May He Increase

Posted By Joe on April 7, 2009

Holy Week: 32 A.D.

• A Week That Changed History Forever
• Holy Week: Monday, April 7, 32 A.D.
• Holy Week: Tuesday, April 8, 32 A.D.
• Holy Week: Wednesday, April 9, 32 A.D.
• Holy Week: Thursday, April 10, 32 A.D.
• Holy Week: Friday, April 11, 32 A.D.
• Holy Week: Entr’acte
• Holy Week: Easter Sunday, April 13, 32 A.D.

After Jesus purified the temple of the leaven of the moneychangers (HT: Jeff M. of Jeofurry's Jesus Journey), He enraged the chief priests and the elders. They were never in Jesus' fan base, but after He had driven out the rabble, they were ready to attack.

The Challenge to the King

When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?" Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?" And they began reason among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the people; for they all consider John to be a prophet." And answering Jesus, they said, "We do not know." He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." --Matthew 21:23-27.

Remember that this is only two days after Jesus entered Jerusalem in the exact fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. Jesus clearly demonstrated to everyone whose authority He was acting through as He was declaring Himself their Messiah. Jesus was unfazed by their inquiry. He doesn't even respond to it. He asks them a question in response!

Jesus then begins to teach the people earnestly about a number of things. The four gospels all have something to say about this day, some more than others. We'll use Mark's gospel to describe the rest of this day. Mark's gospel is useful because we can pick up the rest of  the story of the fig tree.

As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Being reminded, Peter said to Him, "Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which You cursed has withered." And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions." --Mark 11:20-26.

These passages in Mark can be difficult to accept. They can also be easy to misunderstand. Firstly, Jesus tells the disciples (not the multitudes) to "have faith in God." This is the critical hinge for the rest of the passage. Had Jesus left this out and just started at verse 23--"Truly I say to you"--you would have faith in faith. That's not what the object of our faith should be. The object of our faith should always be God: a complete and total reliance on His perfect will. The use of the mountain can be likened to an insurmountable problem. On a personal note, that's where I'm at right now with my work life. I'm facing difficult financial decisions and the only way out I see is for God to carry us through. My faith is being tested.

The Parables of the King

And He began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vineg-rowers. They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But those vine-growers said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!' They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" They were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away. --Mark 12:1-12.

Jesus here gives an overview of the relationship of Israel to their prophets culminating with Jesus, "the beloved son." It's interesting that the chief priests here knew that Jesus was talking about them, but they didn't seem to really get that Jesus was the son of God. Also worth noting is that the reference to the owner/God destroying the vine-growers was prophetic of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. It's also worth mentioning that this could be God's reaction to those who, to this day, refusing to accept Jesus as the Messiah, the son of God.

After this, Mark goes into the passage describing the Pharisees attempt at tripping up Jesus over the Roman taxes and if the Jews should pay them.

"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." --Mark 12:17.

After that failed attempt, the Sadducees--who deny that there is no resurrection--tried to trick Jesus about a woman and her various husbands who die in this life. They asked Him in the resurrection, who's wife would she be. Jesus' answer to them is astounding. His whole argument is based on a verb tense!

Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I AM the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken." --Mark 12:24-27.

After several other teachings, Jesus then goes into a long passage of the future and the end of the age in Mark 13. Due to its length, I will attempt to provide highlights here. If you hover over the scripture references at the end of each bullet you can read the passages in the pop-up. First, the passage is broken out as follows:

• Jesus introduces the passage by telling the disciples that the magnificent building they see in front of them--the temple--will soon be destroyed (in 70 A.D.) in Mark 13:1-4.
• Verses 5-13 concern the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation in Mark 13:5-13.
• Verse 14 is the mid-point in Mark 13:14.
• Verses 15-23 are the second 3 1/2 years of the tribulation in Mark 13:15-23.
• Verses 24-27 concern Jesus' Second Coming at the end of the tribulation period in Mark 13:24-27.

We can close this day right where we began: with the fig tree.

"Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come." --Mark 13:28-33.

Jesus tells us that we can discern the times we are living in. But instead of getting caught up in wild speculation about when the end of the world will come--since no one but God knows when it will--we simply need to be on alert because Jesus can come at any time and we must be ready.

Tomorrow we will look at the anointing by Mary and Judas' agreement to betray Jesus.

May He Increase!

Categories: Mark, Matthew, Zechariah
Tags: authority, faith, fig tree, holy week, israel, passion week, Prophecy, prophets