“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. “ (James 1:12 ESV)
Luke 19:28-46
ž The Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday is recorded in all four Gospels. In Matthew (an eye-witness to the event) we get the basis for why it’s called Palm Sunday:
ž “Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” (Mt 21:8)
ž When Jesus is entering the city the people are expecting the conquering king- but notice that Jesus is not riding the horse that a military General would have ridden. Jesus is riding the lowly donkey; he does this on purpose.
ž “Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” (Mt 21:8)
ž When Jesus is entering the city the people are expecting the conquering king- but notice that Jesus is not riding the horse that a military General would have ridden. Jesus is riding the lowly donkey; he does this on purpose.
Cleansing the Temple
ž Even though the crowd is celebrating notice what Jesus is doing in verses 41-44
ž -Jesus is weeping about what will happen to Jerusalem-
ž Finally, this instance of Jesus cleansing the Temple is the second time Jesus has done this- the first time was described in the book of John and happened during his first year of ministry.
ž -Jesus is weeping about what will happen to Jerusalem-
ž Finally, this instance of Jesus cleansing the Temple is the second time Jesus has done this- the first time was described in the book of John and happened during his first year of ministry.
Mark 12:13-34
ž Jesus wouldn’t let himself get caught in one of the religious leader’s schemes and the question about paying taxes to Caesar was an attempt to get Jesus to say that he was against Roman authority so they could turn him over to them.
ž The 2nd question is a little more complicated: The Sadducees were a religious group who denied that there would be a resurrection who asked Jesus a question about a practice called Levirate marriage (something that was not being practiced in Israel during that time period and hadn’t been for quite some time).
ž They tried to make Jesus sound foolish but Jesus trumps them when he says, “He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”
ž The 2nd question is a little more complicated: The Sadducees were a religious group who denied that there would be a resurrection who asked Jesus a question about a practice called Levirate marriage (something that was not being practiced in Israel during that time period and hadn’t been for quite some time).
ž They tried to make Jesus sound foolish but Jesus trumps them when he says, “He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”
The Greatest Commandment
ž For the longest time the Jewish people tried to follow the Law in order to be Holy like the Lord God was Holy, but when Jesus comes he gives the secret to what had been lacking in the ceremonial system: pure love from the heart as the center of the entire Law.
ž When your first action is to try and love God with your heart and to love those around you, you will find that obeying the rest of the Old Testament Law will be simpler.
ž As a hint, if you start off with the Commandment that says “you shall not murder” as the basis for your system there isn’t as much love.
ž When your first action is to try and love God with your heart and to love those around you, you will find that obeying the rest of the Old Testament Law will be simpler.
ž As a hint, if you start off with the Commandment that says “you shall not murder” as the basis for your system there isn’t as much love.
Matthew 24:1-51
ž There has always been speculation that things are going to get so bad that the world will either destroy itself or that man will destroy the world. Nope, wrong again. We’ve spoken about Sovereign Will, the master plan so to say; look at the list of things that Jesus says are only the very beginning of troubles. Wars, famines, earthquakes, false messiah’s; we all see them happening but Jesus says to not be alarmed because they have to take place.
ž Jesus says we need to be more afraid of the Abomination of Desolation standing in the Temple. Right now, the Temple is not standing, the Dome of the Rock Mosque is resting on the Temple Mount, but the Jewish nation is readying the material to rebuild the Temple. The Abomination of Desolation is a lesson for another time, but in short, this will be the Anti-Christ.
ž Jesus says we need to be more afraid of the Abomination of Desolation standing in the Temple. Right now, the Temple is not standing, the Dome of the Rock Mosque is resting on the Temple Mount, but the Jewish nation is readying the material to rebuild the Temple. The Abomination of Desolation is a lesson for another time, but in short, this will be the Anti-Christ.
Olivet Discourse
ž Jesus compares all these signs to a budding fig tree and says that everyone knows when the summer is near by the branches of a fig tree- so to will everyone know that the end is near when all these things start to fall into place. When Jesus says “this generation” will not pass away he is speaking of the generation that sees the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple and they will not pass away.
ž Finally, beware of people who set dates and times, because it is only God the Father who knows the perfect time for Jesus to return. People will be going about and doing their regular thing when the time comes- nothing will seem different. It is only those who know the Scripture that will have any idea what is going on.
ž Finally, beware of people who set dates and times, because it is only God the Father who knows the perfect time for Jesus to return. People will be going about and doing their regular thing when the time comes- nothing will seem different. It is only those who know the Scripture that will have any idea what is going on.