Monday of Passion Week

On Monday of Passion week, Jesus curses the fig tree, cleanses the temple, welcomes some Greeks to salvation, and teaches the people.

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Hey, everybody, This is 1/3 study in our Siri's taking us through the events of Passion Week Saturday, Jesus and his disciples ate supper with Lazarus Morton Mary. Sunday afternoon, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to the praise and shouts of thousands. They gave him a ticker tape parade. A hero's welcome Monday story starts in the morning. If you haven't already listened to the previous two messages, you might stop and do so before you listen to this one. A Monday of Passion Week Four narratives unfold the cursing and subsequent death of the fig tree, the second cleansing of the temple. Some Greeks who requests to see Jesus and then Jesus teaching again the order of events. For this day I borrowed from someone else. Theologians debate about how some of these events fit into the chronology of Passion Week, but I'm not here to debate where they fit into the week, but rather how they fit into our lives. We have a lot to cover, so let's just jump right in Monday, the 11th of Dyson in the morning, 30 80. The cursing of the fig tree On this morning after Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He and his disciples awaken, having probably spent the night at the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. They may have awakened and left even before breakfast. They're going back to Jerusalem, and Jesus has several divine appointments to meet. Those appointments are based around imparting one bit of information. The information that Jesus has to deliver today is that the Jewish people as a whole and their leaders were blind to the truth. The entire previous day's events bore witness to their blindness. They gathered by the thousands to hail him as their messiah. They probably expected that our Monday morning he would miraculously strike all the Roman army dead and declare Israel a sovereign nation and himself their new king. They knew he had miracle power. He made the lame to walk. He caused the blind to see. He cured the skin disease of leprosy. He fed thousands with just a few loves and fish. He raised the dead. What better general might they want? Who could heal wounds, feed the troops and bring the fallen soldiers back to life? Their expectations for Jesus were high and misguided. You see, before he would be the lion of the tribe of Judah. He first had to be the lamb who takes away their sin. They were blind to that truth, and he came to Jerusalem on Monday to try and heal them of that blindness. So everything that happens on Monday is for that purpose to direct them to the truth. Now the very first thing that is recorded for this day is in Mark, Chapter 11 versus 12 through 14 it says there, and in the morning when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry, as I said, either Jesus alone or Jesus and his disciples may have left the house before breakfast was served or even before anyone else was awake. And so they again start up the two mile path leading to the holy city of Jerusalem. Mark continues, is narrative by saying, and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if happily, he might find anything there on, and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves for the time of figs was not yet. So Jesus walks up to a fig tree in order to pick some of its fruit. I remember as a boy my grand parents grew figs. Now I don't know what they taste like fresh because they always cook them with launch of sugar and made a kind of fig preserves that was some good eaten. So Jesus, as he awoke this morning, was looking for something to eat. It says he was hungry, but when he gets to this tree, there's no fruit on it. We're told that it wasn't the time for it to bear fruit. Mark goes on to say, and Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever and his disciples heard it well, that's kind of harsh. Hidden in, I mean poor fig tree. It wasn't the fig trees fall. It wasn't even the season for figs. Well, before you feel too sorry for the fig tree. Remember, it's a tree. And remember that the cursing the fig tree is about more than just horticulture. You see in a number of places in the Old Testament, God's profits used the metaphor of a fruit tree to describe Israel's spiritually condition. And when Israel was disobedient and ungodly, the profits described them as fruitless and dead and dried up a good example of this is in the Book of Jose, a chapter nine versus 10 through 17. 1st 10 says, I found Israel like grapes and the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at her first time, but they went to bail p or and separated themselves under that shame, and their abominations were according as they loved jumping down to verse 16 he says. Ephraim, Miss smitten. Their root is dried up. They shall bear no fruit. Yea though they bring forth. Yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. My God will cast them away because they did not hearken unto him. And they shall be wanderers among the nations. So Israel is described as a dead fruitless tree and God says he will judge them by casting them away. And Jesus is going up to Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, the hub of their religious life. And he finds a fruitless tree and curses it. He says No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. Now the tree is symbolic of the faith that he had found in Israel. Jesus had found them to be a fruitless tree they had no love for him, the son of God. They had corrupted his commandments. So he proclaims a curse. Now that's the symbolic act as he and his disciples walked toward the city once he arrives in Jerusalem, his acts moved from symbolism to reality. In Mark, Chapter 11 verse 15 goes on to say, and they came to Jerusalem and Jesus went into the temple. Here's what happened when he arrived. Jesus and is disciples get into Jerusalem and go to the temple. Now, in order to understand the story, you need to understand the area in Jerusalem that will call the temple complex. The temple complex at this time was an elaborate Siris of buildings originally constructed under