Tuesday of Passion week part 1

Jesus final week continues with verbal sparring between Himself and His opponents.  Everyone has to make a choice about who they believe.

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Hey, everybody. This is the fourth podcast episode over the events of passion, and these are the events that happened on Tuesday of that week. Once again, if you haven't listened to the previous lessons, you might go back and listen before proceeding with this one. Today's podcast is going to be especially challenging because the Gospels record a lot happening on this day on Wednesday and Saturday. Very little happens, but the gospel record itself takes up 17 pages of text for Tuesday. Now, if I spend a great deal of time explaining this text, I would be doing so until next Easter. So what I'm going to do is divided into two lessons and simply read it and only common in areas that help our understanding or aid in the continuity of the story. So look for two podcast today. Sunday was a triumphal entry. The misunderstandings of Christ Monday was Jesus. Trying to correct that misunderstanding Monday ended with a categorical division of the people. Jesus described the people as either coming to him as the light of the world or as remaining and loving the darkness. He called out to them to believe toe, have faith and then declared that they had closed their eyes, refusing to see the truth. And so, in response, God blinded them so that they now they couldn't see if they even wanted to. So every part of Jesus word today is about the separation of the saved and the unsaved, the righteous and the unrighteous, the hypocrite and the ST. There's very little by way of a call to repentance here. As one old preacher put it in this chapter, you are either a saint or you ain't. If I were going to give this day, it's sermon titled, I'd call it Seven Characteristics of Being a Hypocrite. So let's begin. Our story picks up on the morning of Tuesday, the 12th of Nice on 30 a. D. Monday evening. Jesus again left Jerusalem and stayed overnight outside the city. The next morning, he and his disciples again walk back to Jerusalem, and they see that fig tree that Jesus had cursed the morning before. You probably wondered what happened to that fig tree because the morning before, Jesus had found no fruit on it, and he cursed it, saying, No fruit grow on the henceforth forever more well, our story picks up in Mark 11 verses 20 through 26 it says. In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And when the disciples saw it, Peter remembered the curse and said to Jesus, Master, behold the fig tree which thou curse is withered away, Jesus said to them, Have faith in God for verily, I say to you that whoever shall say to this mountain be removed and be cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe those things which he says will come to pass. He shall have whatever he say's. Therefore, I say to you what things? Whoever you desire, when you pray, I believe that you received them and you will have them. And when you stand praying, forgive if you have ought against any that your father, also which is in heaven, may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your heavenly father forgive you your trespasses. Notice now that Jesus has moved in his teaching of the disciples, from salvation sermons to sanctification sermons as Christians, there was a moment in time that we repented and believed, and the Lord gives us our down payment on heaven, the Holy Spirit. But after the spirit begins working in us to make us like Christ, then he teaches us day by day. Well, Jesus is now teaching the disciples about having faith in about forgiveness. Now, as they walk, he teaches them. But as soon as they arrive in Jerusalem and he starts teaching in the temple, he's confronted with the accusations of the chief priests, scribes and the elders who challenge why he drove the money changers and the animal sales people out of the temple on the previous day. They say this in John, Chapter 20 Verse two tell us by what authority do us how these things or who is he that gave the this authority? What they're saying is what gave you the right to drive people out of the temple? Who gave you the authority to decide what can and cannot be done in this temple? Now, whether really doing is setting him up? They want him to claim that his own authority is that on which he based his driving the people out of the temple. They want him to say I did it of my own accord. I decided that they ought to be driven out of the simple, and on that basis they'll be able to accuse him of blasphemy. So in Verse three, he says, I will also ask you one thing and answer me, and I'll tell you about what authority I do these things. You answer my question. I'll answer your question. The baptism of John Was it from heaven or from men? You know what continues to amaze me? How much smarter Jesus was than their religious elites of his day. He painted them into a corner when they thought they were doing that to him, and after he has done it, they know that they are in a corner and can't move, it says in Verse five. They reason among themselves, saying, If we say that John's baptism came from heaven, he will say, then why didn't you believe them? If God sent John, then why didn't you guys believe John? Why didn't you get baptized as John was calling on people to do? But if we say that John's baptism came from men, all the people will stone us for their persuaded that John was a prophet. Everybody thought John came from God, and so they answered Jesus and they said, We can't tell where his baptism came from or say Jesus says neither tel I You by what authority? I do these things, the words you don't answer my question. I'm not gonna answer your question. And so on this day begins the contest that takes place between Jesus and the agents of Satan. They're trying to find a cause to arrest him, try him and put him to death. He's calling them out as the evil hypocrites that they are, and the very first way that he does so is with the parable Matthew, 21 Verse 28. He tells him a story, and he begins it with a question. He says, What do you think? A certain man had two sons and he came to the first and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. Now, as we read the story, the sun answered, No, I said, I don't want to go work in your vineyard today, Dad, but then later decided that he would obey his father and went to work. 1st 30 continues with the story by saying that the father then went to the second son and said to him, Son, go work today in my vineyard And he answered and said, Sure, Dad, but then just laid around the house and didn't go to work. Then Jesus, ask your question which gets to the point of the parable. 