Let us turn once more to God's
Word and turn into the chapter that we read in Matthew chapter
23 and directing you this morning to words that we find at the
end of the chapter verse 37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem thou that
killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee,
how often would I have gathered thy children together even as
a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not." What we have here is the Lord
Jesus Christ lamenting over Jerusalem. That's a theme that I want to
seek to address this morning. Christ as He laments over the
city of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou
that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto
thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,
even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not. It's a verse that is often misunderstood,
even mishandled. Notice the words that we have
here. How often would I, says Christ, and ye would not. This is where the verse is misinterpreted. We're not to think for a moment
there's any suggestion here of man's will prevailing over the
will of God. And that's what some would even
suggest from that expression. How often would I? And he would not. As if men could
ever frustrate the will and the purpose of God. We know that
God, if He is God, must be sovereign and that great, proud Emperor
Nebuchadnezzar was humbled to acknowledge the absolute sovereignty
of God and confessed that all the inhabitants of the earth
are His naughty and He do it according to His will among the
armies of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay
His hand. or say unto him what doest thou. God is sovereign and God does
fulfill that eternal purpose that he has purposed in himself. We are of those who are the sight,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him, who doeth
all things according to the counsel of his own will. All salvation
is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God
that showeth mercy. These are such basic truths revealed
to us here in Holy Scripture, that God is the Sovereign, and
those who are born again are born, we are told, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God. So in no way are we to imagine
that the Lord Jesus is here lamenting the fact that He would do a thing
and yet men are able to prevent Him from accomplishing that that
He desired. How often would I, He says, and
ye would not. Well, as we come to consider
the content of this particular verse I divide what I say into
some three parts. First of all, I want to say something
with regards to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly,
to consider the purpose of Christ. And then finally, and briefly,
to say something with regards to how here we have simply a
picture of what is revealed in what we call the Old Covenant.
First of all then, to consider the one who is speaking in this
verse. And the chapter, of course, the
whole of the chapter contains the words that were spoken by
the Lord Jesus during the course of His earthly ministry. And
it's a very solemn chapter. It's a chapter of woes, as Christ
speaks, so directly to the scribes and the Pharisees, but it is
the Lord Jesus who is here speaking. And when we think of the person
of Christ, we recognize that this is none other than the Promised
One, the Messiah, the Christ of God. This is God Himself. manifest in the flesh the eternal
son of the eternal father think of the words of Paul to Timothy
without controversy great is the mystery of godliness God
was manifest in the flesh that's the one then who is speaking
he is one person and yet in that one person we see God, but we
also see man. That's the great mystery of the
person. He is the God-man. But here,
in particular, we might observe certain truths with regards to
the reality of the human nature of the Lord Jesus. And as a man,
of course, he has all the faculties of any man. He is one with a
human understanding. How can we understand that truth
concerning the way in which the Lord Jesus coming into this world
as a little babe then grows into a child, He develops into a young
man, He is never anything less than God and yet what do we read
concerning Him there in Luke 2? verse 52, Jesus increased
in wisdom and stature as his body grew so his understanding
grew and yet at the same time he is the one who is omniscient,
the one who knows all things, there's a mystery in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ But when we think of his human nature,
we recognize how he himself is aware that his understanding
is growing, even as his body is growing. And there's those
words that he speaks on one occasion concerning that great day, the
day of judgment of that day, and that hour he says, no man,
no, not the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. He has a human understanding,
an understanding that grows and develops as the years pass. And then also he has a human
will. And he speaks of that will, and
he speaks of how that will is always subject to the will of
the Father. I came down from heaven, he says,
not to do mine own will, that is his will as a man, not to
do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. how his
own human will centers in the will of the Father. And of course
we see it so remarkably when we read of his sufferings in
the Garden of Gethsemane and all the agonies that he goes
through there as he contemplates the very purpose of his coming
into this world, his obedience. unto death, even the death of
the cross, O my Father, He says, if it be possible, let this cup
pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
Thy will be done. Now, He's not saying that His
human will is different to that will of the Father. though his
human will does altogether acquiesce in the will of the Father. Because
he is a man under the gracious ministry of God the Holy Spirit
in everything that he does. Remember how even his conception
is by the Holy Ghost. When the Virgin Mary is with
child, she is with child of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost shall
come upon thee, says the angel, the power of the higher shall
overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing
that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. So
he is free from every taint of original sin in his conception,
in his birth. And then, as a man, the Father
giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. how that human will
in the Lord Jesus Christ is altogether sanctified by God the Holy Spirit
and so there's there's no disagreement between his human will and that
will of the Father that he came to to accomplish and when he
comes to the end and we see him there in his great high priestly
prayer in John chapter 17, Father he says I will that these also
whom thou hast given me be with me that they may see my glory
which thou gavest me before the foundation of the world how he
can speak to God in terms of his own will how he can speak
in that sense to God as an equal father I will he says he expresses
what His will is, and that will of the Lord Jesus Christ, is
exactly the same. God's will is one in Father,
in Son, and in Holy Spirit. Oh, what a human will is this
of the Lord Jesus Christ, then. He has a human understanding.
