Learning Jesus | Week 11
Learning Jesus Week 11
Kingdom Love III
Key Word – Rejection >> Central Passage Matthew 12:30-45
In our passages this week, Jesus is rejected by everyone He encounters except one sinner. But He still continues to call the weary to follow Him and to proclaim the kingdom. I encourage you to read all the background information and passages (or listen to them at http://gracelaredo.org/learnngjesus) even if you cannot do the questions because Jesus is about to change His kingdom call, and these passages are key to understanding why. Also these passages help us to understand the wisdom of our omniscient and sovereign loving God who will use the rejection of Israel to demonstrate His grace to the Gentiles and create a Church where Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles are one family.
Day 1 Matthew 11:20-30
Background Information – In this passage Jesus states that if He had done the miracles He performed in the Israelite cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum in the pagan cities of Tyre and Sidon and Sodom, these Gentile cities would have repented. In Isaiah 23, Tyre is described as a proud harlot, so her repentance may seem unlikely. In Genesis 19, God destroys the city of Sodom because it was guilty of many heinous sins. However, in the book of Jonah, God sent Jonah to preach to Nineveh, another pagan city guilty of sin, and they did indeed repent. (Jesus is going to reference this story in our Day 4 passages when He pronounces judgment on Israel.) As you read Matthew 11:20-24, review what Jesus states about the day of judgment that helps us understand how unbelievers will be judged.
1. Why would it be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Sodom than for these cities where Jesus performed many miracles?
Background Information – Here Jesus gives a reason why these three cities did not repent and why those judged by Pharisees to be “unsavable” are saved. The rabbinic figure of the yoke is an idiom for “going to school.” Jesus calls those under the heavy yoke of the Pharisees and their man-made laws to take His yoke upon them instead. It is an invitation to belief and discipleship.
2. How do “little children” know the Father while the “wise and understanding” do not? (Matt 11:25-27)
3. Jesus does reveal the Father to whom He chooses. But note in Matthew 11:28-30 how Jesus also gives a call and a promise.
o What heavy yoke were you under when Jesus called you to come?
o What did Jesus promise you and still promises you today?
o Besides coming to Jesus in faith, what else was He asking you then & still today to do?
o How have you found Jesus your Teacher to be gentle and lowly (humble) with you His learner?
Day 2 Luke 7:36-50; Luke 8:1-3
Background Information – The woman in this story is referred to as a “sinner,” which is a euphemism for prostitute, but she could be called a sinner for another reason known in her community. If the perfume she used was nard, then the cost would be the same as a year’s wages for a manual laborer. The weeping of the woman is described with the word used for rain showers, and her kissing is the same word used to describe how the father kissed the prodigal son when he returned home. When Simon the Pharisee describes the woman as “touching” Jesus, his tense choice shows extended contact. Overall, this story is replete with irony. See the Deep Think for this week which reviews irony for you. Understanding irony is important to following how Jesus ministers to sinners with compassion and conviction.
1. Why does the Pharisee judge Jesus? Why do those at the table also judge Jesus?
2. Connecting Forgiveness, Love, and Faith.
o How does Jesus judge the love of the sinner (one of the little children from Day 1)?
o How does Jesus judge the love of Simon the Pharisee (one of the wise & understanding from Day 1)?
3. What similarities do you see in this story and the story of the paralytic in Luke 5:17-26?
Background Information – Although women in Jesus’ time often supported the work of rabbis, they were not allowed to accompany the rabbi they supported. Jesus is acting very counter-culturally here.
Day 3 Mark 3:20-21; Matthew 12:22-29; Mark 3:22-27
Background Information – In today’s reading, Jesus is officially rejected by leadership after He heals a demon-possessed deaf-mute man. The Jewish method for casting out a demon was to find out the name of the demon by speaking to him through the possessed person, but a deaf-mute could not speak the name. Therefore, like the healing of a leper, the casting out of a demon who caused the possessed person to be deaf-mute was another miracle that Israel believed only the Son of David or the Messiah could do. As you listen, pay attention to the cause and effect of each event before and after Jesus casts out this demon. This is crucial to understanding on what grounds Jesus is rejected and why He rescinds offering the kingdom to Israel and why He begins to speak in parables to the crowds. You can check your understanding against the “answer key” at the end of today’s reading.
