Learning Jesus | Week 28
Learning Jesus Week 28
Always, the Father Wills Glory
Key Word – son >> Central Passage – Days 2 & 5
Day 1
Background Information – In Lesson 27, we read that on Palm Sunday Jesus rode into Jerusalem on an unbroken colt. As He left Jerusalem that same Sunday, He lamented over the city and then prophesied her destruction. His disciples may have wondered: Would that curse come to pass? Is it in the will of God? The next day on Monday, Jesus traveled again from Bethany to Jerusalem and on the way He cursed a fig tree: “May no one ever eat from you again.” Again, the disciples may have wondered about that curse. Would it come to pass? Was it in the will of God? In today’s text, it is now Tuesday. Jesus and His disciples are again traveling from Bethany to Jerusalem, and the disciples get their answer.
Read Mark 11:19-26.
1. Jesus did not set up His kingdom as expected on Sunday. Does He have Messiah authority...?
o How did the disciples know that Jesus’ cursing of Jerusalem and a fig tree were both in accordance with the will of God?
o What should this affirm to them about Jesus?
2. God did not answer the disciples’ kingdom prayer...not yet. What is God’s will for them now...?
o What two conditions does Jesus state a disciple must meet before God will answer his prayer?
o Why does Jesus take the opportunity at this time to teach about these conditions?
Background Information – Notice that Jesus does not explain why the fig tree is withered. Instead, as Tom Constable points out, Jesus teaches about the means by which it happened.
Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree. That’s startling. The next day that fig tree is withered to its roots. Also startling. A mountain rooted up and thrown into the sea. Again, startling. That Jesus assumes His disciples could pray such prayers and God would actually move to answer them...mind blown!
3. We know that when we pray, we should also surrender to the will of God. Reflect on how to apply what you learned about prayer in this lesson. Then enjoy a time of prayer with your Father.
Day 2 — Central Passage #1
Background Information – In Lesson 27 we learned that on Palm Sunday Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the same day that the sacrificial lambs were set aside for the Passover. For four days the lambs would be inspected for flaws. Now the Lamb whom John the Baptizer proclaimed would take away the sins of the world will be inspected four different times by different leader groups. Their purpose is to trip Jesus up, to expose a flaw in Him. If they succeed, then the people will rise up against Jesus, and they will have a reason to bring Him to trial. In today’s text, the Sadducees (chief priests) and Pharisees (scribes with elders) are the first team to test Him with a question.
1. Read Luke 20:1-2. Recall that John questioned the religious leaders’ for coming to the Jordan River, calling them “a brood of vipers,” a family of venomous snakes; Jesus echoed John’s assessment when the Pharisees accused Him of performing a Messianic miracle through the power of Satan (Matthew 3:7; 12:34). Here they are questioning Jesus’ authority.
o According to John and Jesus, under whose authority are the leaders ruling the people?
o The original intentions of the Pharisees were to write laws that would keep the people from sinning against God’s law. From these original Pharisees followed the Pharisaic practice of teaching from the authority of “tradition,” meaning to strictly teach what former teachers taught. They knew Jesus never enrolled in a rabbinic school. Nor would Jesus need or want to do so. Why?
Background Information – A pattern we often see in the Old Testament is that when men question God, God answers their question with a question. In Mark’s telling of this story, Jesus answers the leaders’ question with [You] “Answer Me.” As you read, consider how Jesus who is God seeks to lead leaders in rebellion against His authority to repentance.
2. Read Luke 20:3-8. How does the reasoning of the Sadducees and Pharisees reveal their improperly placed fear?
3. Remember Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the very day Jewish households brought in a male lamb to inspect it for flaws before sacrificing it as a sin offering. The Sadducees and Pharisees attempted to reveal a flaw in Jesus with their question. What did their question flipped back to them reveal about Jesus?
Day 3
Background Information – Jesus is now going to actually answer the Sadducees and Pharisees’ question: “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority?” But He will do so by telling three parables, and we will examine each one over Days 3-5. A persuasive device that a preacher can use to convict his listeners is to address them directly using the second-person “you.” Notice how Jesus does this in today’s text.