He grows in stature and in wisdom. He has a human will, but that
will always in line with the will of the father that's what
he came to do that's what he came to accomplish and then he
has human affection and we we sang of it just now in the hymn
that lovely hymn of joseph heart that human heart He still retains
the throne in highest bliss, and feels each tempted member's
pains, for our afflictions his." He has a human heart, and all
that that speaks to us all. How he feels for men. Remember what we read concerning
that rich young ruler who comes to the Lord Jesus. We have the
account there in the 10th chapter of Mark's Gospel and Mark speaks
of how the Lord's affection runs after that young man. There in Mark 10 verse 21, Jesus
beholding him loved him. and said unto him one thing thou
lackest go thy way sow whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor
and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come take up the
cross and follow me and he was sad at that saying and went away
grieved for he had great possessions now in that the Lord beholding
him loved him some say well surely at some later period that young
man must have come to the Lord Jesus if the Lord loved him with
a saving laugh. Well, we have no record of that. We have to leave these matters
with God. The things that are revealed belong unto us. But
surely there we see something of the real affection of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He has an affection for this
young man. He's one of his own countrymen.
And here you see that Jerusalem, this is his own city. This is
the place where his own people are to be found. He was born
a Jew. He's of the tribe of Judah. And he comes now to the city
and how his affection yearns over that city. Oh, we see something
very similar in the Apostle Paul. There at the beginning of Romans
chapter 9. Now, we know how he is going
to speak in the following verses, the following chapters, of how
the Jews are going to be cut off. And yet, at the beginning
of chapter 9, now we see the very real affection that the
Apostle has towards his own people, towards his own countrymen. I
say the truth in Christ. I lie not, my conscience also
bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness
and continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that myself
were a curse from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according
to the flesh." So human, he feels for his own people. And the Lord
Jesus Christ, as a very real man, he feels for his own people.
He feels for the city of Jerusalem here. Again, we have the account
recorded in Luke's Gospel, and there we're told how Christ was
moved to tears. When He was come near, He beheld
the city, it seems, and He wept over it. Well, real is the human
nature of Christ. He feels things, he has affection.
Remember how we see it with regards to his behavior at the grave of Lazarus. There are the sisters, Mary and
Martha, grieving at the loss of their brother. Lazarus laid
in the tomb for four days. And the Lord is about to raise
Lazarus from the dead to demonstrate something of his great power
as God's manifest in the flesh. But then we also see his real
human nature. We see him weeping. Jesus weeps
at the grave of Lazarus. And we're to take account of
this when we come to this particular verse of Scripture that we're
considering this morning. Here we see how real is that
human nature in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. But as
I said at the beginning, we're not to think in any way that
He's desiring, He's wanting to do something here and mankind
frustrates His will. That is not the case. God's will
is always paramount. God's will is one and the same. And what does God say? Speaking
back in Isaiah 55, He tells men, My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are My ways your ways. For as the heaven is higher than
the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts
than your thoughts. He is in one mind. And who can
turn him, says Job, what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. We're to bear all of these things
in mind then as we come to consider this verse that lies before us. But I want to emphasize again
with regard to the person of Christ. He is God, yes, but he
is also truly man. And here we see the reality of
that of that human nature, a man, there is a real man, he's a real
man with human understanding, human will and human affection. But then, turning in the second
place to what we see here with regard to the purpose of the
Lord Jesus Christ. What does He say? All Jerusalem,
Jerusalem Thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which
are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children
together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings,
and ye would not. Now, in no way, in no way at
all is there any suggestion here of the feebleness of the will
of God, the divine will. And here we have something of
the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that God's will
cannot be disappointed. That sovereign will of God must
always prevail. What does He say back in Isaiah? Isaiah 43, 13, "...Yea, before
the day was, I am, I will work, and none shall let it." None
can frustrating and can prevent the will of God being accomplished. But what we see in our text this
morning is this, we see the foolishness of man's will in contrast with
the will of God. We have to look carefully at
the verse. Notice what is said here. The Lord is speaking of Jerusalem
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and
stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens
under her wings?" And throughout he is using the third person. Thou, he says. They, thy children. He is clearly speaking very much
of the city of Jerusalem, the inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem. But then, at the end of the verse,
it all changes to the second person. He doesn't say, and thou
wouldest not. No, he says, and ye would not.
