I often wonder how Jesus felt at certain strategic moments during His earthly ministry. I know it’s impossible for me to understand, for I am a mere mortal, while He is the One who created all things. But still, I wonder.

One of those moments was when the crucifixion was just a few days away. While on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples to get a colt, a donkey, upon which no one had ever ridden. He would ride that donkey on what we call “The Palm Sunday Road” on His way into Jerusalem. This would be the last visit Jesus made to Jerusalem before He was betrayed by Judas. I have been blessed to walk down this road several times; of course, it wasn’t paved 2,000 years ago. I always wonder what Jesus was thinking as He headed for the Temple on this occasion.

We see the love Jesus had for Jerusalem in Luke 13:34: “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but ye would not.” Jerusalem was the city of God, but she was also known for killing the prophets. Now, they stood on the brink of doing the unthinkable.

As Jesus rides down this hilly road, there comes a point when the Garden of Gethsemane, the Kidron Valley, and the Eastern Gate are right before Him. For a moment, He paused, and for only the second time recorded in the Gospel stories, He wept. A portion of Luke 19:42 says, “If you only knew.”

Hebrews 5:7 would seem to indicate that there were other times when Jesus wept over sinful humanity. How do you think He feels when He sees the world of our day? Never before have people had a greater opportunity to know Jesus. The question we must all answer is simply this. Will we accept the greatest gift ever given to humanity? Jesus gave His life so we could have everlasting life.