1st 31 whether of these two did the will of his father. Well, they said to him the first, the one who actually went out and worked in the vineyard even though he was originally disobedient, he repented of that disobedience. The second son was Onley giving his father lip service. Well, Jesus said to them, Verily, I say to you that the publicans and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness. And you believed him not. You are either for me or you're against me. It is to separate the hypocrites from the saints and as well in this parable there is a surprising and ridiculous element is a parable about a royal wedding. And the ridiculous element is this. Nobody would skip a royal wedding. Everybody that got an invitation would go. Nobody skips. The wedding of the king's son will be like You got an invitation from Buckingham Palace to attend one of their weddings fully paid trip and you said No, I think I'll pass, Verse four says again. He sent forth servant saying, Tell them which are bidden Tell the ones that got an invitation. Behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat ling's air killed on all things are ready. Come to the wedding. Supper's ready. Come on, guys. But 1st 5 continues, but they made light of it and went their ways. One to his farm, another to his merchandise, and the remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was angry, and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Now, once again, this is a parable. It's not about a king and his son. It's not about some ignorant and malicious invitees. It's about God, the father inviting the high and mighty of Jewish society. The chief priest, scribes and Faris ease to celebrate his son, Jesus Christ. And when they get the invitation. When Jesus comes, they reject the invitation and react with violence against those who bring it well, Jesus goes on then said he to his servants. The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden worthy go ye therefore into the highways and as many as you shall find bid to the wedding. So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all as many as they found both bad and good. And the wedding was furnished with guest. This again is fulfilled in Jesus coming. And though he's rejected by the elite, he goes out to the common people. He goes out to the lepers and to the blind and lame and death and the poor people. And they receive him and believe him 1st 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there was a man which had not on a wedding garment. He said to him, friend, how did you come in here not having a wedding garment and he was speechless. And what does this mean? Well, at the wedding feast, the guests were provided garments to wear. But this guest decided that he wanted wear his own clothes. But this is a parable again. It's not about the clothes you wear to a wedding. It's about coming to faith in Jesus Christ. See, every religion in the world can be categorized in one of two ways. The religion of human achievement or the religion of divine accomplishment. The religion of human achievement says I can make myself good enough to be accepted by God. My clothes are just find where to this wedding? They might say, Why is this king insulting me by implying that my clothes, my good deeds, my life, my morality is not good enough. That's the religion of human achievement. But the religion of divine accomplishment says that my works, my deeds, my garments, even my best are filthy rags before God. So I need him to supply a wedding garment, and that garment is the shed blood of Jesus Christ that covers my sins. So what's the third characteristic of a hypocrite? It is this they think too highly of themselves. Jesus describes the end of the servant who refused to wear the king's wedding garment, it says in Verse 13 then said the king to the servants, bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called but fewer chosen. While Jesus has been speaking to the chief, priests and elders inscribes in parables, but they understand that he's directing these stories at them. So then they decide to go on the offensive and send people to ask him questions. Now, when they send people, it's not because they're really interested in his answers. They're asking questions designed to trap him. They want him to say something that will either give them a reason to arrest him or that will discredit him among the people or that they can use to accuse him before Roman authority, or possibly to do all three. So on this Tuesday, there, religious elite come back at Jesus with these questions, Matthew, 22 16 says, and the Faris he sent out unto him their disciples with the hero Deion's with the Harow Deion's I want you to make note here that the Faris ease and the hero Deion's both came to Jesus with a question. You also need to know that the Faris ease and the high road Ian's hated each other. But as it is said, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So they said to him, Master, we know that thou are true and teaches the way of God and truth Neither caress now for any man for thou regard. It's not the person of men. Their statements are dripping with honey. And then they say in verse 17 Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? They're trying to entrap him. This was a hot button issue with the Jews. Not only did they hate paying tribute or taxes to Rome, the nation that enslaved them, but the tax money itself. The coinage had an image of Caesar on it, and many Orthodox Jews considered that image to be a violation of the second commandment that prohibited making graven images. But what was there really reason for asking him? The real reason was that no matter what he said he would lose if he said that they should pay their taxes, he would lose credibility with the people. But if he said that they shouldn't pay