And ye would not. Who is it that the Lord Jesus
Christ is addressing here? He's speaking of Jerusalem, but
throughout the chapter we see quite clearly he's addressing
himself time and time again to the scribes and to the Pharisees. This chapter of woes, how many
woes there are! Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! Verse 13, verse 14, verse 15,
verse 16, verse 23, verse 25, so on. Through the chapter, time after
time after time, the Lord addresses Himself in these solemn terms
as He speaks to the scribes and to the Pharisees. Now, we know
from what we read in the Gospels how the common people were hearing
the Lord Jesus Christ so gladly. There's that occasion in Luke
8 where we read verse 40 the people gladly received him for
they were all waiting for him as he goes about ministering
there in the land of Palestine as he travels from place to place
from city to city wherever he goes the common people will gather
and he will speak to them even the beginning of this chapter
we see him addressing his disciples and the multitudes Then spake
Jesus to the multitude and to his disciples, saying, The scribes
and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. All therefore whatsoever they
bid you, observe that, observe and do, but do not ye after their
works, for they say and do not. He begins the chapter then by
speaking to the multitudes and warning them of the scribes and
Pharisees. Oh yes, that you recognize who
these men are, they are Leaders in the nation, they are those
who sit in the seat of Moses. It's a seat of authority. The
people must listen to what they have to say, but they are men
who say one thing, but they do another. Do not ye after their
work say, sigh, he says, and do not. And then later on, as
I said, he goes on and he turns from addressing his disciples
and the multitudes and he speaks directly to these so-called leaders,
these scribes and these Pharisees. The point is that the common
people were hearing him so very readily, waiting upon his words. And here he comes to Jerusalem
and he looks over the city and he speaks of the city. O that sad city of Jerusalem,
thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent
unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,
even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings. All these people, if they were
not influenced by the wicked scribes and Pharisees, Would
they do such things as that? Would they reject the Lord Jesus
Christ? What an influence these men had.
Remember that incident that's recorded in John chapter 9 concerning
the man born blind. And there we see what sort of
people these scribes and Pharisees were. You know the chapter, chapter
9 in John's Gospel. And there, at verse 20 following,
we have the parents of that man. Here are the Jews, as it were,
coming and questioning the parents concerning their son. Verse 20, his parents answered
them and said, We know that this is our son and that he was born
blind. But by what means he now seeth, we know not. Or who hath
opened his eyes, we know not. He is of age, ask him. He shall
speak for himself." And then we're told the reason why they
speak to the Jews in this fashion. These words make his parents,
because they feared the Jews. For the Jews had agreed already
that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put
out of the synagogue. If anyone was to confess to Lord
Jesus, this is what the leaders of the Jews had decreed, that
that man should be excommunicated, cut off from the Jews, put out
of the synagogue. And that's what they did to the
blind man when he confesses to the Lord Jesus later in that
chapter. And it's not just in chapter
9 of John. We see it on other occasions later again, in the
same Gospel, in John chapter 12. And verse 42, we read, among
the chief priests also many believed on him, that is, on the Lord
Jesus, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest
they should be put out of the synagogue. It's these scribes and Pharisees,
you see. And it's these scribes and Pharisees
that the Lord is addressing at the end of our text, when he
says, in the second person, and ye would not. always speaking
to the same people as he starts to speak to back in verse 13.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Ye shut up the kingdom
of heaven against men, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither
suffer ye them that are entering to go in. They won't have anyone
come to the Lord Jesus. They are such enemies of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord is addressing them
here. They are the ones who would frustrate the gracious purpose
of God if they could, or the blindness and the hardness of
their hearts, that wicked opposition. They don't enter in themselves. They are rejecters of the Lord
Jesus and they will do everything in their powers to prevent any
others entering into the kingdom of God. We're told how the Lord
came unto his own, and his own received him not. The Lord has
a gracious purpose. It's all in the great plan of
God, of course. He will call the people to himself.
