“O Jerusalem!”
(Matthew 23:37-24:8)
Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
August 23, 2020
The Passage
Matthew 23:37-24:8
23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 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. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’!”
24:1 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings. 2 He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.”
3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus replied to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of labor pains.
Introductory Comments:
We’re continuing our series in the Gospel of Matthew called, “God’s Fulfilled Promise.” The last time we were in Matthew we covered a marathon 36 verses and we saw Jesus’ tone shift towards the religious leaders.
In today’s passage, we’ll see Jesus’ tone shift again to a more somber tone. He’s going to open our eyes to two outcomes of sin in our world: sorrow and judgment.
Before we get into this passage, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us.
(prayer)
When you lead an organization, team, classroom, or family you sometimes experience this situation where you want the organization to experience joy, fun, and positivity but you know that you have to deal with something that is more serious, somber, and perhaps negative because of something the organization has gone through. Perhaps you want to give your classroom a fun break but you can’t because they’re behind on their work due to their goofing off. Perhaps you want to take your kids to go get ice cream, but you don’t want to reinforce their bad behavior. Perhaps you want to buy new cars for your church members but they didn’t read their Bible enough this week.
In any case, there are times when you have to face the difficult outcomes that result from that which has transpired. Well, this is one of those times for Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.
In Matthew 23:37-24:8, we’re going to see Jesus speak about three specific realities concerning the presence of sin among the people of Israel and the realities are certainly present in our world as well.
First, . . .
I. Jesus spoke of sorrow (23:37-39) [on screen]
Look at Matthew 23:37-39.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 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. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’!”
We see from Jesus that there is sorrow that results from sin. Jesus is burdened towards the people of Israel because of their sin and the consequences it will bring in their lives.
As Jesus speaks of this, He centers in on the city of Jerusalem which was the heart of the people of Israel.
Jesus had just finished addressing the scribes and Pharisees in terms of their persecution of God’s chosen messengers. Now, He emphasizes again that Jerusalem is the home-base of those who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to her.
We must ask ourselves, “Why is God sending His messengers to Jerusalem?”
Well, God is sending messengers to His people because He cares for them and He wants to see them come to repentance and faithfulness.
Jesus even illustrates His personal desires for the people of Jerusalem to come to Him. Jesus said in verse 37, “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings . . .”
My family used to have chickens when I was a kid and I learned a few things about them. Among other things, I learned that they will eat anything, they are really mean, and they will protect their chicks. Here’s a picture of a mother hen protecting her chicks under her wings. [show picture on screen]
You can start to get a glimpse of the heart of Jesus towards His people. He wants to protect them. He wants to show them love. He wants to be their Messiah. He wants them to come to Him.
However, we hear these sorrowful words concerning the people’s attitude towards Jesus’ compassion: “but you were not willing!” Unlike those baby chicks that run to their mother for protection and sustainment, the people would not come to Jesus. They rejected Jesus’ love. They rejected Jesus’ protection. They rejected Jesus’ Messiahship.
Then, we see the result of their rejection of Jesus. Verse 38 says, “See, your house is left to you desolate.” This phrase from Jesus could refer to several different outcomes including the seat of rule or monarchy for Israel, the city of Jerusalem itself, and probably more than anything else, the temple in Israel. In fact, we’ll see that Jesus will speak specifically about the temple complex in just a moment.
However, for now, we see Jesus’ sorrow over their rejection of Him. He’s making it clear, that enough is enough. Indeed, He says in verse 39 that they will not see Him again until they say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Now, this verse may sound familiar to some of you because you may remember that the people spoke this way of Jesus at His triumphal entry in Matthew 21.
Well, we get this idea that they will once again be receiving Jesus with joy, but we won’t see this in the book of Matthew. This is surely referring to the time when Jesus will return in glory at His second coming.
Obviously, the people will see Jesus again at His crucifixion. But they will not view Him as Messiah then, they will look on Him as condemned criminal. Here, however, Jesus prophesies a time that they will see and receive Him as the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
For now, Jesus is sorrowful towards them because they will not receive His love and His rescue.
First, Jesus spoke of sorrow.
Second, . . .
II. Jesus spoke of judgment (24:1-2) [on screen]
Let’s look at chapter 24, verses 1-2.
1 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings. 2 He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.”
After delivering these sorrowful words to those listening, Jesus walked out of the temple complex with His disciples. The temple complex was quite impressive and for some reason, His disciples called His attention to it.
I can tell you from personal experience that this area is impressive, and it used to be even more impressive.
In fact, here’s a picture of a wall at the temple complex from our trip to Israel earlier this year. [show picture on screen] Look at how huge some of those stones are!
These stones were massive. This temple was built by Herod the Great, and he really liked to build impressive things to show how impressive he was. So, Herod did it right.
The temple was one of the most impressive structures in the ancient world, marveled at by many for its impressive stature. Many of the Jewish people probably thought that it was virtually indestructible.
Yet, Jesus speaks these weighty words in verse 2 of chapter 24, “Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.”
These very stones that surrounded Jesus and the disciples as He spoke would be destroyed. Obviously, Jesus was speaking of destruction using hyperbole (extreme exaggeration). He meant that the temple and its complex would be destroyed and indeed it was. In A.D. 70 the Roman army, under emperor Titus, would destroy the city of Jerusalem and its temple. The temple itself still does not stand to this day.
We must catch this church: when the people of God rejected the Son of God, the temple of God lost the presence of God.
(repeat)
The worst part of the judgment was not that they lost the temple building, but that they lost the presence of God. They lost their access to God through their Messiah.
