Author: Bill Hall

And it happened on one of the days that He was teaching in the temple and preaching the gospel, that the priests and the scribes together with the elders stood and spoke to Him, saying,

Luke 20:1

This was an organized event intended to catch Jesus. It could give the Jewish leaders an opportunity to accuse Christ in spite of the people. The opposition to Him was strong even if it was not completely unified. The priests and scribes likely had different motivations than the elders. But they were in enough agreement to have the same end goal.

Heavenly Father, You always know what is best. We so often think we know the best things, and are so far off. Thank You for not leaving us alone. Thank You for the convicting power of Your Spirit. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But they could not find a way to do anything to Him because all of the people hung around to hear Him.

Luke 19:48

When Jesus was at the temple, He would have been easy to take aside on the sly. But He was so popular that the people were always gathered around to hear Him. Too many witnesses.

The Jewish leaders wanted rid of this menace, but they had to be careful. One of the reasons they wanted rid of Him was because they feared trouble with the Romans. But taking action against Christ without being very careful about it could also cause that kind of trouble.

Heavenly Father, thank You for controlling everything. Evil people want to be in control, but they cannot resist You successfully. You have it all figured out. Thank You for each day that we have in Your care. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests and scribes wanted to destroy Him, as did the rulers of the people.

Luke 19:47

It is so sad that most of the Jewish leaders failed to recognize Jesus for Who He is. They wanted rid of Him for several reasons, but mainly it was because of His popularity.

Heavenly Father, Your plan is beautiful and yet we have difficulty understanding it. We fail to see Your Truth even though You put it in front of us. Thank You for Your grace! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Saying to them, ‘It is written, My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’

Luke 19:46

Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. These are passages that the leaders of the Jews would have been familiar with. As a result, this comment from Christ would have hit hard. And if Jesus’s hearers reflected upon the context of these quotes, they would have clearly understood how serious He was.

Heavenly Father, thank You for how Your Word intertwines and makes Your Truth clear to us. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who sold in it, and the purchasers,

Luke 19:45

In preparation for the Passover the Jews would cleanse their homes of leaven. Jesus does the same here. His house must not contain the leaven of unholiness.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your ongoing work in our hearts. You are active in sanctification by Your Spirit. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And they will raze you to the ground, and your children in you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not understand the time of your visitation.

Luke 19:44

Remember Jesus is addressing the city, which is why He says it the way He does. The event here described was a major turning point in the history of the Jewish people. There has been no Jewish temple since that time.

Heavenly Father, it is reassuring to know that You have a purpose in everything. When we see the success of the enemy it confuses us. But we know Your plan is not frustrated. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Because the days will come when your enemies will build an embankment against you, and surround you, and lay siege to you from every side,

Luke 19:43

Jesus is describing the yet future destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD in vivid detail. It took the Romans some time, but they beseiged the city just as Jesus says here.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the whole story. It is such a comfort to know the last page. What a glory to Christ! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

saying, ‘If you had known, even you, and especially in this, your day, the things for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.’

Luke 19:42

Jesus is here mourning the fact that the Jewish people had, as a whole, failed to respond to the great mercy of Almighty God. Indeed there is a lot of escatalogical significance here. Had the nation of Israel kept their end of the covenant with God, things could have gone differently.

But Moses knew back at the end of Deuteronomy that Israel would not obey. And just as Adam in the garden, we all fail. So that means of deliverance was intentionally kept from Israel. It is all in God’s perfect plan, and it makes His plan that much more wonderous.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your work in our lives. We do not always understand Your ways, but we trust Your wisdom. We will live to rejoice in Your power and control over this crazy world. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

As He drew near the city became visible, and He wept over her,

Luke 19:41

The emotional responses of Christ make for a fascinating, and convicting, study. We see here the very Son of God weeping as He approaches His city while being hailed as its King. The language here is very descriptive. It is meant to be dramatic. This is the city that had been the focus of God’s blessing for so long. And yet, it was unprepared for His arrival.

Heavenly Father, You are truly wonderful. In contrast to our shortfalls, You are always faithful. Thank You for giving us Your Son. We stand in awe of Your long-suffering and tender love. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But He answered them, saying, ‘I tell you that, if these were silent, the stones would cry out.’

Luke 19:40

The Pharisees could easily say that these followers of Christ were mistaken. But to have the stones cry out would have been a difficult thing to deal with.

However, that is not the case now. If everyone had been silent and we read only that the rocks cried out, our incredulity would get the better of us. The realization by many there present that Jesus was indeed the King coming in the Name of the Lord makes sense. If none of the Jews, or only two or three, actually believed Jesus could be the Messiah, that could pose difficulties. Many did not recognize Him in that way, but many did.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your understanding. You know how we think and what we feel. You can see through us and You teach us so much about ourselves. You are so perceptive! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.