He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:11.
Before them [the crowd with Jesus at His triumphal entry] lies the city of Jerusalem, with the temple of pure white marble, which is gilded with glory by the rays of the setting sun. It is a picture of unsurpassed loveliness, and well might the people apply to her the words of the prophet, “A crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.” At the entrancing sight, the throng joins with renewed fervor in their shouts of praise.... They suppose that Christ is now to take the throne of David and reign as a temporal prince. Their eyes turn to Him to see how He is impressed by the scene. But lo, the Son of man is in tears!
As Christ's eyes rest upon the temple, so soon to be desolated and its veil rent when the final act of the Jews would consummate His death, He wept over the disobedient city.... In a few short hours the world's Redeemer would be taken by wicked hands and crucified. Not the Roman nation, not the Gentiles, but the people for whom He had done so much, and from whom He had hoped for so much, were to be His murderers....
The grace that bringeth salvation would no longer be heard in the city. This was the cause of the Saviour's intense sorrow.... The tender tears He shed over Jerusalem were the last tears of rejected love.... The glad throng could not understand the cause of the Saviour's sorrow. They did not know that the iniquities of Israel were bringing her final calamities upon her. But a mysterious awe falls upon the procession, and calms in a degree its enthusiasm.... A large number in that throng bear in their own bodies the evidence that divine power is among them, and each has a story to tell of the merciful works of Christ. The relation of those wonderful works increases the fervor of their feelings until it reaches an intensity that is indescribable. Disciples and people join in the songs of praise.
Then came the priests and rulers to Him, requesting Him to silence these acclamations of praise. “Master, rebuke thy disciples,” they say. Christ answered them, “If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”
Christ had come to earth to reveal the principles of the kingdom of heaven. His character as Saviour and Life-giver had been demonstrated only a short time before at the grave of Lazarus, but in their pride the Jews rejected the One who was mighty and having salvation. How different would have been Christ's attitude had the priests and rulers been true to the trust reposed in them.—Manuscript 128, 1899.
From Christ Triumphant - Page 254
Christ Triumphant