Daughter of My People: Jesus' Jerusalem destroyed

Chapter Four

Area around and in Jerusalem

A.D. 31

Paraded through the good fields on this lovely spring day. The Celebrity is riding on a donkey, in fulfillment of a prophecy given by prophet Zechariah a few centuries ago[1], that the true King of the Jews would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. So many people have palm branches, waving them with jubilee, praising their Messiah.

Jesus has never permitted any of this to happen to him before, so now that he let the people praise him, the people have hope that they are leading the Nazarene to be their King.

But the religious leaders aren't at all happy about this. These hypocrites are determined to oppose the Carpenter from Nazareth for stealing away the people and popularity. They're determined that the humble Savior must die.

Jesus of Nazareth is fully aware of this, and he knows how this would end for him. As he had the donkey pause, he could see from the Mount of Olives the eastern side of Jerusalem. He could see the Temple of Alaha, glorious. He could see the Fortress of Antonia by it. He could see a hill with some wooden stakes upright, not far from the city walls.

He takes the whole scene in. He knows what would happen to himself, and the destiny of this beautiful city before him. He had preached that he is the Messiah for a few years, and yet some people are stubborn, not believing in him because he didn't fulfill their standards. The Jews hope that the Romans will be driven out of their beloved land by the Messiah, who would reign as King. But Jesus isn't interested in any of that, which is why many had deserted him. Some, however, would remain with who they believed is Alaha's son.

What makes this more difficult for people to accept Jesus is that riding on a donkey refers to peace, and Jesus is peaceful, not violent. But many don't see this, and still cheer Jesus riding on the humble animal. Jesus is showing that he is that "prince of peace" spoken of by the prophet Isaiah.

But Jesus' own people have rejected him. And he is sent from Alaha to show sin will go to nothing. The priests plot his death. This will end badly.

While still looking upon the city that could have stood forever that they heeded his warnings, Jesus starts to cry. How could they persist in sin? Don't they know sin separates the soul from a holy and just God? Now he weeps audibly over Jerusalem. "If you, even you, had known even today what things would bring you peace!" he says with a raised hand, waving it over the capital.

A pause. Jesus desires to save the city. He doesn't want it destroyed. Yet they insist on sin, and God must judge them if they murder his son; Jesus knows it'll happen. With grief and a heavy heart, Jesus laments, "But now they are hidden from your eyes." Jesus makes a prophecy: "The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you and surround you, and press you in on every side. They will dash you, and your children within you, to the ground. They will not leave one stone upon another within you, because you did not know the time of your visitation."[2]

But Jesus must now fulfill the Scriptures. So he, Alaha's Messiah, rides into the city of Jerusalem, still cheered by the crowd, believing Jesus to be their Savior. Jesus would enter into the Golden Gate, the eastern gate of Herod's Temple. To enter from here would mean to enter the Temple. But Jesus won't stay for long here. Soon he would head back for Bethany, since it is already late.

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Two days. It has been two days since the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. And the leaders of the Jews weren't happy. Much less that yesterday Jesus drove out their sellers and moneychangers from the Temple court a second time, tipping over tables and releasing animals that would be sacrificed. And Jesus was saying that they turned Alaha's house of prayer into a hideout for thieves and cheaters.