"If you had known”

"If you had known”

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is called that because it was on the Sunday before Easter that people celebrated the entry of Christ into Jerusalem. They met Him with shouts of joy, and with the waving of palm branches, hence the name, Palm Sunday. This morning, we will look at he events and teaching of that day.

"If you had known!” (Luke 19:41-42 NKJV) Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, {42} saying, "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.

“Hidden from your eyes.” (Rom 11:7-8 NKJV) What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. {8} Just as it is written: "God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day."

"If you had known!” (Luke 19:43-44 NKJV) "For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, {44} "and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

The time of your visitation." The time of thy visitation - That is, the time of God’s gracious offers of mercy to thee. This took in all the time which elapsed from the preaching of John the Baptist to the coming of the Roman armies, which included a period of above forty years. -- Adam Clarke.

Jesus warned them!

Flee (for your life) – it’s urgent! (Mark 13:14-16 NKJV) "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. {15} "Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. {16} "And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

Those who listened Escaped We are told that the Romans surrounded Jerusalem, and then retreated for no known reason. The ones who believed Christ’s warning fled. Others taunted the Romans who later returned, and the results were too horrible to describe.

What led up to these warnings?

The entry began with Jesus Instructions (Luke 19:29-31 NKJV) And it came to pass, when He came near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, {30} saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. {31} "And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.'"

It was a donkey (Mat 21:2 NKJV) saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.

“Your King is coming. . . Lowly and riding on a donkey,” (Zec 9:9 NKJV) "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.

Jesus is seated on the colt. (Luke 19:32-35 NKJV) So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. {33} But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?" {34} And they said, "The Lord has need of him." {35} Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.

The entry begins (Mark 11:8-10 NKJV) And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. {9} Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' {10} Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

Meaning of Hosanna Hebrew הושיעה נא Hoshiah Na! Save now! or, Save, we beseech thee! - redress our grievances, and give us help from oppression! Thus both the words and actions of the people prove that they acknowledged Christ as their king, and looked to him for deliverance.

“Palm Sunday” (John 12:12-13 NKJV) The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, {13} took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!"

The entry and praise continue (Luke 19:36-38 NKJV) {36} And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. {37} Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, {38} saying: " 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Albert Barnes – Customs of the day. Others showed the same respect by throwing their garments before him; others by cutting down branches of trees and casting them in the way. This was the way in which conquerors and princes were often honored. To cast flowers, or garlands, or evergreens before a warrior returning from victory, or a king entering into his kingdom, was a common way of testifying joyful and triumphant feeling.

Albert Barnes – Customs of the day. Thus Josephus says that Alexander and Agrippa were received at Jerusalem. So in our own land some of the most acceptable tokens of rejoicing ever bestowed upon Washington were garlands of roses scattered in his path by children. So the path of Lafayette was often strewed with flowers, as a mark of respect and of a nation’s gratitude.

The Leaders Respond (Luke 19:39 NKJV) And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." (Luke 19:39 KJV) And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

What leaders? What a paradox! Why do you correct your Master? (Luke 19:39 KJV) And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. What a paradox! Why do you correct your Master?

It was their moment, but they missed it!

"If you had known!” (Luke 19:41-42 NKJV) Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, {42} saying, "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.

If you had only known! (Luke 19:43-44 NKJV) "For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, {44} "and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

A Choice that made all the difference

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem (Mat 23:37-38 NKJV) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! {38} "See! Your house is left to you desolate;

Our Day of Visitation (Which way?) (Mat 25:1-13 NKJV) "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. {2} "Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. {3} "Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, {4} "but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. {5} "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

Our Day of Visitation (Mat 25:1-13 NKJV) {6} "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' {7} "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. {8} "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' {9} "But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

Our Day of Visitation (Mat 25:1-13 NKJV) {10} "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. {11} "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' {12} "But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' {13} "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

(Mat 24:27 NKJV) "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.