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Day 242

Luke 19 : 28-48 "ESPECIALLY IN THIS YOUR DAY..."

Day 242 – Luke 19

Text: Luke 19 : 28-48

“ESPECIALLY IN THIS YOUR DAY…” Luke 19:42

Let us take an even closer look at the lament of Jesus as He wept over Jerusalem. Each phrase gives us a clue as to why He predicted that Jerusalem would be destroyed.

“If you had known, even you,
especially in this your day,
the things that make for your peace!
But now they are hidden from your eyes.”
Luke 19:42

Jesus lamented over Jerusalem’s spiritual ignorance! So many portions of prophetic Scripture were preached and written about the coming of their Messiah. Prophet after prophet prophesied the glorious Day of the Messiah. His coming should have been a special day of rejoicing but His Presence in Israel was not appreciated much.

If only Israel had known, if only Jerusalem had known, “especially in this your day”, but the nation remained in ignorance and did not know how to appreciate her Messiah!

Micah was one of the prophets that preached about the coming of the Messiah. He used the phrase “in that day” to point out the special significance of the Messiah coming to Israel. Thus with great joy and hope, he wrote about the Birthplace of the Messiah.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler of Judah
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.”
Micah 5:2

Micah went on to speak about this Messiah who would tend to the flock of Israel. He wrote,

“And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the Name of the Lord His God…”
Micah 5:4

“In this your day…” was meant to have been the happiest and the most glorious moment in the history of Israel. Another passage from Micah comes to mind,

“As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
I will show them wonders.”
Micah 7:15

When Jesus appeared in Israel preaching and teaching about the Kingdom of God, that was meant to be Israel’s special day. He had shown Israel wonders, as glorious as in the day when God led the nation out of Egypt!

“BUT NOW THEY ARE HIDDEN FROM YOUR EYES…” Luke 19:42

Jesus had entered into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey to fulfil another prophecy. Zechariah the prophet wrote,

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation;
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Zechariah 9:9

The joyous shouts of praise that the crowds at Jerusalem gave to Jesus as He rode in quietly were appropriate. However they were too short-lived! They were not meant to be just words of praise to be given for the moment. The joy that God had planned for them was meant to last forever.

The coming of the Messiah was just the beginning of blessings that God had intended to pour out upon His people. The Messiah would come as their King. He would rule over the people. He would bring salvation to His people. Jesus was of course fully aware of many other prophetic literature written concerning His Messianic ministry among His people. Sadly, He recognized that “they were hidden from their eyes”.

Their “recognition” that He had come in the Name of the Lord was “too little, too late”. Even though songs of praise were sung, the fact was that the multitude did not really know Jesus! (This truth was borne out in that the multitudes also demanded His death shortly. The mind of the masses was shallow and unstable, to say the least).

Jesus saw through the veneer of praise. He looked at the Pharisees. He looked at the crowds. He must also have looked at His true Disciples. They were but a handful. He sighed and wept over Jerusalem.

All that God had planned to bless Israel with, if only they had recognized the Messiah Jesus… that would not happen now! How sadly Jesus must have said those fateful words, “But now they are hidden from your eyes… because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:42, 44).

OUR HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY

Did Jesus fail in His life and ministry? God forbid that conclusion! He did not fail! He faithfully fulfilled all that was required of Him!

Israel had failed herself. She had failed to exercise responsibility to check out the Scriptures concerning the Coming of the Messiah. She had failed to recognize her special day. The fate pronounced on her was something she could not blame anybody for!

What about us? Have we failed to recognize who Jesus really is, and what His place is in our life? Have we missed out on God’s intended blessings?