taxes, they could report him to Rome as a radical insurrectionist who's trying to rile up the people to rebel against Rome. It's a trap, Verse 18 says. But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, Why do you tempt me? You hypocrites show me the tribute money and they brought him a pity, he said to them, Whose is this image and sue prescription? They say to him, Caesars. Then he said to them, Render therefore to Caesar the things which are Caesar's and to God, the things that are God's now my friends. That's an astounding answer. He's basically saying, Who mentored this coin? Who dug up the or out of the ground, who inscribed it, Who put this picture on it? In other words, who does it really belong to? And the obvious answer was, This coin belongs to Caesar. As with any currency, the government always has the right to confiscate it. So he's saying, If it belongs to Caesar, then what's the problem with giving him back? What is his? You give him back what is is and give to God what you're supposed to give to God. But when they heard these words and they could not take hold of his words before the people. They marveled and left him and went their way. So that's the first question that leads us to what the fourth characteristic of a hypocrite is. It is this. I believe that the end justifies the means. It's interesting that they joined with the hero Deion's in order to ask Jesus this question. In regard to the question of taxation from Rome, the Faris season, the hero Deion's believed diametrically opposite things. Faris, ease. We're loyalist Israel and believe that they should be a sovereign nation. Separated from Rome, their hero, Deion's, had joined Rome and the party of hair it, so they joined up with people who were their enemies in order to take Jesus down. The fourth characteristic of hypocrite is they believe that the end justifies the means. They will join with anyone, even their worst enemy, in order to accomplish what they want. Well, after Jesus answered that question, another hypocritical group showed up. The name of that group was the sad Jessie's. This Agassi's were like the theological liberals of our day. They claim to believe the Scripture, but they denied the miracles and the supernatural in Scripture, the priesthood of Israel. Ironically, was comprised primarily of sad Jessie's. They didn't believe in an afterlife or the resurrection. So they come to Jesus with a question that they used to stump their theological opponents. The Faris ease. Here it is, Luke, 20 Verse 27 says They asked him, saying Master Moses rode under us. If any man's brother dies having a wife and he dies not having any Children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up seed to his brother. Now this law was designed to ensure that a family name would continue in Israel when a man died with no air. Now they propose this ridiculous scenario. Verse 29. They were there for seven brethren and the first took a wife and died without Children, and the second took her to wife, and he died childless and the third Tooker and in, like manner. The seven also, and they left no Children and died. Last of all, the woman died. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of them is she for seven, had or the wife? Here's the question. When she gets to heaven, who's she gonna be married to at this point, what they're trying to accomplish is to try and make Jesus look stupid before the people. I mean the whole notion that you have seven brothers in heaven vying for the same woman strains credibility. But once again, Jesus skewers their reasoning. 1st 34 he says, Do you not therefore air because you don't know the Scriptures nor the power of God? It's like he's saying you don't understand nothing 1st 25 for when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage. What are as the angels which are in heaven, he says. There's no marriage in heaven, the Children of this world, Mary, and are given in marriage. But they would shall be accounted worthy to attain that world and the resurrection from the dead. Neither Mary nor are given in marriage. Neither can they die anymore for their equal into the angels and are the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection. So he says to them, You don't understand scripture and you don't understand the power of God, the power of God to resurrect the dead. They didn't believe in the resurrection, and they thought this story demonstrated how ridiculous the notion of a resurrection Waas. But Jesus uses the scripture to show them that they don't understand the scripture or God 1st 37 now that the dead are raise even Moses showed at the bush the burning bush in the Old Testament when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, the god of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For he is not a god of the dead, but the living for all live under him now this is what he's describing in the Old Testament. Book of Exodus. God appears to Moses in the burning bush and identifies himself as the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the present tense. He didn't say I was the god of Abraham. I was the god of Isaac. I was the god of Jacob. But I am the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He doesn't say Well, I was there God when they were alive. But now they're all dead. Rather, he says I am their god. So God was saying to Moses, Hey, those guys that you think are in the grave well, they're not. They're alive with me. There is indeed life after death. Well, this is an impressive answer, it says in verse 39. Then certain of the scribes answered him saying, Master, thou hast well said. And after that, they Durst not ask him any question at all. What's the fifth characteristic of a hypocrite? Fifth characteristic is they are impressed with their own cleverness. These sad Jessie's thought they had come up with the perfect story that illustrated how ridiculous the notion of a resurrection waas but Jesus toward their story apart by opening up the Scripture and bringing them to its understanding 1st 33 sets. And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. Now the last question they asked comes from an expert in the Jewish law. Now, this is just, I believe, a spur of the moment question. I don't think this guy had a hypocritical motive