Learning Jesus | Week 34
Learning Jesus Week 34
Will He Find Faith on the Earth?
Key Word – worship >> Central Passage – Days 3 & 4
Day 1
Background Information – Today’s questions are taken from a lesson on the Passover from one of our past sermon series titled Christ in the Old Testament. Reading this passage will increase your comprehension of how Jesus fulfills the Passover and Unleavened Bread Feasts during His passion.
The Egyptians enslaved the Israelites, but God heard their cry and sent Moses to deliver them through a series of ten plagues. Each plague is a just response to Pharaoh, an Egyptian god himself, who said “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice?...” The first three plagues affected both Israel and Egypt. The pagan magicians could reproduce them through occultic arts; however, they could not remove them. Plagues four to nine affected only the Egyptians. The last plague established who really had dominion, Pharaoh and his first born or God and His first-born Israel?
1. Read Exodus 12:1-14 for God’s directions for the Feast of the Passover.
2. Read Exodus 12:14-21 for God’s directions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
3. Write any other observations you have made and enjoy a time of worship.
Day 2
Background Information – It is the Tuesday before Passover when Jesus announces His death by crucifixion for the fourth time. Mark specifies that two days after Jesus announces His death was the Feast of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Feast of the Passover is always celebrated on the 14th of Nisan, which is the first month on the Hebrew calendar, with a dinner at sundown. The Feast of Unleavened Bread starts on the 15th and lasts for one week.
Read Matthew 26:1-5.
1. As high priest, Caiaphas oversaw all priests whose duties included sacrificing the lambs for Passover. Recall he said that it was better that one man should die than all of Israel perish.
What ironies do you see in this oh-so-human high priest?
2. Yesterday, you learned how these Feasts correlated to Israel’s deliverance from an enemy nation. How might that also play into Jewish leadership’s reluctance to kill Jesus during Passover?
Background Information – Rome also feared an “uproar” during these Feasts because what the Jews were celebrating was their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. This would be prime time for rebels to plan an insurrection to deliver Israel from Rome.
So neither Jewish leadership nor Roman officials would purposefully plan to put Jesus to death during such a time of heightened emotion. They both feared the crowds. Yet, through our brief study yesterday, we can understand why God would ordain His Son to die exactly at this time. As we continue our study, we shall see how Jesus fulfills each Jewish Feast God commanded in the Law.
3. Praise God that His rule rules all earthly rulers. Surrender our people, church, city, country, and world to His sovereign grace. Surrender yourself.
Day 3 Central Passage #1
Read John 12:2-3.
Background Information – The nard Mary poured was worth what a common working man made in a year. A woman would save to buy nard to use on her wedding night. Matthew and Mark state that this anointing took place in the home of Simon the leper and they do not name the woman as Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus. Also, in their accounts, Mary applies the nard to only Jesus’ head. It is in keeping with their themes to view this anointing as befitting a king. Only John notes that Mary applied the nard to Jesus’ feet. There is no discrepancy because Jesus later says Mary anointed His entire body for burial beforehand. Since the Jews ate a meal while reclining with their feet away from the table, anointing both Jesus’ head and feet would not be a problem.
1. Imagery is descriptive language that makes use of the five senses. When Scripture makes use of this imagery, the purpose is evoke emotion. It’s meant to startle you in a sense, to remind you to experience this with not just your brain, but your body. So let’s be fully in the room here.
Imagine you are Mary, breaking the bottle to get to the nard, pouring it into your hands to anoint Jesus’ head, then pouring the remainder on His feet and wiping it with your hair.
Imagine you are a disciple in the room watching this. The crack of the bottle, Jesus accepting the oil on His head by the hands of His disciple, Jesus accepting the oil on His feet and the wiping of its excess with the hair of His disciple, the beautiful fragrance that permeates the whole room.
o What is Mary’s attitude toward Jesus? What might explain her attitude?
o How could a watching disciple have yielded to worshiping with her?
Read John 12:4-6.
2. Between Mary’s actions and Judas’ response John placed a contrasting, “But.”
o Take time to reflect on the heart of a thief in general.
o Now reflect on this particular thief who was given the stewardship of the ministry purse. What lies from the pit of hell was he likely believing?
Background Information – John references Judas as the initiating complainer, but Mark includes that some “said to themselves indignantly, ‘Why was the ointment wasted like that?’” and they “scolded” her; among these were Mary’s fellow followers of Christ (Matt 26:8). Now read Jesus’ defense and response to these murmurers.
Read Mark 14:6-9.
3. Jesus’ attitude toward Mary and Himself
o How does Jesus commend Mary? What can we learn about what pleases our Lord?
o How does He correct the complainers’ attitude toward Himself?
Optional Memory Verses – But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. Mark 14:6
Day 4 — Central Passage #2
Background Information – Today’s passage about Judas’ decision to betray Jesus opens with the transition “then.” What event precedes Judas’ decision to betray Jesus?
