13 Bible Verses about Jerusalem, Significance Of

Jesus entered Jerusalem, and went into the Temple Courts; and, after looking round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Every year the child's parents used to go to Jerusalem at the Passover Festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they went according to custom to Jerusalem, And had finished their visit; but, when they started to return, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, without their knowing it.read more.
Thinking that he was with their fellow-travelers, they went one day's journey before searching for him among their relations and acquaintances; And then, as they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching everywhere for him. It was not till the third day that they found him in the Temple Courts, sitting among the Teachers, now listening to them, now asking them questions. All who listened to him marveled at his intelligence and his answers. His parents were amazed when they saw him, and his mother said to him: "My child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching for you in great distress." "What made you search for me?" he answered. "Did not you know that I must be in my Father's House?" His parents did not understand what he meant. However he went down with them to Nazareth, and submitted himself to their control; and his mother treasured all that was said in her heart.

The Devil next led him into Jerusalem, and, placing him on the parapet of the Temple, said: "If you are God's Son throw yourself down from here,

Standing close to me, he said 'Saul, my Brother, recover your sight.' And then and there I recovered my sight and looked up at him. Then he said 'The God of our ancestors has appointed you to learn his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from his lips; For you shall be a witness for him to all the world of what you have just seen and heard.read more.
And now why wait any longer: Be baptized at once, wash away your sins, and invoke his Name. After my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying one day in the Temple, I fell into a trance, And saw Jesus saying to me 'Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'

"It was on this mountain that our ancestors worshiped; and yet you Jews say that the proper place for worship is in Jerusalem." "Believe me," replied Jesus, "a time is coming when it will be neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem that you will worship the Father.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! She who slays the Prophets and stones the messengers sent to her--Oh, how often have I wished to gather your children round me, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not came! Verily, your house is left to you desolate! For nevermore, I tell you, shall you see me, until you say-- 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!'"

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! she who slays the Prophets and stones the messengers sent to her--Oh, how often have I wished to gather your children round me, as a hen takes her brood under her wings, and you would not come! Verily your House is left to you desolate! and never, I tell you, shall you see me, until you say--'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

After saying this, Jesus went on in front, going up to Jerusalem. It was when Jesus had almost reached Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, that he sent on two of the disciples. "Go to the village facing us," he said, " and, when you get there, you will find a foal tethered, which no one has yet ridden; untie it and lead it here.read more.
And, if anybody asks you 'Why are you untying it?,' you are to say this--'The Master wants it.'" So the two who were sent went and found it as Jesus had told them. While they were untying the foal, the owners asked them--"Why are you untying the foal?" And the two disciples answered--"The Master wants it." Then they led it back to Jesus, and threw their cloaks on the foal and put Jesus upon it. As he went along, the people kept spreading their cloaks in the road. When he had almost reached the place where the road led down the Mount of Olives, every one of the many disciples began in their joy to praise God loudly for all the miracles that they had seen: "Blessed is He who comes--Our King--in the name of the Lord! Peace in Heaven, And glory on high."

And, as they were leading Jesus away, they laid hold of Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and they put the cross on his shoulders, for him to carry it behind Jesus. There was a great crowd of people following him, many being women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. So Jesus turned and said to them: "Women of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.read more.
A time, I tell you, is coming, when it will be said--'Happy are the women who are barren, and those who have never borne children or nursed them!' At that time people will begin to say to the mountains 'Fall on us,' and to the hills 'Cover us.' If what you see is done while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" There were two others also, criminals, led out to be executed with Jesus. When they had reached the place called 'The Skull,' there they crucified Jesus and the criminals, one on the right, and one on the left. [Then Jesus said: "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing."] His clothes they divided among them by casting lots. Meanwhile the people stood looking on. Even the leading men said with a sneer: "He saved others, let him save himself, if he is God's Christ, his Chosen One." The soldiers, too, came up in mockery, bringing him common wine, And saying as they did so: "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him were the words--'THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.' One of the criminals who were hanging beside Jesus railed at him. "Are not you the Christ? Save yourself and us," he said. But the other rebuked him. "Have not you," he said, "any fear of God, now that you are under the same sentence? And we justly so, for we are only reaping our deserts, but this man has not done anything wrong. Jesus," he went on, "do not forget me when you have come to your Kingdom." And Jesus answered: "I tell you, this very day you shall be with me in Paradise." It was nearly mid-day, when a darkness came over the whole country, lasting till three in the afternoon, The sun being eclipsed; and the Temple curtain was torn down the middle. Then Jesus, with a loud cry, said: "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit." And with these words he expired. The Roman Captain, on seeing what had happened, praised God, exclaiming: "This must have been a good man!" All the people who had collected to see the sight watched what occurred, and then went home beating their breasts. All the friends of Jesus had been standing at a distance, with the women who accompanied him from Galilee, watching all this.