for that question. He just noted how well Jesus had answered the other questions and decided he wanted input on an age old question that had been battered around among Jewish scriptural scholars. Mark, 12 Verse 28 tells us about this question. It says one of the scribes, which was a lawyer, came and having heard them reasoning together and perceiving that he had answered them well. Ask him which is the first commandment of all. He wanted to know what is the most important commandment to obey. The Jewish people had divided up God's old Testament commandments into 365 positive commandments from the Old Testament in addition to negative ones. So they wanted to know what's the most important one. Which one should we try to obey? First of all, you want to know are some commandments from God more important than others? Verse 29 Jesus answered him. The first of all the commandments is hear O Israel, The Lord, our God is one lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind, with all thy strength, this is the first commandment. And the second is like it. Namely, this now shalt love thy neighbor. As thyself on these two Commandments hang all the law in the profits. He's saying that these two laws are like the top of a mobile. Every other law hangs from one of these two, all the other laws or simply elaborations on these two laws, and he says the most important law is to love God. He says there is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe who asked the question said to him, Well, Master, thou has said the truth further. There is one God, and there's none other than he and to love him with all your heart and with all the understanding, with all the soul and all the strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices, he's coming to an understanding. He's understanding what Jesus has been saying all along, that the condition of your heart is more important than all the offerings you bring to God. He we learned from the Old Testament man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. And when Jesus saw that, he answered discreetly, he said to him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God and it says a no man After that. Durst, ask him any question. So what's the six characteristic of a hypocrite? This man was not a hypocrite, but the hypocrites are those who are very concerned about outward appearances. They're not so concerned about the heart. Now these elders air out of questions. Jesus has answered superbly, and in so doing he has exposed them further as hypocrites. But after they're done, he asked them a question. It says in Chapter 22 Verse 41. While the Faris ease were gathered together, Jesus asked them saying, What do you think of Christ? Whose son is he? They say to him, the son of David. He said to them How then, does David and Spirit call him Lord, saying The Lord said to my Lord, Sit now on my right hand until I make fine enemies thigh footstool. If David then call him Lord. How is he? His son, Jesus is quoting Psalm 1 11th 1 In that passage, David is talking about the coming Messiah. David knows that the coming Messiah will be born in his own family in his line, and generally speaking, fathers are considered greater than sons. They're considered greater than grandsons or great grandsons. But in this passage, David says, the Lord, and you could put there God, I said to my Lord, and you could put their the Messiah. So David says God was speaking to the Messiah. And the title that he gives to the Messiah is my lord, despite the fact that the Messiah is his great great great great great great great grandson. So David subordinates himself to a child who will be born in his line. And Jesus is asking them the question. Why? Why did David call the Messiah Lord? Well, here's the answer. Because the Messiah would be God come as a man. And so the Messiah is greater than David and is due homage. The Faris ease couldn't fathom that it was a spiritual truth that had to be revealed by the spirit of God. And they didn't know the spirit of God. So what's the seventh characteristic of a hypocrite? They are not spiritually minded. They're carnally minded. Well, with this answer. Jesus! Shut them down. No man was able to answer him a word. Neither Durst Any man from that day forth, ask him any more questions. Now I'm going to conclude the first half of Tuesday by reading to you the ultimate description of a hypocrite In the next chapter, Jesus made these declarations in the temple after he was grilled by the Faris ease. And when they weren't able to find any accusation against him when they had gone on their fishing trip for something to accuse him of and had come back with nothing, He then replies with this scathing indictment against the various ease. Matthew 23 versus one through 36 it says, then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his disciples, saying Describes and Ferris. He's sit in Moses seat all therefore whatsoever. They bid. You observe that observe and do but do not do ye after their works for they say and do not, for they bind heavy burdens and grievous be born and lay them on men's shoulders. But they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. In other words, the hypocrites they tell everybody else all the things that they ought to be doing, that they won't do them themselves. 1st 5 But all their works they do for to be seen by men. They make broad there for lack teres and enlarge the borders of their garments and love the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men. Rabbi, Rabbi! They like to be honored by men Verse eight. But be not you called Rabbi, for one is your master even Christ in all year, brethren and call no man. Your father on the earth, for one is your father, which is in heaven Neither be called masters for one is your master even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant And who so ever shall exalt himself. She'll be a based and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you! Shut up! The Kingdom of Heaven against men! For you neither go in yourselves either Suffered the them that air entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayer. Therefore you shall receive the greater condemnation. They're hypocrites. On the one hand they're out there trying to finagle and steal and take money to cushion