BBCC Sermon Outline

RECOGNIZING JESUS - Luke 19:41–46

April 6^th

‍

1. Introduction: Recognizing (or missing) the Obvious

1. The Scriptural Story: Luke 19:41–46

Luke 19:41–44 (NIV): “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes… You did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.’”

III. Then and Now: We Repeat the Same Mistakes

• The crowds had Scripture, prophecy, and the Temple—yet missed Jesus.
• We have access to the Bible, the Church, the Spirit—can still miss Him if we’re careless.
• Jesus’ Emotional Response
  
  1. He weeps over our missed opportunities: “Don’t miss Me; I’m right here!”
  2. God’s heart aches when His people ignore His presence.

1. IV. How to Recognize Jesus Today

1. Look in God’s Word

Ephesians 3:4–5 (NIV): “In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ… now revealed by the Spirit…”

2. Listen to the Holy Spirit

John 14:26 (NIV): “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and… remind you of everything I have said…”

3. Be With God’s People (the Church)

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV): “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and… God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”

4. Practice Communion

Luke 22:19 (NIV): “And he took bread… ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’”

1. Application

1. Jesus’ Tears Over Our Distractions
   
   • Like Jerusalem, we can be fixated on our own agendas, missing God-with-us.
   • He weeps not merely for rejection but because we forfeit the peace He offers.
2. Exhortation to “See Jesus”
   
   • Slow down, reflect, and notice the ways God is already at work.
   • If you truly want to see Jesus, immerse yourself in His Word, listen to His Spirit, connect with His Church, and remember Him in communion.
3. Invitation to Communion
   
   • Confess the sins or distractions that blur your vision of Christ.
   • Receive the bread and cup aware of His sacrifice: “This is my body… for you.”

“We don’t miss God because He’s absent; we miss Him when we’re not looking.”

BBCC Verse of the Week:  Revelation 3:20 (NIV) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…”

Study Notes

"Jesus’ tears over Jerusalem are among the most haunting moments in Scripture. The city’s name means ‘foundation of peace,’ yet its people missed the Prince of Peace because He didn’t fit their expectations. They wanted a conqueror on a warhorse, not a Savior on a donkey. Their error? They assumed peace would come through power—through overthrowing Rome—rather than through repentance and reconciliation with God. Jesus’ lament exposes a universal temptation: we often reject God’s true rescue because we’re too busy demanding our own version of salvation. The very thing they longed for—peace—was standing before them, but they couldn’t see it. How often do we do the same?" Tim Keller (King’s Cross, Ch. 12)

"Here we behold the Son of God, not in the splendor of His majesty, but in the weakness of human grief. Why does He weep? Not for Himself—though He knew the cross awaited Him—but for the blindness of those who rejected their only hope. They had the Law, the Prophets, and the Temple itself, all testifying to the Messiah’s coming. Yet when He stood before them, they saw only a carpenter’s son. This is the fearful consequence of hardened hearts: God’s judgments are hidden from those who refuse His mercy. Jerusalem’s destruction (foretold here) was not arbitrary wrath; it was the fruit of willful ignorance. Let us tremble at the warning: to have the means of grace and yet neglect Christ is to invite desolation." John Calvin (Commentary on Luke 19:41–44)

"The apostles did not invent the connection between the Old Testament and Christ; Jesus Himself taught them to read the Scriptures this way (Luke 24:27). The ‘mystery’ (Ephesians 3:4–5) is not a new teaching but the stunning fulfillment of what God had always planned. When we fail to see Christ in the Old Testament, we risk repeating Jerusalem’s error—honoring the Scriptures while missing their Author. The Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8) needed Philip to explain Isaiah 53, not because the text was unclear, but because his heart needed awakening. Do we approach the Word with the same humility, praying, ‘Open my eyes’ (Psalm 119:18)?" D.A. Carson (The God Who Is There, Ch. 2)

"The Supper is not a memorial meal in the bare sense of recalling a past event. It is a participation in Christ’s present life. When Jesus says, ‘This is My body,’ He institutes a means of grace by which we ‘proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes’ (1 Cor. 11:26). The elements are signs, but they are effective signs—the Spirit uses them to nourish our faith. Just as Jerusalem’s destruction came because they ‘did not recognize the time of God’s coming’ (Luke 19:44), so we risk missing Christ’s ongoing ministry if we reduce the Table to ritual. Here, God condescends to our weakness, saying, ‘Taste and see.’" R.C. Sproul (What Is the Lord’s Supper?)

                          Pastor Samuel Sutter //  sam@BBCCOnline.org

Who Should Come to the Lord’s Table?

[T]hose who are truly sorrowful for their sins, and yet trust that these are forgiven them for the sake of Christ;  and that their remaining infirmities are covered by his passion and death;  and who also earnestly desire to have their faith more and more strengthened, and their lives more holy; but hypocrites, and such as turn not to God with sincere hearts, eat and drink judgment to themselves. 1 Cor. 10:19-22; 11:26-32, Ps. 50:14-16; Isa. 1:11-17

– Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 81

‍