Read Matthew 21:28-32.
1. Which son represents the tax collectors and prostitutes? Which son represents the Sadducees and Pharisees?
2. How did the authentic sons and daughters of God outwardly show their hearts in response to John’s call?
3. In this parable, Jesus answers their question about His authority by going back to the authority of His forerunner John.
o How does the repentance of tax collectors and prostitutes reveal the source of John’s authority?
o How can we act like sinning tax collectors and prostitutes in our responses to God?
o How does your daily posturing of your son|daughter heart to the will of God show His authority over your life?
Enjoy some repentance time with the Lord now. Know that His authority is so absolute that He will bring to full fruition His sanctifying work in you. Philippians 1:6
Day 4
Background Information – Jesus’ audience would be very familiar with Israel’s history of persecuting and killing both her pre-exilic and post-exilic prophets. These prophets affirmed that God would keep the covenant He made with Israel in the book of Deuteronomy. If Israel did not keep her covenant with God, then, just as Moses declared, she would be overrun by the nations and taken into exile (Deuteronomy 30:15-18). John the Baptizer, the last of the Old Testaments prophets, also warned the people and their brood-of-vipers leaders about their need to repent. For that he was beheaded.
Regarding today’s text, the Parable of the Master of a House, Bock states that “virtually every step in the story has a correspondence in Israel’s history.” This is in keeping with an allegorical story, which is an effective literary device when its audience can easily connect the dots from the allegorical story to a well-known literal past or present event. As you read, try to connect the detail dots from this story to Israel’s story.
Read Matthew 21:33-46.
Background Information – In Luke’s telling of this story, Jesus is addressing the people. So it is the people who answer Jesus that the master of the house would put the wretched tenants to a miserable death; however, as we just read, the Sadducees and Pharisees heard the parable and understood they are the tenants who kill the son. Now they know that Jesus knows their intentions to kill him. And like the prophets of old, Jesus uses the Word of God to warn them that they shall be destroyed for defying God’s covenant (Psalm 118:22-23). You can read Isaiah 5:1-7 to see how Jesus built this parable using details from this prophecy as well.
1. Connect the details dots from Israel’s history to this parable.
o Who is the master of the house?
o What actions did the master take after planting his vineyard?
o Who are the tenants?
o Who are the sent servants? What was their job?
o Who is the beloved son, the heir?
o Why did the tenants kill him?
2. Responses
o How do the people answer Jesus’ question about what the owner of the vineyard shall do to the tenants? (vs40-41)
o Explain verse by verse Jesus’ response to the people and to the listening chief priests and Pharisees.
· vs 42 See also Psalm 118:22-26.
· vs 43
· vs 44 See this through Jesus’ prophecy that Jerusalem shall be destroyed. This occurred in A.D. 70, and the result was the Jews were scattered throughout the world, and the leadership system of Pharisees and Sadducees was made obsolete.
o How do the chief priests and Pharisees respond...again? (vs45-46)
3. It’s hard to imagine that the tenants (chief priests and Pharisees) really believe they can get away with killing the master’s son. It’s also hard to imagine a master sending his son if he knew his very own tenants would kill him.
o What kind of Person would this Master have to be?
o Consider how this parable answers the leaders’ question about the source of Jesus’ authority. Write a prayer of praise to the Master who sent such a Son.
Deep Think (Optional)
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Matthew 21:43
Replacement theologians use Matthew 21:43 to teach that the kingdom shall be taken from the Jews and given instead to the Church; however, the Church is not a nation and is never referred to as a nation. In contrast the Church with a capital C is from every nation, all tribes, peoples, and languages -- all whom God has declared righteous through the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10). The nation referred to, therefore, in this verse is Israel. Jesus’ generation as a nation rejected Him, but during the Tribulation, Israel shall call for Him to return. A careful reading of Romans 9-11 helps us to understand the Father-Master-King’s sovereign wisdom in bringing good from Israel’s rejection of the Son by grafting the Gentiles into the family of God. In His perfect timing He will call Israel to repent so that He can fulfill all His promises to her.
