This week, we see darkness at every turn. We see the betrayal by Judas. Jesus is then arrested and tried by the people responsible for instructing and leading God’s people. We see the “Shepherds of Israel,” the Sanhedrin and High Priest hold an illegal trial and commit many illegal acts as they carry out their plan to have Jesus killed. They hated His message of grace and they were extremely jealous of His popularity. Finally, we see one of His closest disciples deny Him three times, just as Jesus prophesied.

This week, we see a final attempt by Satan to try and keep Jesus from going to the cross by tempting Him to not take up the cup of God’s wrath. We see the weight of the world’s sin and the wrath of God start to weigh heavy on Jesus. How does He respond? He goes to His Father for comfort and strength. When we are hurting because God has called us to a path that is painful and costly, how do we respond? We can learn a lot from Jesus as He models trusting in the Father, even when we don’t like what He’s called us to do.

Last session, we saw a contrast in a devoted follower who was a true worshipper of Jesus and a “wolf” in sheep’s clothing. We saw the passion of Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, for Jesus demonstrated in her actions and also saw the selfish and idolatrous deception of Judas, who followed Jesus geographically, but not spiritually. He saw all of Jesus’ miracles, heard all His teachings, and even taught and healed people, but was ultimately a fraud. Our actions ultimately reveal our hearts and our true loyalties. This week, we continue looking at Jesus and His disciples celebrating the Passover. This is the last Passover, not just for Jesus, but for all true followers of God. Jesus institutes His “Passover” to be remember by our celebrating and remembering his suffering and death on our behalf. We also see Him remind us that pride and self-sufficiency is a universal problem without a cure, apart from Jesus.

This week, we see a contrast in a follower who is a true worshipper of Jesus and a “wolf” in sheep’s clothing. We see the passion of this follower for Jesus demonstrated in her actions and also see the traitorous deception of a fraudulent follower of Jesus in his actions. Our actions ultimately reveal our hearts and our true loyalties. In less than 24 hours, Jesus will be beaten and crucified, but before that happens, he has some important instructions about his departure. This is the beginning of the end of His time on earth.

Last session, we looked at chapter 13:1-27 and the beginning of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus’ final prophecy before the cross. It was late on Wednesday of Passion Week and Jesus left the Temple for the last time. When the disciples marveled at how awesome the temple was, Jesus stunned them: “Not one stone here will be left on another” (Mark 13:2). This prophecy came true in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the Temple. Later, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “When will these things happen, and what will be the sign?” Jesus’ answered them by teaching them about the fall of Jerusalem and His ultimate return. He shared that between His 1st and 2nd coming, time on earth will be filled with wars, death, and danger. He prepares them by telling them what is going to happen in the immediate future and right before His 2nd coming…proving His Divine nature by predicting the future events. The purpose of this discourse is not date-setting but Kingdom discipleship: a call for believers to remain watchful, discerning, and faithful until Christ comes again. This session, we look at Jesus sharing some instructions, an important warning, and a couple of illustrations to help the disciples understand and apply what He has been teaching them about His return and their mindset about the future. “Prophecy is in every book in the Bible.” Dwight Pentecost It’s in there to change our mindset and our life!

Today, we dive into chapter 13 and the Olivet Discourse, Jesus’ final prophecy before the cross. It is one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament, filled with Old Testament allusions, imagery, and layers of fulfillment pointing to the end of the age. After entering Jerusalem, cleansing the Temple, and confronting the religious leaders, Jesus left the Temple for the last time. When the disciples marveled at how awesome the temple was, Jesus stunned them: “Not one stone here will be left on another” (Mark 13:2). This prophecy came true in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the Temple. Later, on the Mount of Olives—where God’s glory once departed (Ezek. 11) and where the Messiah will return (Zech. 14)—Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “When will these things happen, and what will be the sign?” Jesus’ answered them by teaching them about the fall of Jerusalem and His ultimate return. The disciples are not ready for what he is about to share. They think he is about to establish His rule and reign on earth. He does reign, but the timing of His earthly Kingdom reign isn’t now. Between the 1st coming and 2nd coming, time on earth will be filled with wars, death, and danger. He prepares them by telling them what is going to happen in the future…proving His Divine nature. The purpose of this discourse is not date-setting but Kingdom discipleship: a call for believers to remain watchful, discerning, and faithful until Christ comes again.