the reign of Herod the Great at the center of the temple complex is, of course, the temple. Now the best way to picture the temple is to look at a picture, since I can't show you a picture. If you look one up online, I think it will help you a lot and understanding what was going on here. The temple itself followed the dimensions of the first Temple Solomon's Temple, which was built generations before it was 30 feet across the front, 90 feet deep, 60 feet I. But Herod added a large grand entrance to that structure. If you want to know the dimensions for that or an idea of how big it was, just imagine a five or six story building in your town. But around the temple was a rectangular structure that served as storage and residents for the on duty priest, as well as a wall separating the temple from the rest of the city. The temple complex was originally designed with several courtyards. Only the priests were allowed in the temple itself, then outside the temple building with the court of the priests where the animal sacrifice business took place. Beyond that was the court of the women. This was an open area, and it was as far into the temple complex that Jewish women could go. Then, outside of that walled area was a very large courtyard called the Court of the Gentiles, the dimensions of the Court of the Gentiles, approximately 4260 feet at his perimeter. What that means is, if it were square would be about a 1065 feet per side. Now that may not help you picture the size of this courtyard, but a typical block in American town is about 310 to 320 feet long. So just imagine walking in your town three blocks north. Then turn right. Three blocks east. Turn right again, three blocks south, Turn right. And then three blocks west, back to where you started. That square that you walked around is about the size of the entire area of the temple complex. But the important part for our story is that the court of the Gentiles was separated from the inter courts and the temple itself. There was a wall or fence 4 to 5 feet tall with several gates in it. A stone was placed at each of those gates forbidding gentiles from entering the exclusively Jewish area of the complex. They've discovered some of these stones today. They had an inscription on them that read. No foreigner may enter within the balustrade around the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue. So this temple complex had an inner part for only the priest apart. Outside of that building where Jewish men could go a further area and courtyard where Jewish women could go, and then a fenced in area around that which excluded the gentiles. So there's this outer area that had a wall around it where gentiles could congregate. So back to our story. Jesus and his disciples probably enter through the eastern gate of the walled city of Jerusalem on Monday morning. Once they injured that gate, they were immediately in the temple complex and in the court of the Gentiles. Now, I don't know about you, but if I entered an ancient temple of any sort, I imagine it to be a quiet, contemplative place, a place where you pray and seek to hear from God. And that was God's intent and commanding the building of the temple. It was a place that symbolized the presence of God among the Jewish people. It was to be holy and serene, but it was the opposite in Jesus Day. Once he and his disciples entered, they would have noticed three things. First, there would have been many people there. During the feast days, the historian Josephus recorded that the population of Jerusalem swelled over two million from its normal population of 40,000. Many of them entered Jerusalem proper through the eastern gate, which went right into the temple complex. And part of the feast was the sacrifice of the lamb. On the upcoming day of Passover again, Josephus stated that 256,500 lambs were sacrificed at one Passover. The law also allowed and commanded some birds to be used a sacrifices, so the second thing you would have noticed in this temple complex was a great number of animals. The third thing you would have noticed is that there was a lot of money changing hands. The priest had turned the sale of sacrificial animals into a lucrative enterprise because of restrictions imposed by the priests. Most people were forced to buy their sacrifices of lambs and birds at jacked up prices from the priest themselves. It was like going to a theme park and being forced to buy a drink that would normally cost a dollar and paying $5 for it. In addition to that in the courtyard, money transactions were taking place. They also made money because Jewish people had to pay the temple tax in Hebrew currency. The priest would not accept foreign currency so the priest would exchange foreign currency for Hebrew currency. But they did so for a fee. Now, none of these activities the money exchange booths, the animal sale boosts. We're in the Jewish part of the temple. They were set up in the court of the Gentiles. So as soon as Jesus and his disciples come into the temple complex, they are visually assaulted by jostling crowds. Cages of birds, booze, money changing and loud voices would be much like going to a very crowded modern flea market, hardly the serene atmosphere that one might expect when you enter into a temple. Now, why all this description of the court of the Gentiles around the temple? Because this was the only place where gentiles, who had come to hear and know about the one true God could go toe worship. They couldn't go past the fence to the inner court, where they would be arrested and put to death, and a compound that corruption of the place that they were allowed to worship. The priest had turned the whole area into a money making money, extorting bizarre, so back to our story. Jesus and his disciples come into the temple and it says that he saw all of this going on and he began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple and overthrow the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves. And he would not suffer that any man should carry inning vessel through the temple. Jesus is angry that they have turned the temple, especially the gentile area, into this extortion flea market. So he takes it upon himself to stop the activity. It says here that he