their own nest. And then they will show up to a synagogue service and pray this very devout sacred and holy prayer 1st 15 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites for you compass sea and land to make one process light. And when he is made, you make him to fold mawr the child of hell than yourselves. Whoa! Do you blind guides which say who sever shall swear by the temple? It is nothing but who server shall swear by the goal of the temple. He is a debtor, you fools And blind for weather is greater. The gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold. They had created an entire system where they could swear falsely. And if they swore by the right thing, then they were not obligated to follow up on their word and to do what they had promised. Who so therefore shall swear by the altar. Swears by it and all that's on it. Whoever shall swear by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it. And he that shall swear by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits there on woe to you. Scribes and Faris ease hypocrites for you pay tithe of mint anise and cumin, but have omitted the weightier matters of the law. Judgment, mercy and faith. These aren't you to have done and not to leave the other undone. He blind guides, which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. They would work hard when they ate and drank to make sure they didn't eat any unclean animal like a gnat by straining their wine through their teeth. But he's saying in disobedience they have swallowed a camel that is, they have committed far greater crimes against humanity and against God. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for you may clean the outside of the cup in the platter, but within their full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Faris e cleanse first, that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean. Also, woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you are like under white ID Sepp Liquors, which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead men's bones and of all unclean nous. Even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, because you build the tombs of the profits and garnish the CEP liquors with righteous and say If we had been in a days of our fathers, we would not have been part takers with them in the blood of the profits. Wherefore you be witnesses unto yourselves that you are the Children of them who killed the profits, fill you up then the measure of your fathers, You serpents, you generation of vipers. How can you escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore behold, I send unto you profits and wise men and scribes and some of them. You will kill and crucify. And some of them shall you scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city that upon you may come all the righteous bloodshed upon the earth from the blood of righteous able to the blood of Zachariah, son of Baruch IAS, whom you slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. Jesus says to this generation you are the sum of all the years of profits that were sent to Israel and all the rejection of those profits by the Jewish people. And now you have rejected the very son of God the Messiah, and you will continue to reject his disciples as they bring the gospel to you. And so all of the judgment that would have fallen on all those generations is going to come on. You 1st 37 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that kill us the profits and stone us them, which are sent to the how often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings and you would not behold your house is left to you desolate, saying that day is coming and it would come in 70 a. D when the armies would march on Israel, Rome would come and they would surround the city of Jerusalem. They would tear down its walls, tear down its temple and great judgment would fall on the nation and on the people of Israel. Behold, your house is left to you desolate for I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth until you shall say blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Well after that, it's no wonder that they went into high gear in their efforts to put Jesus to death. He's sitting in the temple, and he has just made this major confrontation with some of the most hypocritical people in history. He has called them out for their lives of hypocrisy. So maybe it's fitting in this message where Jesus separates people and talks about the just and the unjust, the righteous and the unrighteous, the hypocrites and the saints. Maybe it's fitting that as he sits down for a moment when all the strident voices are quieted, that he can draw attention to a positive example the very opposite of hypocrisy. Mark Chapter 12 says that this also happened on Tuesday. 1st 41 and Jesus sat over against the treasury on beheld how the people cast money into the Treasury and many that were rich, cast and much. And there came a certain poor widow and she threw in two mites which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples and said to them, Verily, I say unto you that this poor widow has cast Maurin than all day which have cast into the treasury, for they did cast in of their abundance. But she of her want did cast in all that she had even all her living in the treasury. There were places where you could put an offering. And as people went into the temple complex, they could drop in their coinage and a person could hear exactly how much went in. Could probably learn as well the to distinguish between large coins and small ones. Well, the rich people came in and the sound of the plink of their coins. I just kept going and going and going and everybody would stand in all of their generosity. But this poor widow came in, dropped in two small coins and could probably barely hear the ping when they fell among the other coins. So you knew she only gave a very little bit. But Jesus is saying that she gave more than all of them put together because she gave sacrificial E. This is all the money she had. Where, as they had given in their abundance, they had given the scrapings the leftovers of their riches. What an example of true ST. The opposite of the hypocrisy that Jesus condemned in this chapter Well, Tuesdays podcast will be continued in part two