This week, we continue to look at Jesus’ warning to the crowd and His disciples about the religious “Posers.” Jesus warns us against them, their pride, their pretense, and their perversion of the faith. He points out a lonely widow who had been abused by the system as an example of how bad things had become. She gave her last little bit of money to secure her blessings and salvation from God. Sounds a lot like the religious hucksters of today!

This week, Jesus gave the crowd and His disciples a final warning about the religious “Posers.” He has already exposed their character and faulty theology. Now, he condemns them and their hypocrisy and states that their judgment is coming. These posers pretended to represent Yahweh, but actually represent Satan. Satan is a liar, father of lies, and can appear as an angel of light. The Jewish people saw the Sanhedrin, the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the Levites, and the scribes as God’s representatives, when in reality, they represented the evil one. You can’t represent Yahweh and teach lies, take advantage of widows, and disregard Yahweh’s commands, and His Messiah. They presented themselves as “holy men” who served as Yahweh’s shepherds, but in reality, they served themselves for the sake of power, money, and their own glory. They were supposed to feed and care for Yahweh’s sheep. They were supposed to be gatekeepers of the Scriptures and guard Yahweh’s people. Instead, they led them to murder Yahweh’s Messiah…Yahweh’s Son. Religious Posers and false teachers are not benign. They cover up what they really are by pretending to be something that aren’t. Left unchallenged, they can do great damage to the body. Jude 1:3-5 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Posers are enemies of Yahweh. They distort His Word, Hate the Euangellion of Jesus, and ultimately hate the sheep.

This week, it was Jesus’ turn to ask the questions, and he poses a question to the religious leaders (with the crowd listening) and then exposits an Old Testament passage that Jewish teaching had always affirmed was about the Messiah. Every Jew knew that Messiah was David’s son, but they did not see or comprehend that He was David’s God!! They believed that Messiah would be a human ruler with great power from Yahweh. He would have a great impact on the world by leading Israel to conquer all their enemies and fulfill Yahweh’s promises to Abraham and David. They saw Messiah as a savior of Israel as a nation, not for individuals.

This week, we come to a text that is simple and straightforward. There is not a lot of interpretation with this passage, but a lot of application and accountability with it. This will probably cause many of us to be uncomfortable or uneasy and what we should do is reflect on the heart of God and how we all miss the mark and really need Jesus! The Sanhedrin debriefed (see Acts 4:23, Psalm 2:2 – fulfilled prophecy) after the first two attempts and come up with a question that they all agree on and hopefully will move this rogue Rabbi (Jesus) to respond with a statement that puts himself above Moses and The Law. They wanted to turn the people against Him before they arrested Him. There were 613 laws (613 letters in the Ten Commandments) in the Torah and they wanted Him to answer which one is the most important in hopes he would slip up.

This week, we see the wave of attacks continue. All these groups, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Herodians, Scribes try to trap Jesus with questions that reveal how they have departed from God’s Word in some way. The Sadducees, a group in charge of the Temple and supposedly the spiritual leaders of Israel now try to trap Jesus with the second question. They try to discredit Him with a question about the resurrection. His response gives us some insights into the Sadducees’ faulty view of Heaven, Scripture, and even Yahweh and His power. Also, His answers give us insight on applying God’s Word to our lives and the way we live as His Kingdom priests.

This week, the religious leaders desperately want to get rid of Jesus. So, they come up with a plan that has a series of traps with questions about 1) how much do they defer to Roman authorities, 2)the resurrection, and 3)which commandment is the greatest? They hated and feared Jesus and after the last two interactions, they wanted Him off the scene. They were looking for a way to turn the people against Him or have Rome arrest Him and kill Him. Remember, it was Passover week, and this was the time for messiahs to rise up. The questions were meant to trap Jesus, but He gives us insight into how we are to live out what we believe practically relating to the government, our view of Heaven, and living out the greatest commandment. In Israel, the priests (Levi) represented God’s rule/law and the Kings (Judah) represented government rule/law. King Uzziah tried to cross the line and was struck with leprosy. There is only one priest/king – Jesus! Politicians/gov’ts don’t define or dictate God’s law.God’s Law reigns supreme over every other authority.

