Weep Not
A Sermon on "Weep Not" from Luke 23:27-31
Originally preached April 8, 1966
Scripture
27¶ And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29For, behold, the days are coming, in …
Sermon Description
In Luke’s account of Christ’s journey to the cross, he includes the last public teaching of Jesus. In the midst of pain and suffering as he trudges along the road to face crucifixion, Jesus turns to the women who are following Him and admonishes them to weep for themselves, not for Him. His instruction is startling since He is on His way to die. In this sermon on Luke 23:27–31 titled “Think, Weep, Repent,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones calls attention to the compassion Christ had for these women that caused Him to stop along His road toward death. He also calls the listener to pay careful attention to the content of Christ’s teaching: weeping for Him is a thoughtless act for He was going to His death on behalf of sinful humankind and would be raised in glory three days later. Christ instructs the women to weep not for Him, but for themselves because of their ignorance of who He is and what He is accomplishing. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds on the content of Christ’s final teaching, he applies this message to the modern listener with a somber warning: “Have you wept over your sin and ignorance? Have you prayed for eyes to behold the love and justice of God displayed on the cross?” He encourages approaching the cross and death of Christ with thoughtfulness and contemplation, with weeping over sin and ignorance.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon is focused on Jesus's teaching to the daughters of Jerusalem as he carries his cross to Golgotha.
- Jesus rebukes the women for weeping for him and tells them to weep for themselves instead.
- The women were weeping out of thoughtlessness and sentimentality. They failed to fully understand what was truly happening.
- Jesus came into the world deliberately to die on the cross. His death was not a surprise or disappointment to him. It was the purpose of the incarnation.
- Jesus's death on the cross glorified God and manifested His love by providing salvation for sinners.
- Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil through his death on the cross.
- The women, like all people, were ignorant of their sinful state, need for redemption, and who Jesus truly was. This is why they should weep for themselves.
- Jesus was also prophesying the coming destruction of Jerusalem for rejecting him.
- Jesus's message was a warning to all who reject him and die in their sins. They will face eternal punishment.
- We must ask ourselves how we have reacted to Jesus's death on the cross. Have we wept for ourselves in repentance or just felt sorry for Jesus?
- We should weep for ourselves upon realizing our sin, helplessness, and Jesus's amazing love shown on the cross.
- The cross is the only source of salvation and should be our glory and joy. All else is worthless in comparison.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Jesus and the Women of Jerusalem: Key Questions and Answers
What is the main scripture passage that Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on in this sermon?
Lloyd-Jones focuses on Luke 23:27-31, where Jesus, on His way to crucifixion, encounters the weeping women of Jerusalem and tells them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." This passage contains what Lloyd-Jones describes as Jesus' "last piece of public teaching" before His crucifixion.
Why does Lloyd-Jones say there are two dangers in approaching Good Friday?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the two dangers are: first, being solely interested in the events and spectacle, turning the crucifixion into a dramatic tableau without understanding its meaning; and second, being concerned only with the doctrine of salvation while ignoring the historical facts and emotional reality of what happened. He argues that Christians should combine both aspects—appreciating the historical events while understanding their theological significance.
Why were the women of Jerusalem weeping for Jesus?
The women were weeping for Jesus because of: 1) His blessed person and attractive personality that drew people to Him; 2) His ministry of healing and helping people (many likely had relatives or friends who had been healed by Him); and 3) Their realization of His innocence and the utter injustice of His condemnation, which was acknowledged even by Pilate, Herod, and the thief on the cross.
Why did Jesus tell the women not to weep for Him?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus told them not to weep for Him because: 1) He had come into the world specifically to die—this was His mission; 2) He knew what was really happening was God's predetermined plan, not merely the actions of men; 3) His death would glorify His heavenly Father in a unique way; and 4) His death would defeat Satan and the powers of darkness. Jesus didn't need their sympathy or defense because He was fulfilling His divine purpose.
What does it mean when Jesus says "weep for yourselves and your children"?
According to Lloyd-Jones, Jesus was telling them to weep for themselves because: 1) They didn't truly understand who He was (viewing Him merely as a good man); 2) They were ignorant of their own sinful condition and need for redemption; 3) He was prophesying the coming destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (a national judgment); and 4) He was indicating the eternal fate of all who die impenitent without realizing why He had to die.
What is the one test Lloyd-Jones says determines our proper response to the cross?
The one test is whether we have "wept for ourselves" rather than merely feeling sorry for Jesus. Lloyd-Jones explains that true response to the cross involves realizing our own sinfulness, helplessness, and the cost of our redemption. When we truly understand the cross, we stop feeling sorry for Jesus and instead weep over our own condition that made His sacrifice necessary.
How does Lloyd-Jones connect Jesus' first and last messages?
Lloyd-Jones points out that Jesus began His ministry with the call to "Repent, ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15) and ended it with the same essential message to the women of Jerusalem—a call to thought, weeping, and repentance. He argues that this message of repentance is still what the church and world need today.
What does Lloyd-Jones mean by "thoughtlessness" in relation to the cross?
By "thoughtlessness," Lloyd-Jones refers to looking at Jesus and His suffering in a merely emotional or sentimental way without truly thinking about and understanding what was happening. Jesus rebuked this attitude and called people to contemplate with intelligence and understanding the true meaning of His death—God's love being manifested through Christ bearing our punishment.
What does the illustration of the 3,000 converts in Acts 2 teach us about forgiveness?
Lloyd-Jones points out that even the people who had cried "Away with him, crucify him" could be forgiven when they repented. As Peter preached to this same crowd at Pentecost, 3,000 were convicted, cried out "What shall we do?", and were forgiven upon repentance. This teaches that no sin—not even participating in Christ's crucifixion—is beyond forgiveness if one truly repents.
How should Christians properly approach and understand Christ's death today?
Christians should approach Christ's death by: 1) Combining thoughtful contemplation with emotional response; 2) Recognizing it was God's plan, not merely human cruelty; 3) Understanding our own sinfulness that made it necessary; 4) Recognizing Christ's voluntary sacrifice; 5) Moving beyond feeling sorry for Jesus to realizing the wonder of His love despite our unworthiness; and 6) Allowing this understanding to lead to genuine repentance and worship.
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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.