Again, Jesus said in verse 38 that their house would be desolate. The word used for desolate means “abandoned.” Indeed, they would be abandoned by the presence of God and by their Messiah. Their rejection of God would lead to judgment from God.
We must understand, church, that there is judgment for sin. Jesus spoke of judgment.
Finally, . . .
III. Jesus spoke of signs (24:3-8) [on screen]
As we get into this last little section of today’s passage Jesus is opening a section where He will predict many different things. To be clear, we don’t know all the details of exactly what Jesus is predicting. The details are for God to know, not for us to know. However, we should pay attention to learn what Jesus does want us to know.
So, we must notice here that Jesus spoke of signs.
Look at verses 3-8 of chapter 24.
3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus replied to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of labor pains.
The disciples asked a few different questions of Jesus here: they asked Him when will these things happen (presumably the destruction of the temple), what is the sign of Jesus’ coming, and what is the sign of the end of the age?
Well, to be sure, there’s a lot to unpack from these questions. Further, Jesus answers these questions in a fluid fashion. He’ll address this some in this passage and more in the passages that follow.
Some pastors and scholars debate whether Jesus is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, His second coming, or the end of the age of the earth as we know it. I think it’s a little bit of all three. So, let’s see what we can learn.
First, Jesus points out in verse 4 that people will try to deceive us. He says, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
Second, we see in verse 5 that others will claim to be saviors and messiahs. They will tell us that if we follow them and their ways everything will be made better. We’ve seen this in cult leaders and false prophets ever since the time of Jesus. Listen, church, there’s only one Savior and His name is Jesus! Don’t trust a cult leader, a political candidate, a celebrity, or anyone else who says that will make all things good and right. Only Jesus can do that! Don’t be deceived.
Third, there will be wars and rumors of wars. We’ve seen a lot of that since the time of Jesus, and it’s not going away, church. The Bible makes it clear that things will get worse before they get better. Trust in Jesus. Be prepared. Don’t be deceived.
Fourth, we see that nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and so forth. This should not surprise us. There will be no world peace until Jesus comes and makes all things new. Don’t be deceived.
Fifth, we see that there will be natural cataclysmic disasters. Jesus specifically mentions famines and earthquakes. We’ve seen a lot of natural disasters since the time of Jesus. We’ve seen a lot even in our lifetime. We’ve seen other disasters in addition to these, including poverty, hurricanes, wildfires, and pandemics. This should not surprise us. Jesus spoke of this.
Jesus said in the previous passage that we studied two weeks ago that the scribes and Pharisees were dead on the inside and would face judgment. He says here that the house of Jerusalem is desolate and she would also face judgment. Sin leads to death and judgment.
Just so we are clear, the destruction that Jerusalem would suffer in A.D. 70 was a small taste of the judgment that will come on the world because of sin. The consequences for sin are horrendous, both in our individual lives and in the world.
Jesus said in verse 8 that all of these signs are like birth pains for a mother who is about to deliver her child. Well, what do birth pains do? They point you to the fact that a baby is coming.
I remember when our first child came, my wife, Jennifer, was having moderate birth pains for weeks and days leading up to delivering our baby. However, as she got really close to delivery, the pains increased more and more until she got really concerned. She asked the doctor what was going on and he said that she was about to have a baby.
Well, church, these signs will not go away. They will continue to increase until the new kingdom is birthed and Christ returns to take make all things new. When these things happen we shouldn’t be freaking out or living in anxiety. We should trust God, pray for His grace for our lives, pray for His will to be done, and trust Him that He will come in His time. Until that time, let these signs remind us of the reality of the judgment of sin.
Sin brings these realities into our world. Sin brings sorrow, sin brings judgment, and there are signs in our world that sin is still at work and we are approaching more and more Jesus’ return, the judgment of sin, and the institution of Jesus’ new kingdom, when we will all say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Concluding Thoughts:
So, we get a glimpse in this passage of Jesus’ heart for the city of Jerusalem as well as His warnings for them of what was to come for their rejection of God’s invitation into the kingdom of God.
Jesus’ heartfelt words and sorrowful warning point us to our bottom line for today’s sermon:
Bottom Line: Sin results in both sorrow and judgment. [on screen]
(repeat)
Jesus had sorrow over the sin of His people and He was warning them of the judgment to come.
So also, Jesus is heartbroken over the sin of the world, which is why He willingly laid down His life so that we could escape the judgment of our sins. He would pay that judgment for us.
Jesus desires that people will come to Him in trust and repentance. Have you come? Will you come?
Challenge yourself to live out this passage this week in the following ways:
Weekly Challenge: [on screen]
Ask yourself . . .
1. . . . when is the last time I grieved over sin? [on screen]
Jesus grieved over the sin of Jerusalem. Do you grieve over your sin? Do you grieve over the sin of others?
Is your initial inclination to criticize sinners or to grieve and pray for them to come to Jesus?
2. . . . am I ready for the judgment of God? [on screen]
Jesus is still willing to receive us unto Himself as a mother hen receive her chicks.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” [on screen]
Have you found rest in Jesus?
Make no mistake, Jesus came to bring life. But for those who reject Him, there is judgment. Sin must be judged. Who will pay the judgment for your sin: Jesus or you?
Closing:
Jesus spoke of sorrow. He has sorrow over your sin.
Jesus spoke of judgment. There is judgment for your sin.
Jesus spoke of signs. How has God shown you signs that He is at work in your life? Will you turn to Him before it’s too late?
If you’re already following Him, will you be obedient and faithful?
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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