Jesus lamented over Jerusalem because of the city’s persistent rejection of God’s prophets and its ultimate rejection of Him as Messiah. This lament is recorded in Matthew 23:37–39 and Luke 19:41–44. As He approached the city before His crucifixion, Jesus wept:
“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it.” (Luke 19:41)
His grief was not over His coming death, but over the judgment that awaited Jerusalem because of unbelief:
“If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:42)
Jesus foresaw the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70:
“For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you… and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:43–44)
In Matthew’s account, He spoke with deep sorrow:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37)
This lament reveals both Jesus’ compassion and the seriousness of rejecting God’s offer of salvation. He longed to protect and bless them, but their hardness of heart brought inevitable judgment.
The lament over Jerusalem stands as a sobering reminder that rejecting Christ leads to destruction, but His heart remains tender toward the lost, desiring that all would turn to Him for peace and life.