The unconditional covenants God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen 15:18-21; 26:2-5; 28:13-15) and David (2 Sam 7:11b-17; Eze 37:24-25) as well as numerous Old Testament prophecies will be fulfilled when God regathers a regenerated Israel (Deut 30:1-10; Isa 11:12; Luke 1:30-33) to their promised literal Messianic Kingdom with their King ruling the whole world (Matt 23:37-39; Zech 8:21-23; 14:9). If we believe God will indeed save Gentiles as He promised, then we should believe He will fulfill His promises to His elect (Jer 31:31-34; Rom 11).
Day 5 — Central Passage #2
Background Information – Jesus answers the Sadducees and Pharisees’ question: “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority” by telling one final parable. The marriage feast in this parable and other parables symbolizes the Messianic Kingdom which shall be established after the Tribulation when Jesus returns again. At such a lavish wedding as this, the host would provide the proper garments for his guests to wear. As you read, try to again connect the detail dots between this story and to – from the perspective of His listeners – future events Jesus has already referenced regarding His death and coming Kingdom.
Read Matthew 22:1-14.
1. Connect the details dots from Israel’s history and future to this parable.
o Who is the king?
o Who is his son?
o Who were those invited to the marriage feast?
o Who are the sent servants? Think gospel and Acts servants.
o What did those invited do instead of coming to the marriage feast?
o How did the king respond to their rejection of his son?
Background Information – There is a significant time jump in this parable from the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 to the Jews of the Tribulation. Jesus jumps using these words “The wedding feast is ready, but those invited [the generation that rejected Jesus while He dwelt among them at His first coming] were not worthy” (Matt 22:8).
Due to the Tribulation, Jews shall repent and call for the return of the Messiah. Anticipating their repentance, the Father shall have prepared the Marriage Feast. This generation of tribulation Jews shall respond to the Lord’s invitation (Matt 22:9-10).
2. Just a few days from the cross, Jesus is still calling individual Jews to repentance. So He highlights one individual, one called “friend,” who is improperly dressed for the wedding feast.
o Given that Jesus repeatedly refers to the Lake of Fire as a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” reserved for those who until their death reject Him, what do the wedding garments symbolize?
o Why is the man with no wedding garment speechless?
3. Throughout the Bible, a person’s attire symbolizes their character, and since Adam and Eve, God has chosen what attire a person must wear to stand in His presence. Read the Scriptures listed below and reflect on what they teach about God’s character and the character of those whom He chooses to adopt as sons and daughters.
o Genesis 3:7, 21
o Ephesians 1:4-7
o Revelation 7:9-10 (this lesson’s memory verse)
Optional Memory Verse – After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”Revelation 7:9-10
If time does not allow for your group to do the Reflection Questions, then have your group answer the questions in your group texting chat during the week. Put one question per day in the chat.
REFLECTION Questions
These questions along with the Central Passage will usually be the focus of your group’s discussion each week.
Jesus told three parables in response to Jewish leadership asking Him to answer this question: “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority?” All of His parables include a son, first a son of a father, then the son of a master, and finally the son of a king.
1. Reflect on the memory verse (on bottom of previsious page) as a group. Then share with one another how you are experiencing the authority of God (Father, Master, King) and His Son, the spotless Lamb, in your life right now.
2. How are you acting on the authority you have in Christ the Son to – in faith (not fear) – bear fruit for His eternal kingdom?
3. How can your group pray for you in regard to questions 1 and 2?
Use the space below to record your group’s prayer requests.
COMMUNITY GROUP TIME
• Discuss the Central Passages questions. (This week that is Days 2 and 5.)
• 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 Revelation 7:9-10?
• Discuss Reflection Questions.
• Close in prayer.
God’s joy & strength to you,
kpaulson@gracelaredo.org