March 8 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Luke 23:27–31

Devotional

The weeping women of Jerusalem were mourning for the Lord Jesus, but they failed to recognize that He was suffering for sinners. These tears were not tears of contrition but of compassion. The women totally misunderstood what was happening. Their tears were not a comfort for the Savior, but rather these tears increased His suffering.

Behind those tears lay concealed the cry: “Crucify Him,” for with all their tears, they still did not ask for a Surety for their sins. When we mourn only for someone else, we do not partake of his suffering. We only sympathize with him. And this was how these women were. They were not partakers of suffering. They only expressed their sincere condolences. This suffering had nothing to do with them because they thought that the curse Jesus was to pay for was not theirs. So they had tears without guilt.

The tears of the daughters of Jerusalem were false tears. Although tender and emotional, the women denied the atoning work of Christ. Therefore, their tears did not comfort the suffering Christ. On the contrary, they made His suffering worse. Even with tears we can reject the Savior and so fill the cup of His suffering. We can be emotional and yet not admit our guilt. Oh, how we need the revealing work of the Holy Spirit. He will glorify the Surety by pointing to Him as the One who takes away the guilt of a sinner. Christ is only glorified when man acknowledges his sins. Do not trust your tears.

Do not weep. And yet weep! But weep about yourself. We should be mourning about our sinfulness. We should mourn much about the dry wood that can nevermore bring forth any fruit from itself and is therefore fit to be cast into the fire. Weep with the tears of your soul. In this way, you can follow the Lamb of God. Admit that you are worthy of eternal perdition and then His cross becomes your cross. Oh, what grace there is in a suffering and dying Christ. He wept for those who weep for themselves. And His tears shall dry their tears forever.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.