stopped anyone walking through who was carrying birds in a cage or bags of money or any merchandise, and he sent them out. He went to the money changers tables and turned them over. He pulled out the seats of those selling doves and he drove them all out of the temple. And why did he do this? Well, he tells us, it says in verse 17. He taught saying to them, Is it not written? My house shall be called of all nations, the House of Prayer. But you have made a den of thieves back when the first Temple was dedicated by Solomon. Solomon said these words in his prayer of dedication. This is found in First Kings. Chapter eight, Verse 38. Solomon's praying, he says. What prayer and supplication so ever be made by any man or by all thy people, Israel, which shall know every man, the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands toward this house. He's saying this house that he's constructed is going to be a place of prayer a little further on in the Old Testament, in the prophecy of Isaiah, the spirit of God described a future day when Israel would be restored as God's people, he says in verse seven of Chapter 56. Even them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. They're burnt offerings, and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine. Altar for mine house shall be called a house of prayer, and the last three words are for all people. It was intended that the temple not only be a place for the Jews to worship God, but a place for all people, gentiles included, but the Jews of Jesus Day had taken the Gentile Court and turned it into a fiasco. A circus, a bizarre a flea market. So Jesus cleaned house. By the way, this is the second time he's done this on one of his Jerusalem visits. Some of ask. Well, how did he get away with this? Why didn't somebody stop him or arrest him? Well, the best answer that I can give is that Jesus, God in flesh, commanded attention with just his presence. There was something about him that demanded respect and submission, and when he chose by God's spirit, he could command a storm to stop. He could drive out demons with just his word, and he could make the spirits of men quake and fear. So this Monday morning of Passion Week already, Jesus is shaking things up, and he didn't stop there. The Gospel of Luke tells us that he returned to the temple daily that week to teach. Well, I'll bet sales went down of sacrifices that week. You bet they did, and the priest immediately reacted. Mark 11 Verse 18 says, and that scribes and chief priest heard it. They heard about what he did and sought how they might destroy him for they feared him because all the people were astonished at his doctrine. They were afraid of him because thousands on that day before had proclaimed to be the Messiah, and they couldn't publicly oppose him without angering the people. The people at this point are probably on Jesus side. They see the corruption of the temple system. They know that God didn't intend for his temple to become what it had become. So what did Jesus do next? On Monday, he taught everything about this day Is Jesus confrontation of sin and lies. He curses the fig tree as a symbol of the curse on Israel for their disobedience. He cleanses the temple because the priests have corrupted the worship of God. And now he sits down to teach the truth and the sin and lies that they have adopted have to do with their understanding of the Messiah. They think the Messiah is going to be a conquering hero. Instead, the Messiah is supposed to be a suffering savior. You know, Jesus sat down to teach, and as a Christian is really easy to sit around and condemn the activities in the lives of the world. We could be like Jesus and march in and turn over tables and Dr People out. But it is more difficult to sit down with the people of the world and tried to persuade them to believe the truth. And this really demonstrates that loving heart of Jesus. He is God in flesh. He could have walked into this immorality circus and said, You all deserve to go to hell and I'm going to send you there right now. He could have said You guys are already planning to kill me. You people sitting here in four days, you're going to call for me to be crucified. Well, I'm not going through with it. And he could have started doling out judgment and death judgment for you, Death for you, Judgment for you and death for you. But he doesn't. He sits down to try and teach them the truth. And I think it's fitting there's some of those who sought his teaching. We're gentiles, the very people whose Temple Court he cleared. We pick up with John for this part of the account, John. Chapter 12 1st 20 begins by saying, and there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. These were gentiles who were Greek. They would have been what was referred to as God Fear, er's gentiles, who believed in and worship the one true God but who didn't go all the way to become Jews by being circumcised and following all the mosaic law. Verse 21 continues by saying the same came therefore to Philip, which was of best State of Galilee and desired him saying, Sir, we would see Jesus So they go up to Philip, one of Jesus disciples. Now we don't know why they chose to come to him over any of the other disciples. Maybe they saw him talking to Jesus and so ask him for an introduction. It's likely that there were crowds of people around Jesus. Jesus may have been in the Jewish only section of the temple at this particular time, but for whatever reason, these Greeks catch Philip and say we would like to meet and talk to Jesus. Verse 22 tells us. Philip came and told Andrew, and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. Philip is hesitant to go to Jesus with this request on his own. So he asked for a second opinion from another disciple, Andrew. They both go to Jesus and we read Jesus answered them, saying Jesus answered, answered who? Well, I think this is describing his answer to the Gentiles. I think that the teaching that follows was directed toward these gentiles who sought to speak to Jesus. They were God fears who were coming to be a part of the Jewish feast of Passover. And when they get to town, they probably witnessed the triumphal entry of Jesus on the day before and they got caught up