Joy and crying

"As [Jesus] was near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples, full of joy, began praising God aloud for all the miracles they had seen, and they said: Blessed be King who comes in the name of the Lord ! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest places ! "Luke 19:37, 38

Jesus ascends to Jerusalem for the last time (Luke 19:28). When he reached Bethphage and Bethany (two villages very close to Jerusalem), he sent two disciples to seek a colt to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah: "Behold, your king comes to you; He is righteous and has salvation, humble and riding on an ass, and on a foal, the young of an ass "(Zech 9: 9).

When the disciples bring Jesus on to the colt, this is the time when this prophecy was fulfilled that was 500 years old. On this memorable day, will Israel respond to the vibrant invitation of the prophet: "Rejoice with joy, O daughter of Zion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy king cometh unto thee "(v.9). Of course, those around Jesus rejoice. But the cause of their gladness is not really the presence of the king ; It is rather the miracles they have seen, and especially the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus, which took place a few days before at Bethany.

The beautiful picture painted by Zacharias prefigures the future day when Israel, finally restored, will acclaim the Son of God as king. Yet when Jesus arrives near Jerusalem, the city he loves, he weeps over it (Luke 19:41). Why these tears after these rejoicings ? This is because the whole nation has not known how to rejoice, for it has not recognized its Messiah in Jesus of Nazareth, the Envoy of God. Jesus weeps, for he sees that his people have reached a point where they will expose themselves to the judgment of God. Indeed, the crowd will soon ask for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Joy and crying, it is also the part of the Christian today. When he thinks that his beloved Lord will reign on earth, that he will be honored, glorified as the King of kings, Lord of lords, he rejoices! But he also feels "great sadness" at the unbelief of men, their revolt against God and the judgment that weighs upon them (Romans 9: 2). Like Paul, he begs God to be saved (Romans 10: 1).

Source (To pleasing the Lord)