One Mediator
A Sermon on Luke 19:41-44
Originally preached April 3, 1953
Scripture
41¶ And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43For the days shall …
Sermon Description
What is the greatest tragedy in this world? In this sermon on Luke 19:41–44 titled “One Mediator,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that it is the fact that the world is blinded and unable to believe in the gospel. This unbelief is seen all throughout the ministry of Jesus, but particularly in His final days. The same people that greet Him at His triumphal entry are the same ones who later that same week cry for Him to be crucified. These men and women heard the message of Jesus and they knew that He claimed to be the Messiah, yet in their unbelief they rejected Him. It is a sinful and corrupt heart that leads people to reject the gospel. Jesus knew this was true when He wept over the great city of Jerusalem, knowing that these people would reject Him and be judged by God in the destruction of the temple. Christians of today and all times must remember that the gospel is based on the fact of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. It is not just another religious theory, but it is the very word of God. It is only through this message of salvation that anyone has true peace and knowledge of God and His love.
Sermon Breakdown
- Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of their rejection of him despite his love for them.
- The tragedy of Jerusalem was that they did not realize who Jesus was - the Messiah and Son of God. They were blind to the truth.
- The essence of sin is blindness and ignorance. We fail to realize the truth.
- Jesus came to bring peace - peace with God and peace within ourselves. But Jerusalem rejected this.
- If we reject Christ, there will be judgment. Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 as judgment for rejecting the Messiah.
- We must realize who Jesus is and why he came - to reconcile us to God and give us peace. If we fail to realize this, we will face eternal punishment.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Luke 19:41-44
What event in Jesus' life does Dr. Lloyd-Jones focus on in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on Palm Sunday, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, looked over the city, and wept. He specifically examines Luke 19:41-44, where Jesus sobbed over Jerusalem because they did not recognize "the time of their visitation." Lloyd-Jones describes this as "one of the most remarkable and one of the most moving scenes in the whole of the scripture."
Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, Jesus wept because He saw the tragedy that would befall Jerusalem due to their rejection of Him. He foresaw the destruction that would come in AD 70 when the Romans would destroy the city. But more deeply, Jesus wept because He understood the root cause of this tragedy - sin, which manifested as spiritual blindness that prevented them from recognizing who He was and the peace He offered.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the essence of sin in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies the essence of sin as blindness and ignorance - a failure to recognize truth. He states: "Sin is blindness. Sin is ignorance. Sin is failure to realize certain truths." He explains that Jerusalem's sin was that they couldn't see who Jesus truly was, despite all the prophecies and miracles. This blindness prevented them from recognizing "the time of their visitation" when God Himself had come to them.
What does "the time of visitation" mean in this sermon?
According to Lloyd-Jones, "the time of visitation" refers to God coming to His people in the person of Jesus Christ. He explains: "What is the time of visitation? Well, that's the whole story of the New Testament... It is just this that God hath visited and redeemed his people." It was the fulfillment of prophecy and God's promise to send the Messiah, but Jerusalem failed to recognize this divine visitation.
What are "the things which belong unto thy peace" that Jesus mentioned?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "the things which belong unto thy peace" include three types of peace Jesus came to bring: 1. Peace with God - reconciliation between sinful humans and God 2. Peace within - peace of conscience and inner harmony that comes from being forgiven 3. Peace with others - the ability to have tranquility despite circumstances
He describes this peace as "well being... happiness... all the tranquility and all the equanimity and the joy that a man can ever desire."
What happens to those who reject Christ according to this sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, those who reject Christ face judgment. He states: "When men and women do not realize the day of their visitation, there comes another kind of visitation, the visitation of punishment and of the wrath of God." He points to Jerusalem's destruction in AD 70 as a historical example of this principle and warns that eternal punishment awaits those who die in their sins without accepting Christ's forgiveness.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize the importance of facts in Christianity?
Lloyd-Jones repeatedly stresses that Christianity is based on historical facts, not theories or philosophies. He states: "What differentiates the Christian faith from every religion in the world tonight is just this, that while all the others are theories and philosophies, this is based upon facts." He reminds listeners that Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, His crucifixion, and the later destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 are all historical events that actually happened.
What is the ultimate call to action in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls his listeners to recognize the significance of who Jesus is and what He has done, and then respond by surrendering themselves completely to Him: "Give yourself to him. Give all to him. He died he gave himself for you. Give yourself. Surrender yourself and your all to him. That's the only proof that you realize the significance of these things." He urges people not to delay, saying "Today is the day of salvation."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.