in the Messianic fever in the city. They may have witnessed Jesus cleansing the temple, so Jesus begins to teach them. Now what is he going to teach them? Of course, he's going to teach them about the event that all of Judaism misunderstands his crucifixion, his dying as a substitute for centers. The very first thing that Jesus says is the hour has come that the son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say to you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die. It abideth alone. But if it die, it bring it forth much fruit. What we're saying is just like a seed has to die in order for a plant to grow and produce more grain. So Jesus had to die so that all we who are spiritually dead, maybe made alive. He is explaining what is about to happen to him. And then he explains what they need to do to follow him. 1st 25 says he that love with his life shall lose it. And he that hated his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. This statement is the key to salvation. It is your internal attitude toward life and toward Jesus Christ that brings you to faith. The statement that Jesus made is a description of repentance. You see, it's normal. It is human to cherish your life and everything in it. Your family, your job in your possessions. It's why Jesus is describing someone who loves his life. But he's saying that if you are one who loves his life, you're gonna lose it. None of those things stay with us forever. There's not an eternity guaranteed in regard to your possessions or your family or your friends or your home or your job. He who loves his life will lose it, but the person who is saved, we're willingly exchange all of that for Jesus Christ. When they discover him, he says, he that hates his life in this world will keep it unto life eternal. What he's saying is, that person will be one who will repent, turn away from all of those things to follow. Jesus Christ. A person who comes to Christ will choose Jesus over family life, future and fortune if they are forced to choose. Jesus goes on. He has described the means of coming to salvation. That is repentance. Now He describes the power of salvation. Salvation gives the believer fellowship with God through the internal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Verse 26 he says, If any man served me, let him follow me. And where I am there, show also my servant be. If any man served me him, will my father honor? In other words, what he's saying is you will be made right with God through a relationship with me, Jesus Christ. And once you follow me, I'll be with you Now. This is the incredible promise of Scripture that if we turn to Christ and faith by his spirit. Jesus himself comes to live in us to always be with us. He promises that he will never leave us or forsake us. As he says in Verse 26. Here, where I am, there shall also my servant be so Jesus Hear gives the Greeks the gospel and this is incredible. This is the beginning of gentiles becoming Christians. Any person who is not a Jew is a gentile, and most of the church are gentiles today and here, even before Jesus sends his disciples into the world toe preach the gospel to the Gentiles even before he has offered himself on the cross he's bringing in gentiles to the church. It's simply amazing. Now, at this moment in the text, we have an abrupt mood change. It's a so Jesus is talking to the Gentiles about their salvation. And then his thoughts come back to the cross that is before him. And he quietly says, Now, is my soul troubled? And what shall I say, Father? Save me from this hour. But for this cause I came to this hour, he's saying this internally. I'm in turmoil. I have an appointment with deaths. I could ask God to prevent this event from happening. But that's the entire reason why I'm here in Jerusalem this week, and that's the entire reason why I was born. So I am not asking God the father to stop it from happening. Rather, I'm asking as Verse 28 says Father Glorify, thigh name, father. And all that's going to happen this week, all the evil of men and demons unleashed on me. I pray that all of it will result in more praise being lifted up to you now it tells us in this text that the father audibly responded to Jesus, he says. Then came there a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again as Jesus sits there teaching these people and then expresses his desire to follow through and obey God's will and going to the cross. The father responds from heaven with a voice. Verse 29 says. The people that stood by heard it. Some of them thought it had just thundered. Others said an angel speak to him for 30 says Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes, an audible voice from heaven there three times that the father in heaven speaks audibly to Jesus during his life on Earth. The first time was at his baptism, when a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased confined that in Mark Chapter one, Verse 11. Again the father speaks to him on the Mount of Transfiguration and says, This is my son. Listen to him. That's in Matthew. Chapter 17 Verse five. And then we have this voice here. When the father says to him, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The father reassured his son on this occasion, as he had on those two previous occasions. Jesus is four days away from the cross. This voice audibly validates that he is on the correct path. Missy, What? Jesus says this voice didn't come for my sake, but for yours. The father in Heaven wanted all of you who are listening to me. All of you who hear me teach about salvation and atonement and my death to know that it's in the plan of God. Jesus goes on teaching and verse 31 says now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out? And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me? Being lifted up was a literal description of his death. He would be lifted up while nailed to a cross. We know this is what he means by being lifted up because Verse 33 says And this, he said, signifying what death he would die. And the people listening to him apparently also understood what he meant because they answered him and said, We have heard out of the law that Christ abides forever. And how sayest thou the son of man must be lifted up. Who