This week, Jesus goes further into exposing the unbelief of the religious posers and their coming judgment with a parable about a landowner who leases out a vineyard to tenants who were greedy and violent. It is another revelation from Jesus about the coming judgment on Israel’s religious leaders, religious system, their temple, and their nation. You can harden your heart for so long that you go past the point of God’s patience and mercy…it’s TOO LATE! When Jesus came on the scene, He came to a spiritually dead nation. God’s Spirit had left the temple and their temple was dead…their leaders were dead…their nation was dead. So much so, that when Jesus appeared, they questioned His authority. Don't wait to trust Him. Trust Him NOW!

This week, the religious leaders question Jesus as to whose authority He was operating under as He cleared out the temple and taught the things that He taught. Jesus responded to their questions with a question of His own and His question to them exposed their lack of faith in Him as Messiah, and their lack of belief in the One True Living God, Yahweh. They were paralyzed by his questions because it forced them to reveal their true unbelief in God’s Word.

This week, Jesus uses a Fig tree to symbolize the departure of Israel from True Faith in God. He cursed the Fig tree and within 24 hours it was dead. He also took the disciples into the temple, where He overturned tables and chairs, shut down the marketplace of Annas, and took the leaders back to a couple of Old Testament passages that had an ominous warning about what was about to happen to them and their religious system. He also instructed the disciples about their source of power going forward and the secret to effective prayer.

This week, Jesus fulfills Scripture prophecy by riding a donkey down from the Mount of Olives to the Temple. He is heading into passion week and the last week of His life. The reaction of the crowd was celebratory and exalting, but not for the right reasons. Instead of recognizing Jesus as God’s Messiah and sacrificial lamb, they were trying to claim Him as their National Messiah and deliverer from Rome. Matthew and Mark dedicate 40 percent of their Gospel to the passion week. Luke devotes 25 percent and John over 50 percent to the week where Jesus is rejected, betrayed, scourged, crucified, buried, and resurrected. This is the main point of Jesus’ ministry. It is the week of Passover- the celebration of Israel being delivered from Egyptian bondage. It is during this week, that would-be messiahs would often appear in Jerusalem sparking riots and unrest. Rome would often beef up security. The Old Testament sacrificial system was a foreshadowing of Jesus coming to this moment. Jesus dies at Passover.

This week, Jesus continues his instruction by leading them into a situation that illustrates exactly what He was trying to teach them. They came to serve, not to be served. As they are traveling, they encounter a couple of blind beggars, providentially sitting by the exact road where they were walking. Jesus not only heals their blindness, He heals their hearts and they follow Him and the disciples on “the way.”

This week, Jesus instructs His disciples for the third time about his suffering and crucifixion…and, for the third time, they don’t understand or they simply don’t want to believe what He is telling them. Luke says, they “didn’t understand or grasp what He was saying.” Why? Their minds were not on the CROSS, but on a CROWN!! Matthew and Mark records that their response revealed some deep-seated pride issues that still needed to be rooted out.

This week, we are looking at a passage that deals with two types of people that approach Jesus- young children (people with no visible value) and a wealthy, influential, up and coming ruler. In all 3 Gospels, the story of the rich young ruler is preceded by Mothers bringing their children to be blessed by Jesus. What a contrast…young children (infants) who are totally dependent and have nothing to offer God versus a wealthy, influential, and religious man who thinks he can DO something to earn God’s blessing. Jesus uses these interactions as a teaching time for his disciples on the heart condition required to receive the Kingdom of God!

This week, we are looking at a passage that deals with a painful and unpleasant subject-DIVORCE. Most of us grew up during a time when people aspired to be married, be a good husband or a good wife, raise good children of faith and continue to obey God’s command to be fruitful and multiply. Now, God’s standard is ridiculed and hardly anybody expects to be married forever. Now, even children are divorcing parents! God intended for marriage to be a lifelong monogamous relationship, but many today (even in the church) feel that is unrealistic! If we get a divorce unbiblically, there’ll be no significant consequences, we’ll just remarry and do it all again! “I have to do what’s best for me”…God doesn’t want me to be unhappy the rest of my life”…We create our own reality and version of His truth…We try to be God! What does God think about divorce? He hates it! Malachi 2:16. God intended marriage for one man and one woman for life. Satan always goes for family and attacks the family by destroying marriages. But the homes were deteriorating 400 years before Jesus. Mal 2:14 “Yahweh is a witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless…your wife by covenant.” 2 schools of thought – Rabbi Hillel (liberal-broad) – divorce your wife for anything, citing Deut 24, “indecency.” Rabbi Shammai (conservative-narrow)- only adultery. Do we want to follow God’s way to do marriage or man’s way.