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The Story of Jesus
Jesus halted, and a cloud of sorrow gathered upon His countenance,
and the multitude were astonished to see Him burst into an agony of
weeping.
Those who surrounded the Saviour could not understand His grief;
but He wept for the city that was doomed.
It had been the child of His care, and His heart was filled with
anguish as He realized that it would soon be made desolate.
Had her people given heed to Christ’s teaching, and received Him
as the Saviour, Jerusalem would have “stood forever.”
She might have become the queen of kingdoms, free in the strength
of her God-given power.
There would then have been no armed soldiers waiting at her gates,
no Roman banners waving from her walls.
From Jerusalem the dove of peace would have gone to all nations.
She would have been the crowning glory of the world.
But the Jews had rejected their Saviour; they were about to crucify
their King. And when the sun should set that night, the doom of
Jerusalem would be forever sealed. (About forty years afterward,
Jerusalem was utterly destroyed and burned with fire by the Roman
army.)
Reports had come to the rulers that Jesus was nearing the city with
a vast company of followers. They went out to meet Him, hoping to
scatter the throng. With a show of much authority they asked: “Who
is this?”
Matthew 21:10
.
The disciples, filled with the Spirit of inspiration, answered: “Adam
will tell you, ‘It is the Seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent’s
head.’
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“Ask Abraham. He will tell you, ‘It is Melchisedek, King of Salem,
King of Peace.’
“Jacob will tell you, ‘He is Shiloh of the tribe of Judah.’
“Isaiah will tell you, ‘Immanuel, Wonderful, Counsellor, the
mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.’
“Jeremiah will tell you, ‘The Branch of David, the Lord, our righ-
teousness.’
“Daniel will tell you, ‘He is the Messiah.’
“Hosea will tell you, ‘He is the Lord God of Hosts, the Lord is His
memorial.’