is this son of man? While the people were right that the scripture says that the Christ would live forever, the people said in this passage, we have heard of the law that Christ abides forever. They were correct and that understanding of Scripture. When David was promised back in the Old Testament that his family would succeed him on the throne of Israel, he was told in Second Samuel 7 13 he shall build a house for my name and will establish the throne of his kingdom forever describe the Messianic kingdom that it would be a forever kingdom. Later, in the Book of Psalms, God declares in a vision in Psalm 89 Verse 35 once have I sworn by My Holiness that I will not lie to David? His seed will endure forever and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon and as a faithful witness in heaven. So the people have a legitimate question. How can you say that you're going to be lifted up, which means you're going to be crucified and die if you are the Christ the crisis supposed to rain on the throne of David Forever and my friends? This is at the root of the misunderstanding that Jesus was trying to correct On Monday, they thought his being the Christ meant that he would be a supernatural, military conquering hero who would sit down on David's throne and rule Israel and the world forever. And he will. But not yet before Jesus changes the world, he offers to change the heart before judgment and conquest come. The king extends grace and forgiveness to his enemies. His enemies owe him a great debt because of sin, and he is even willing to shoulder the debt for them if they were repent and believe. So they asked him to clarify how the Christ can die, but yet live forever. And I love his response. He he really doesn't answer. Why doesn't he answer? Because the time is not right for them to have full understanding that will happen on the other side of the cross. And they also think that he doesn't answer because they're not going to understand him anyway. Listen to what he said. It's almost as though he's saying Just trust me 1st 35 then Jesus said to them yet a little while is the light with you? He's saying, I'm with you a little bit longer. Walk while you have the light Let's darkness come upon you It's like he's saying, Do your best to hear me and obey me while I'm here Then he says, for he that walks in darkness knows not whether he go with. While you have the light, believe in the light that you may be the Children of life, it's like he's saying How will I die and yet reign forever. Just trust me. Believe in the light, Believe and you will be my Children And it'll all be clear later. Well, I'm going to conclude this message today by reading the last part of Jesus teaching on this Monday. Much of it is self explanatory, but I'm going to interject thoughts to make it more clear. This is John, Chapter 12 the last part of Verse 36 through 1st 15 thes things spake Jesus and departed, and it hide himself from them. So he's sitting down teaching, and after he finished this particular lesson, he got up and hid. Why did you do that? Well, by this time, crowds were following him everywhere, so the only way to be alone with his disciples or alone by himself is to hide. 1st 37 goes on by saying, but though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believe not on him, saying despite all of the miraculous power that he had displayed throughout his three years of ministry and all of the teaching that he had done, they were not swayed from their unbelief. They would not believe so that they could have salvation. They would not believe that they needed salvation. 1st 38 goes on by saying that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe because that Isaiah said again, he has blinded their eyes and harden their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted. And I should heal them these things, said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spoke of him. What does all that mean? It means that in the Book of Isaiah, it had been prophesized that the people in the Day of the Christ would not believe and because they chose unbelief because they covered their eyes because they closed their hearts. God then judiciously caused them to be blind and harden their hearts so that they could not believe it goes on in Verse 42. Nevertheless, among the chief rulers, also, many believed on him. But because of the Faris ease, they did not confess him less. They should be put out of the synagogue for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Some of the leaders had secretly believed in Jesus, but because they didn't want to be ridiculed or removed from prominence or fellowship, they wouldn't state their relief. 1st 44 continues. Jesus cried and said He that believes on me believes not on me but on him that sent me. And he that sees me, sees him that sent me all the Jewish authorities. Religious leaders thought they represented God in their religious system and that Jesus was teaching contrary to God. Jesus says here that they had it backwards. He says, If you believe what I tell you, you are believing God And in fact, if you've seen me, you've seen God 1st 46 I am come a light into the world that who's whoever believes on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words and believe not, I don't judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me and doesn't receive my words has one that judges him. The word that I have spoken the same will judge him in the last day, for I have not spoken of myself but the father which sent me. He gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting whatsoever. I speak therefore, even as the father said to me So I speak. And that concludes the recorded events on Monday of Passion Week. Let's pray together, Heavenly Father. We pray that you would enlighten our hearts. We walk in a world of spiritual darkness among the people who teach and live in darkness. You came is light to the world. We pray that you take are dead hearts and give us living ones because it's only in you that we can see the truth and live. But it's not be among the blind and the dead who reject the truth that we need to be saved. Bring us to the foot of the cross for salvation. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.