Week 44
Matthew 20:29-34, 26:6-13, Mark 10:46-52, 14:3-9, Luke 18:35-19:28, and John 11:55-12:11
In these passages Jesus is making His final journey from Galilee up to Jerusalem, and He goes through the city of Jericho before taking the road to Jerusalem from there. While in Jericho He heals numerous blind men, and also meets up with Zacchaeus, who was a tax collector of short stature. Zacchaeus becomes a believer, as does blind Bartamaus.
Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus goes to Bethany, which is a nearby town where Mary and Martha and Lazarus live. Jesus has dinner with a man named Simon, where an unnamed woman anoints the Lord’s feet with costly perfume, and this happens again in the house of Martha and Mary, where Mary also does the same thing - both of these were done in preparation for the Lord’s dead.
Matthew 21:1-22, Mark 11:1-26, Luke 19:29-48, and John 12:12-50
About a week before the Lord’s crucifixion, He rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies (Psalm 118:26 and Zechariah 9:9). Many Bible scholars also believe that it was on that day that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel (9:25-26), who predicted 483 years between the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the appearing of the Messiah.
For the second time in the Lord’s ministry, He cleanses the temple of the money changers and vendors, which He had also done at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:13-17).
Jesus begins preaching in the temple area, allowing Himself to be questioned by the Jews and the people, declaring Himself to be the Light sent into a world of darkness. In spite of His teaching, and His miracles, many remained deaf and blind to God among them, and plotted to kill Him.
Matthew 21:23-22:14, Mark 11:27-12:12, and Luke 20:1-19
In the Lord’s final week before the crucifixion, He teaches in the temple, and confronts the Pharisees regarding their guilt in rejecting Him. He tells a story about a highly prized vineyard, but the vineyard workers showed contempt for the owner. This story was a direct quote, and reference to what God said through the prophet in Isaiah 5:1-7, where God says that Judah is His vineyard, and Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they have made themselves enemies of God.
Jesus goes on to tell another story about a great king who scheduled a wedding feast for His Son, but the invited guests showed the king contempt, and refused to attend. The king sends an army to destroy them, and then freely invites any others who will come. This story again told of the unfaithfulness of the Jewish leaders, and how God was going to use their rejection of Him as an opportunity to throw open the doors of welcome to the whole gentile world, which is exactly what happened.
Matthew 22:15-46, Mark 12:13-37, and Luke 20:20-44
In these passages Jesus is being tested by the Pharisees and Sadducees in Jerusalem, trying in many ways to trap Him with various tests. In one they try to get Him to condemn Roman taxes, but He simply said “give to Caesar what belongs to him, and to God what belongs to Him”. The Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with a story about a woman who sequentially marries 7 brothers, but Jesus explains to them that they don’t understand the scriptures, or the power of God, as there is no marriage in heaven, and everyone who has died is still alive in heaven. By others He is asked about the greatest commandment, which He tells them to Love God with all of their being, and to love their neighbor as they love themself.
In the story of the first passover in Exodus 12, God tells Moses to take a perfect lamb on the 10th day of the month, to examine it and verify it is unblemished, and then kill it on the 14th day of the month. It is this same thing we are seeing in the days leading up to the Lord’s crucifixion, where He is being tested and examined, but found to be perfect, and without sin.
Matthew 23, Mark 12:38-44, and Luke 20:45-21:4
Jesus had been examined and tested by the scribes and Pharisees in the temple, who could find no fault in Him. He then turns and starts talking to the general people who have been listening to all that had been said. Jesus speaks harsh judgements against the scribes and the Pharisees, telling the people the extent of their hypocrisy, warning the people not to follow their horrible examples. He declares that they will suffer the judgement of God in their time because of the corruption of their hearts.
About this same time Jesus sits down and watches as people came to the temple to put money in the box. Some of the scribes and Pharisees and rich people made a big production out of giving money to the temple, but Jesus was blown away by the gift of the poorest of widows. All of the disciples around Him missed what had happened, but Jesus describes to them what a huge gift she had given, even though it was just 2 pennies, it was literally all that she had. God doesn’t expect us to give everything we have, but He is watching, just like Jesus did, and He will not fail to bless every gift in proportion to the heart of the giver.
Matthew 24:1-31, Mark 13:1-27, and Luke 21:5-27
These passages mark a portion of (what has been called) the Lord’s Olivet discourse, when He tells His disciples of many things that will happen in the last days. He first tells them the massive temple in front of them will cease to exist, with not even one stone left upon another, which was literally fulfilled almost 40 years from that time, when Titus Vespasian sacked Jerusalem and burned the temple to the ground, but then dismantled the temple stone by stone in order to recover all of the gold that melted in the fire (this gold ended up funding the construction of the Coliseum in Rome).
Jesus goes on to describe a time of the worst persecution in the history of the world, which will occur during the great tribulation at the end of the age. Many will suffer and die during this time, but before all life is extinguished, Jesus will appear with great glory in the sky, and will execute judgement upon satan, and the enemies of God.
Matthew 24:32-26:5, Mark 13:28-14:2, and Luke 21:28-22:6
The Lord finishes His Olivet discourse, telling His disciples in many different ways about things that will happen in the last days, and about the importance of maintaining a very watchful eye out for His return. He told the story of the 10 virgins, where only half of them were prepared to enter in to the celebration with the bride and Bridegroom. He also told a story about the Master giving His servants money to use while He is away, but He returns to get an accounting of what each servant did with what He gave them. The Lord has given each of His servants resources, and we will all be called to account for what we did for Him, with what He gave us, whether that be money, abilities, or responsibilities.
The days of this age are quickly drawing to a close, and it is important for each of us to also hear the words of Jesus, so that we are each watching for His return, and prepared to stand before Him at the Judgement Seat of Christ, where He will judge each person’s works for Him, as Christians.