Luke 19:41-44 ⁴¹And as he drew near, when he saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴²saying, “If you knew in these days, you might have peace. But now, it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³For the days will come upon you and your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another stone in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” 

The next passage contrasts sharply with the joy and praise as Jesus entered Jerusalem in the previous passage. The criticism of the Pharisees in verse 40 provides background to Jesus’ sorrowful response to seeing Jerusalem. This passage is found only in Luke. It highlights and prepares for the rejection Jesus would face in the city in the coming days. It gives a powerful warning about the judgment that awaits those who reject Jesus and the call to discipleship.

The people of Jerusalem were blind to the answer they needed. The Prince of Peace had arrived, but they could not see him, nor would they accept him. Jesus knew the type of reception he would receive and wept over it. Only here and John 11:35 mentions Jesus weeping, and he always cried for others and not himself. The opening condition is open-ended and incomplete: if you knew. What they were to know is not stated, but the implied message from the previous parable and the rejoicing at his entrance to the city is that they would not recognize him as their Messiah. He brought salvation and the kingdom, but they would refuse that because they wanted power their own way. To accept the King requires humility and repentance, and they were not willing to do either.

The second part of Jesus’ response in verse 42 is also incomplete. Why is peace hidden from the people? Based on the context of Luke’s Gospel, the peace Jesus brought was hidden because of the people’s own lack of faith. To those willing to listen to Jesus and come in humble faith, the gospel of peace is evident. God speaks truth into the hearts of those willing to receive it. But a closed heart cannot receive the hope God offers.

Jesus then gives a prophecy in verses 43-44 of difficult times ahead. The reference is most likely to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70. The Romans barricaded Jerusalem, built a palisade, and laid siege to the city. They broke through the walls and totally destroyed the temple structure. Their demolition was fairly complete, with evidence visible even to this day. Historically, the Romans responded to the rebellion of the Jews, which they viewed as an insurrection that needed to be stopped. Josephus describes the destruction in Wars 7.1.1. and 7.8.7. Theologically and biblically, Jesus attributed the destruction to judgment upon the city for rejecting him. As Bible history shows, God can bring judgment upon a city or nation through another nation. God brought judgment upon Jerusalem and Israel for rejecting Jesus as their Messiah.

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