17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.
The crowds began to swell. It was a great day of popular acclaim for our Lord though sadly many had no spiritual perception of the happenings they had either viewed or heard about. Eyewitnesses and hearers of the miracle alike clamored to see our Lord as the city no doubt rang with the report. The crowd who had stood by when Jesus had simply called Lazarus out of His grave had spread the word – unanimously and beyond dispute or contradiction. The truth of the miracle was evidenced by incontestable proofs. Therefore, the news of the miraculous sign He performed spread like wildfire causing a great surge of people to come and meet this Jesus. Luke tells us:
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Luke 19:37-38 (NIV)
Matthew also states the following in his gospel regarding the event:
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." Matt 21:10-11 (NIV)
Since Jesus had normally avoided Jerusalem, many of the inhabitants did not know or recognize Him. Yet interestingly, this event marked the official presentation of Jesus Christ to the nation of Israel as the rightful Son of King David. Perhaps this is why we find Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem in Luke’s gospel as they did not recognize the time of our Lord’s coming:
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 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. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Luke 19:41-44 (NIV)
Jesus rejected Jerusalem because Jerusalem rejected Him. He weeps over the inhabitants of the city because they did not comprehend the significance of what was going on in their day – they did not recognize the time of God’s coming to them. They received God’s grace in vain. This begs the question for us as well. Have we recognized the time of God’s coming to us? Have we embraced the Prince of Peace? The time of opportunity is upon us now. Paul tells us quite succinctly in 2 Corinthians:
20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2 For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Cor 5:20-6:2 (NIV)
In an impassioned plea Paul here addresses the world on Christ’s behalf. The sins of the world were placed on the Sinless Savior so that in turn His righteousness could be placed on those who would trust in Him. Righteousness is obtainable by faith alone through Christ alone and Paul warns us in this passage that we are not to receive God’s grace in vain. We have a most willing and loving Savior delighting to do His Father’s will to make a way for the lost and guilty man to draw near to God in peace. He loved the poor sinful world that He came to save:
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:16-18 (NIV)
“The grace of God does not find men fit for salvation, but makes them so.” Augustine
The Lord Jesus was a most willing sacrifice on the cross and He remains a most willing Savior at the right hand of God. He is just as willing to receive sinners who come to Him now for salvation and peace as He was to die for sinners when He held back is omnipotent hand and willingly suffered on Calvary. Not only is Christ our peace, He also came and preached peace to all men on the basis of what He would accomplish. Paul states this in Ephesians:
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. Eph 2:17 (NIV)
Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son. “Ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the incarnation of God. Dietrich Bonheoffer