Connect Ezekiel 21:6 with Jesus' lament over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37. Setting the Scene - Ezekiel ministers to Judah on the eve of Babylonian invasion (early 590s BC). - Jesus speaks just days before His crucifixion, foretelling Rome’s destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70). - Both moments occupy a tipping point: generations of rebellion have ripened into judgment. Ezekiel’s Bitter Groan (Ezekiel 21:6) “ But you, son of man, groan! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.” - God commands Ezekiel to embody divine anguish. - The public groan is a visible, audible sign that judgment is no cold decree; it wrenches God’s own heart (cf. Hosea 11:8). - The sword is coming (21:3–5), yet the first sound is not thunder—it is a sob. Jesus’ Heartfelt Lament (Matthew 23:37) “ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling.” - Jesus, the ultimate Prophet, cries over the same city. - Rejection of messengers has reached its climax in the rejection of the Messiah Himself (cf. John 1:11). - The maternal image reveals God’s yearning protection; the chicks’ refusal exposes entrenched unbelief. - Judgment follows: “Look, your house is left to you desolate.” (Matthew 23:38). Shared Themes: Grief, Rebellion, Imminent Judgment 1. Divine sorrow: • Ezekiel groans; Jesus weeps (Luke 19:41–44). 2. Persistent rebellion: • Judah “disdained all My statutes” (Ezekiel 20:16). • Jerusalem “kills the prophets” (Matthew 23:37). 3. Announced devastation: • Babylon’s sword (Ezekiel 21:3–5). • Rome’s siege and temple ruin (Matthew 24:2). 4. Mercy offered, mercy refused: • Ezekiel’s groan is a last warning. • Jesus’ outstretched wings are a final invitation. The Title “Son of Man”: Prophetic Continuity - God calls Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times, reminding him of his shared humanity with the judged nation. - Jesus adopts the same title, yet with heavenly authority (Daniel 7:13–14; Matthew 26:64). - The Son of Man in Ezekiel mourns for sin; the Son of Man in the Gospels bears sin. God’s Heart Unchanged - From exile to Calvary, the Lord remains “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion” (Psalm 103:8). - Even in judgment He “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). - The cross stands as the ultimate proof: divine grief becomes divine substitute (Isaiah 53:4–6). Responding Today - Hear the groan, heed the lament—both still speak. - Acknowledge the kindness and severity of God (Romans 11:22). - Flee the coming wrath by running to the sheltering wings of Christ (Psalm 91:4; Hebrews 6:18). |
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