But very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb, taking with them the spices that they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb; And, on going into it, they could not find the body [of the Lord Jesus].read more.
While they were at a loss to account for this, all at once two men stood beside them, in dazzling clothing. But, when in their fear the women bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them: "Why are you looking among the dead for him who is living? [He is not here; but he has risen.] Remember how he spoke to you before he left Galilee-- How he said that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of wicked men, and be crucified, and rise again on the third day." Then they remembered the words of Jesus, And, on returning from the tomb, they told all this to the Eleven and to all the rest. There were Mary of Magdala, and Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James. The other women, too, spoke about this to the Apostles. What they said seemed to the Apostles mere nonsense, and they did not believe them. [But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping down he saw nothing but the linen wrappings, and he went away, wondering to himself at what had taken place.]

And once, when he had gathered them together, he charged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the fulfillment of the Father's promise-- "that promise," he said, "of which you have heard me speak; For, while John baptized with water, you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit before many days have passed." So, when the Apostles had met together, they asked Jesus this question--"Master, is this the time when you intend to re-establish the Kingdom for Israel?"read more.
His answer was: "It is not for you to know times or hours, for the Father has reserved these for his own decision; But you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit shall have descended upon you, and shall be witnesses for me not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." No sooner had Jesus said this than he was caught up before their eyes, and a cloud received him from their sight.

In the course of the Festival at the close of the Harvest the disciples had all met together, When suddenly there came from the heavens a noise like that of a strong wind rushing by; it filled the whole house in which they were sitting. Then there appeared tongues of what seemed to be flame, separating, so that one settled on each of them;read more.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with strange 'tongues' as the Spirit prompted their utterances. Now there were then staying in Jerusalem religious Jews from every country in the world; And, when this sound was heard, numbers of people collected, in the greatest excitement, because each of them heard the disciples speaking in his own language. They were utterly amazed, and kept asking in astonishment: "What! Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that we each of us hear them in our own native language? Some of us are Parthians, some Medes, some Elamites; and some of us live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Roman Asia, In Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the districts of Libya adjoining Cyrene; some of us are visitors from Rome, Either Jews by birth or converts, and some are Cretans and Arabians--yet we all alike hear them speaking in our own tongues of the great things that God has done." They were all utterly amazed and bewildered. "What does it mean?" they asked one another. But there were some who said with a sneer: "They have had too much new wine." Then Peter, surrounded by the eleven other Apostles, stood up, and, raising his voice, addressed the crowd. "Men of Judea," he began, "and all you who are staying in Jerusalem, let me tell you what this means. Mark well my words. These men are not drunk, as you suppose; for it is only now nine in the morning! No! This is what is spoken of in the prophet Joel-- 'It shall come about in the last days,' God says, 'That I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind; your sons and your daughters shall become Prophets, your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams; Yes, even on the slaves--for they are mine--both men and women, I will in those days pour out my Spirit, And I will show wonders in the heavens above, and signs on the earth below--Blood and fire and mist of smoke; The sun shall become darkness, and the moon blood-red, Before the Day of the Lord comes--that great and awful day. Then shall every one who invokes the Name of the Lord be saved.'

Saul approved of his being put to death. On that very day a great persecution broke out against the Church which was in Jerusalem; and its members, with the exception of the Apostles, were all scattered over the districts of Judea and Samaria.