1. Read John 12:2-8, and this time rivet your attention on what Jesus says about Himself as if you were Judas the ministry purse thief. How might you receive those words?
Read Luke 22:3-6.
Background Information – One way a demon can gain possession of a person is through habitual sin. In Judas’ case his habitual sin was stealing from the moneybag that provided for Jesus’ ministry. But Satan did not send a lower-ranking demon; he entered Judas himself. Judas made a covenant with the very leaders who accused Jesus of performing Messianic miracles through the power of Satan. These leaders needed to know where Jesus went when He was not preaching in public places so they could arrest Him apart from the crowd. They also needed Judas to appear before the governor to accuse Jesus of a crime punishable under Roman Law. We do not know when Judas did this, but we do know that a Roman cohort came to arrest Jesus. At some point, then, this requirement was met.
2. What details in Luke’s account here are sorrowful for you to read as a disciple of Christ?
Read Matthew 26:14-16.
Background Information – According to the Law, if one man’s ox gored another man’s slave, then he had to recompense him 30 pieces of silver (Exodus 21:32). So the price of a dead slave was 30 pieces of silver. There was no Tik Tok in Moses’ day, but this price became what we call “a thing.” The thing was 30 pieces of silver = contempt.
Fast forward to Zechariah. God commanded him to enact a parable to condemn the Jewish leadership. Zechariah had to feed a flock of sheep destined for slaughter. After doing that for a period of time, the prophet approached Jewish leadership and said basically this: “I know we did not agree in advance that you would pay me for caring for these lambs, but if their care was worth something to you, then pay me accordingly. If their care is not worth anything to you, then do not pay me at all.” Jewish leadership paid him, you guessed it, 30 pieces of silver. So then...God commanded Zechariah to throw the contemptuous silver in the Temple compound by saying, “Throw it to the potter” – the lordly price at which I was priced by them.”
The chief priests paid Judas the same price. The money came from the Temple treasury. The Temple treasury purchased all sacrifices.... No one can drip irony as well as our Sovereign God.
3. Reflect on Matthew’s text and the background information above.
o What is affirmed here about the heart of humanity?
o What is affirmed here about the heart of our Sovereign God?
Day 5
Background Information – At sundown on the 14th of Nisan the Passover began, and it ended after 24 hours on the 15th. Then the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted seven days, officially began. When a person refers to either feast, both of these are meant, but they are not one feast because Jesus fulfills each in a different way. The lamb is offered on the 14th, so Jesus’ death fulfills the Passover. On the evening of the 15th unleavened bread is eaten. Leaven is symbolic of sin. Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread by offering His sinless blood.
1. Reflect about Jesus’ fulfillments for yourself as we enter into this Feast with the disciples.
Read Mark 14:12-16.
2. Jesus refers to Himself as the Teacher. How has He been your Teacher in our Learning Jesus study? Enjoy a time of praise to Him.
Background Information – In Luke’s account he identifies the two disciples as Peter and John. Jesus instructs them to look for a man carrying water because in the Middle East women, not men, carry water, and this is true to this day. Before Peter and John prepared the meal, they had to deliver their one-year-old spotless male lamb to the Temple compound. The lamb would be killed and its blood poured out onto the base of the altar. Then parts of the lamb would be burned on the altar and the rest given to Peter and John. They would roast the lamb, prepare the charoset (chopped apples and nuts with honey, cinnamon, lemon juice, and wine), make the unleavened bread, and put the wine and bitter herbs for the table.
3. Why would you have enjoyed preparing the details for the Passover for Jesus to celebrate with you and your fellow disciples?
Enjoy a time of seeking God’s will for you in service unto Him.
REFLECTION Questions
1. In Mark’s juxtaposition, especially, we are meant to see the contrast between disciple Mary and disciple Judas. We have limited knowledge about both, but we know enough to think about key steps that led them to pivotal choices.
2. Of Judas, the Word said that Satan entered him. Read Genesis 3:15, which is God’s judgement upon Satan. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.
Enjoy a time of worship with your group praising the beautiful feet of Jesus. More Scripture is below and likely others will come to mind.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7
Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off. Nahum 1:15
3.. Of Mary, Jesus said, “And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her” (Mark 14:9). Read Romans 10:15. And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Enjoy a time of worship with your group praising God for the feet He sent our way and asking Him to send our beautiful feet to proclaim the gospel to the whole world. Please pray specifically for our partnerships with Radiation Coalition (Honduras), Global Fingerprints (India and the Congo), and a Grace duo’s scouting trip to Budapest in November.
COMMUNITY GROUP TIME
• Discuss the Central Passage questions. (This week that is Days 3 & 4)
• Is anyone able to recite all or part of Mark 14:6?
• Discuss Reflection Questions.
• Close in prayer.
God’s joy and strength to you, kpaulson@gracelaredo.org