You might be surprised to know that even Jesus Christ Himself at times was angry. What made Jesus angry? We’re going to look at that today. And we’re also go to look at what makes God sad. Yes, God can experience sadness just like you and I can. We’re going to see a story where Jesus shows both deep sorrow and righteous indignation.
Practical Principles
- Unbelief makes God sad. Rejection of His promises makes God sad. Jesus was sad as He entered Jerusalem, openly weeping, brokenhearted. Why would He be brokenhearted during such a time of celebration? Because His ministry was almost over. Time was short and, by and large, He had been rejected. The Bible says that “He came to His own and His own received Him not.” Jesus healed their sick, raised their dead, cleansed their lepers, fed their hungry, and forgave their sins, but at this point He’s mostly alone and rejected and He knew that one of His own disciples, Judas Iscariot, was about to betray Him.
- God gets angry when we become a barrier to people coming to Christ. Jesus overturned the tables in the temple because people were being kept from worship. This was not just a random explosion of anger on the part of Jesus. This was righteous indignation.
Relevant Reminders
- Some of the people who were saying, “Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday, were saying “Crucify Him!” only days later.
- Jesus rode into Jerusalem essentially declaring Himself to the Romans as a conqueror and declaring Himself to the Jews as the Messiah. He was not a helpless victim. He was coming as a powerful victor marching bravely into battle.
- The church should be available to everyone. It’s not just a place for us to worship. It’s a place for us to reach out to lost people that need Jesus Christ.
- Just like little cute animals grow into big ones, little sins can turn into big sins.
Applicable Actions
Are you a bridge or are you a barrier to people coming to Christ? Be a bridge. We need to pray to God, saying, “Lord, I want to be a bridge to nonbelievers coming to believe in You.”
