the crowds getting it right – Jesus, the Messiah, has indeed arrived.

Or so it seems.

Because in the next instance Jesus weeps over Jerusalem

Jesus weeps of what is comings.

He sheds tears over Jerusalem's inability to recognize that God is visiting in their midst.

And so the joy and celebration of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem is paired with Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.

Move 1: Why does Jesus cry?

a. Imagine Jesus at his vantage point overlooking Jerusalem – seeing the Temple; remembering the history of what has happened to God's people in that place. Why does that make him cry?

b. Why do you cry?

1. When we are sad. Is Jesus sad?

2. when we are hurt? Is Jesus hurt?

3. When we are angry? Was Jesus angry?

4. When we are overwhelmed? Was Jesus overwhelmed?

5. Sometimes we shed tears of joy. Was Jesus somehow grateful at the view of Jerusalem?

b. The text does not tell us, but perhaps like most humans and their emotions, it's complicated.

1. anger – Perhaps Jesus is mad at the way God's people have perverted God's Word and God's ways? Frustrated that he cannot get the people to really understand. He has already overturned to the tables in the temple; now he weeps tears tinged with anger.

2. Overwhelmed at what he saw and what he was about to face.

3. Sadness. Jesus also wept when he arrived at Lazarus' tomb. He knew that in a few moments he would bring Lazarus back to life, but in that moment of grief, he weeps over the death of his friend.

4. Perhaps he grieves over what he knows is about to happen.

5. He grieves over how they will return to their sin and fear of Jesus and betray him.

6. He grieves over those in the crowds who will go from shouting “Hosanna” to shouting “Crucify him, crucify him”

7. Jesus has many reasons to weep as he gazes out over Jerusalem.

Move 2: His tears characterize what he was about.

a. Judgment

1. Jesus announces by words and deeds that Jerusalem will be destroyed.

2. he sounds like a prophet from the Old Testament./

3. Judgment will befall God's people.

b. But coupled with the judgment comes compassion and concern.

1. the one who judges us, weeps for us.

2. The tears a reminder that God's greatest desire for the world does not end with judgment but continues to repentance and redemption

3. If you want an image of Christ that speaks to the truth of who he is, imagine him crying for you.

Those tears remind us of who Jesus is and why he lived among us.

Move 3: Finally, when we see Jesus cry, it frees us to cry

a. Yaconelli quotes Keith Miller: “ Our churches are filled with people who outwardly look contented and at peace, but inwardly are crying out for someone to love them….just as they are – confused, frustrated, often frightened, guilty and often unable to communicate even within their own families. But the other people in the church look so happy and contented that one seldom has the courage to admit his own deep needs before such as self-sufficient groups as the average church meeting appears to be.” Michael Yaconelli, Messy Spirituality, 21

1. but Jesus invites us to be real and authentic.

2. To join with him and with others who experience both the pain of our brokenness and the joy of God's healing and hope.

3. To see Jesus cry reminds us that Christ joins us in the depths of our humanity – no matter where that takes us.

4. And it invites us to claim our brokenness and to seek God's healing.

b. It's more than just the facts.

1. We can memorize and learn lots of facts about Jesus and faith statement about who we believe he is.

2. There is value in that – confirmation class may wonder, but there is.

3. But ultimately faith is Christ is giving ourselves over to the one whom we meet as the Son of God, who lives among us, who cries with us and over us, who calls us to a new way of life.

4. Facts cannot prove it – but Christ's love can.

Conclusion: If I say the word bracket or March Madness, many of you will immediately begin thinking about the NCAA basketball tournament.

2. Bracket busters.

3. Perhaps the ultimate bracket buster was the 1983 NC State team coached by coached by Jim Valvano. They had to win their conference tournament to make the NCAA tournament, and then they kept coming from behind, game after game, including defeating the #1 team in the nation on a last second basket.

Not quite a decade later, Valvano was diagnosed with cancer. At the Espy awards in 1993, just a short while before he died, Valvano was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. He was very sick. He could barely make it to the podium for his acceptance speech, but then he seemed to come to life as he gave his speech.

As part of that speech, he tells the crowd the three things everyone should do everyday: laugh, think (do something to work your mind), and find something that moves you to tears.

Jesus has found something that moves him to tears. Us. And he invites us to follow him.