But look again. He comes to mount Olivet. He is under the shadow of
the cross. The city bursts upon Him. Yonder is the Temple; He sees it
in all its grandeur and glory. The people are shouting, Hosanna to the
Son of David! They are breaking off the palm branches, and taking off
their garments, and spreading them before Him, still shouting, Hosanna
to the Son of David! and bowing down before Him. But He forgets it
all. Yes, even Calvary with all its sorrow He forgets. Gethsemane lay
there at the foot of the hill; He forgot it too. As He looked upon the
city which He loved, the great heart of the Son of God was moved with
compassion, and He cried aloud, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that
killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how
often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen
gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"
My friends, look at Him there weeping over Jerusalem. What a wonderful
city it might have been. How exalted to heaven it was. Oh, if they had
only known the day of their visitation, and had received instead of
rejected their king, what a blessing He would have been to them! Oh,
poor backslider, behold the Lamb of God weeping over you, and crying
to you to come to Him, and receive shelter and refuge from the storm
which has yet to sweep over this earth!