1. Use the notes and the two passage to list the events of Jesus’ rejection in order.
Answers are at the bottom of the page, but do the work before checking them .
2. What about their accusations does Jesus find illogical? Answers are below, but think it through first.
3. Read through the order of the events below. It also includes extra notes to aid your understanding. What did you learn that helps you understand and love Jesus more?
Background Information – In today’s readings the events are as follows:
1) Jewish leadership has completed the observation and interrogation stages into Jesus’ Messianic claims, and they decided to reject Jesus as the Messiah. This explains why in in Mark 3:22, Mark states that the scribes had come down from Jerusalem. They came to find an opportunity to state their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah publicly.
2) The crowds are so intrusive Jesus and His followers cannot even eat.
3) Jesus must be acting with great zeal anticipating that His official rejection is imminent because His friends think He needs rescuing from Himself.
4) A demon-possessed man who is a blind deaf-mute is brought to Jesus for healing.
5) Jesus casts out the demon without using the demon’s name. Before when Jesus cast out demons, the crowd wondered how He did it with such authority, but NOW the crowd wonders if He is the Son of David, meaning the Messiah.
6) Given the crowds’ conclusion, the Pharisees/Scribes must act now. They state that Jesus performs miracles through Beelzebub’s power, To mock the Philistines’ pagan god Beelzebul, the rabbis had altered the name by one letter to make it Beelzebub. This changed the meaning from “lord of the royal palace” to “lord of the flies” or “lord of the dung.” Satan became known by Beelzebub. So Jesus is rejected because Jewish leadership claims that He performs His works through the power of Satan. Later the Talmud states that leadership needed to execute Jesus because He seduced Israel with His sorcery. Neither the Talmud nor other rabbinic sources deny that Jesus performed miracles.
7) Jesus defends Himself against the Pharisees’ accusation that He is demon possessed by asking three logical questions that turned into statements convey the following: A. Satan would not cast out himself, for a divided kingdom does not stand. B. If Jesus has cast out demons by Satan’s power, then the Pharisees have also cast out demons by Satan’s power. C. Jesus is stronger than Satan “the strong man,” and He will destroy Satan’s kingdom.
Day 4 Matthew 12:30-45 Central Passage for the Week
If you did not read or listen to the passages for yesterday, Day 3 of Week 11, then go back to them before continuing here. Day 3 is crucial to understanding this major turning point in Jesus’ ministry.
Read Matthew 12:30-32 first. These words of Christ are often misunderstood as being an unpardonable sin that a person today could commit. Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum defines the unpardonable sin as “The national rejection of the Messiahship of Yeshua by Israel on the grounds of demon possession while He was physically present on earth.” The sin was a “national rejection,” and it was committed while Jesus “was physically present on earth.” A Jewish individual of this same generation could still choose to trust Christ for salvation. The book of Acts describes many such persons of that generation who did so, including the Apostle Paul. It is important to pay attention in today’s remaining readings to how Jesus is addressing “this generation” of the nation of Israel. Only that generation of Israel is guilty of this unpardonable sin, and the “whoever speaks” in verse 32 must be understood in context of this generation of Israel. When Jesus states that whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit “in this age or in the age to come,” He is officially rescinding the offer of the kingdom to this generation. Later in Matthew 24 and 25, He will prophesy of a future generation of Israel who will repent of rejecting Him and ask for Him to come a second time.
1. Clearing Misunderstandings for Matthew 12:30-32
o How is the unpardonable sin different from rejecting Christ as Savior?
o What would you say to someone who thought he committed “the unpardonable sin”?
2. Read Matthew 12:33-37. How is Jesus using logic here to defend His ministry in response to the Pharisees’ (the bad trees and evil treasures) rejection of Him?
3. Read Matthew 12:38-45. Underline the word “generation” along with any descriptors that go with it.
In response to Jesus’ condemnation, the Pharisees ask for yet another sign. Jesus promises only the sign of Jonah, the sign of resurrection. Just as Jonah died and after three days God resurrected him, Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead after three days and the Father would raise His Son after three days. During the Tribulation, the two witnesses will also be raised after three days as Israel’s final “sign” of resurrection (Revelation 11).
o Why do you think this is the only sign Jesus will give to the Israel now that this generation has rejected Him?
