Sorry that I failed on my commitment to bring you a day-by-day in the life of Christ leading up to Resurrection Sunday. I posted a blog earlier on our prayer meeting so check it (scroll down now!)!
We left off at Tuesday so let me cover this. At the end of this sad day we will see the Jews assembling at Ciaphas' palace and plotting to kill Jesus. Satan will enter Judas and he joins this plot for 30 pieces of silver.
Jesus begins this day however by challenging the Pharisees concerning the source of His authority. They demand that He tell them the source and He agrees to do so but first wants to know if they feel that the source of John's baptism came from man or God. The Pharisees immediately realize they have a problem. If they answer, "From God," he will doubtless say, "Then why don't you believe him." If they answer, "From men," The people will attempt to stone them, for John is their hero. The Pharisees cannot answer His questions and He, therefor will not answer theirs.
There are many many activities and teachings that take place. Jesus tells of the parable of the vicious vine keepers and a wedding guest with no wedding garment among many others.
He is confronted by the Pharisees and Herodians concerning the payment of tribute money - a Roman tax on every Jew (Matt 22:15-22). He is also confronted by the liberal Sadducees concerning the resurrection in which Jesus reminds them..."He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living..."
Some of the scribes, who had divided the whole law into 613 precepts asked about the greatest commandment and Jesus gives them the great commandment that we still teach on today (Matt22:34-40)...Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind and then your neighbor as yourself (on these two commandments hand all the law and the prophets). Interesting that he teaches on the importance of love just a few days before the hatred of Him would lead to his death on the cross.
Jesus also did a sermon that indicted the Jewish rulers on 12 counts...to name a few here...1) They dressed proud and sat high 2) They made a mockery of prayer 3) They weighed men down with their vain traditions 4) They shut up the kingdom of heaven against men...check out Matt 21:1-36 for the rest. He also preached on the coming tribulation that day.
At then end of the indictment of the leaders of Israel, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem ...and it's during this time that Israel is set aside for the duration of the church age. The way is being prepared for the Gentiles!
Jesus also witnesses the poor widow giving her all (two tiny cooper coins) to the Temple offering chest.
He is rejected by many Jewish rulers even though they believe his message (John 12:37-43). They did this out of a fear of men's approval more than God's and because they were afraid of excommunication.
After this the parable of the fig tree and the future is spoken in which Israel is pictured as a fig tree and when Israel begins to show signs of life tremendous things will occur...the kingdom of God will be near at hand!
Interestingly enough there is silence in the Bible when it comes to the events of Wednesday...I'll do Thursday and Friday tomorrow so stay tuned!
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