And these men might think, might imagine they're able to frustrate
that will of God, but not so. Oh, the Lord is going to deal
with them now, you see, in the way of judgment. Behold, your house is left unto
you, desolate he says. But let us turn in the third
place to consider here how Jerusalem can
be understood in an allegorical sense. There's a picture here
There's a picture of the Old Covenant. Now, I say that on
the basis of what we read in Paul's epistle to the Galatians.
Those interesting words that we find in Galatians chapter
4. Galatians 4 and verse 24. Paul writes, which things are
an allegory. For these are the two covenants. He's been speaking
of Abraham, who is the father of all them who believe. Verse
22, it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a bondmaid,
the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise. Speaking of the two sons, Ishmael,
the son of the bondwoman, and Isaac, the son of the free woman,
Sarah's son. And he says, Which things are
an allegory? For these are the two covenants,
the one from the Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which
is Agar. For this Agar is Mount Sinai
in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage
with her children. but Jerusalem which is above
is free which is the mother of us all so Jerusalem which now
is, that is the city of Jerusalem in the allegory this is the old
covenant the covenant that genders bondage and Jerusalem which is
above which answers to the child of promise, Isaac is free which
is the mother of us all. Thinking in particular of what
the Apostle is saying here with regards to Jerusalem which now
is. It's a picture as it were of
the Old Covenant. And what is the language of the
Old Covenant? That is the Law. The Old Covenant expresses something
of man's duty It doesn't reveal the purpose of God, it expresses
what is required of man by the law. This do. That's the language of law, is
it not? Do. And do. And do again. And do again. Moses
describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the
man which doeth those things shall live in them. all that
is the language of law God gives his commandments but men don't
do the commandment of God and isn't that what's pictured to
us here when the Lord says I would and ye would not it's all covenant
language that we have we're not to think of the scribes and pharisees
in any sense frustrating the the purpose of God or the work
of the Lord Jesus Christ when we think in terms of that allegory
that the Apostle brings out there in Galatians chapter 4 with regards
to Jerusalem that now is. We see that there's no salvation
at all in that Lord of God. That's the picture set before
us. By the deeds of the law There shall no flesh be justified in
his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. In vain
we ask God's righteous law to justify us now, since to convince
and to condemn is all the law can do. This is what Jerusalem
speaks of, the Jerusalem that now is. But the New Covenant speaks very
different language to that. What is the language of the Gospel?
We have it in the promise, the promise that's given to the Lord
Jesus Christ as the mediator of the New Covenant. Back in
Romans, sorry, back in Psalm 110, Thy people, it says, shall
be willing in the day of thy power. That's the language of
the Gospel. All God's people are made a willing
people, an obedient people. that an effectual work of grace
accomplished in their hearts where the word of a king is,
there is power. We know what the language of
the New Covenant is in contrast to that of the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant we have the
revelation of God's gracious purpose. Look at the language
that we find back in Ezekiel chapter 16, and there at the
end of that long chapter, verse 62, I will establish my covenant
with thee, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. That's the
promise of the new covenant. And what does God say as He gives
that promise? He says, I will, and thou shalt. So different to the language
that we have here, you see. The language that belongs to
Jerusalem that now is, the language of the Old Covenant. Well here the language is, I
would and ye would not. Men, do not obey the commandment
of God. There's no salvation there. No
salvation in the works of men. But there, in Ezekiel 16, we
have the language of New Covenant. I will establish my covenant
says God and thou shalt know that I am the Lord but here we see principally of
course the Lord Jesus Christ as that one who has come to bring
in that new covenant and how has he brought the new covenant
in by answering all the demands of that old covenant When He
came, He was made of a woman, He was made under the law. And He has come to redeem all
them that were under the law. All those who were the debtors
to that Lord of God. He has paid all that terrible
debt that they owed. He hasn't come to destroy the
law and the prophets. No, He came to fulfill. He came
to accomplish all righteousness. He came to honor that Lord of
God, to magnify that Lord of God. And He has done it by the
obedience of His own life. By His obedience unto death,
even the death of the cross. So it is that He willingly acquiesces
in that will of God. There in the Garden of Gethsemane
when he says, not my will but thine be done. Oh, he will accomplish
all that great work necessary to the salvation of his people. But here we have, as it were,
the transition from that old covenant to that new covenant. Well, the
Lord be pleased to bless his truth to us. I want, if the Lord
will, to return to the same subject when we meet again this evening. The Lord bless his word to us
now. Amen.