Twice before Israel has suffered consequences for national sin. In both instances, their consequences were not removed even though the individuals responsible for the judgment repented. And in both instances, the consequences were a physical judgement for the entire nation. Numbers 13-14 describes why the Israelites were condemned to wander the wilderness for forty years, and 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33 help us understand why the Israelites were condemned to exile for seventy years.
As we continue to read the gospels, Jesus will prophesy the imminent destruction of Jerusalem as this generation’s consequence for rejecting Him. In this passage, Jesus merely hints of that consequence by comparing Israel’s empty state to the empty state of a man formerly possessed by one demon. Just like eight demons return to occupy the empty man, the last state of this generation will be worse than it was before. This generation merely lived under Roman occupation, but in AD 70 Roman armies completely destroyed Jerusalem, and the Jews were dispersed among all the nations among whom they suffered one persecution after another. It is not until after the Holocaust that Israel is recognized as a nation in her own right. The last state of Israel was indeed worse than the state this generation suffered before rejecting the Messiah.
o Consider the notes above along with Matthew 12:41-45. What are we learning about the justice of God throughout time and into eternity for those who reject Him?
Day 5 Matthew 13:10-17
If you have not already completed Days 3-4 readings, which are crucial for understanding this turning point in Jesus’ ministry, please do so before continuing Day 5.
Background Information – After Jesus tells the people the parable of the soils, which we will cover next week, Jesus’ disciples ask Him, “Why do you speak to them [meaning the people] in parables?” It is important to understand that although Jesus has taught before His rejection using various figures of speech, His teachings were clear to the people. We see that by how they respond. Now that Jesus has condemned this generation of Israel, we shall see Him teaching using parables that are not easily understood.
The parables that Jesus will tell following Israel’s rejection of His Messiahship will fall under the category of “kingdom of heaven” parables. Next week we shall learn many facets about the kingdom of heaven through those many parables. As you read today’s passage, focus on who is allowed to understand these parables and who is not allowed.
1. How does Jesus justify to His disciples that He will now speak in parables?
2. Why does Jesus include that His speaking in parables was prophesied by Isaiah? Consider what this teaches about God’s sovereignty and omniscience.
3. How are you, like Jesus’ disciples, blessed? (See Matthew 13:16-17). Consider writing this in the form of a prayer to God.
re-jesus space
This re-jesus space is where we will take time as a Christ community to ensure we are applying the truth we know to our lives in real time. Not just talking about what we will do, but doing it now and together.
Prayer for Israel –
Pray that the press would report events accurately to avoid unnecessary harm. Pray that innocent blood would be minimized. Pray for those who have been kidnapped. Pray that other Muslim nations would not join in the fighting. Pray for believers around the world to be in prayer and for believers on site to be safe and strong in the Word of the gospel. Pray that our enemy and the enemy of the Lord would be thwarted and disciplined.
Prayer for Our Generation --
Every person in our generation must make the choice to accept or reject Jesus as his or her Messiah. Consider with your group how the world and the evil one blinds this generation to the gospel. Ask God in His mercy to open the eyes and ears of our generation to receive the gospel, that those who are weary and heavy laden would come to Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30, Day 1 passage).
Our church knows the challenges of living in this generation. Pray that we will love Jesus and our generation enough to stand firm on the Truth in the face of inevitable rejection by many.
You can do popcorn prayer with your group. Popcorn prayer means that you pray in any order around the circle; no one dominates by praying extensively; any person can pray more than once. Everyone is praying as the Spirit puts praise, confession, requests on his or her heart. It is a conversation with your group and with the Lord.
COMMUNITY GROUP TIME
• Discuss the Central Passages questions. (This week that is Day 4 Matthew 12:30-45)
• Open Share Time -- Allow time for each to share “starred” insights or questions from Days 1-5. Allow others to respond to the shared insight.
• Is anyone able to recite all or part of Matthew 11:28-30?
• re-jesus space
God’s joy & strength to you,
kpaulson@gracelaredo.org