The things and the people Jesus taught on Tuesday

 In the weeks before Easter I intend preaching on what Jesus taught each day during Holy Week. Today we are looking at what Jesus taught on Tuesday. In half-an-hour on a Sunday morning I cannot do justice to what Jesus taught on that day. We will return to this chapter later on in the year. What follows is an outline of this morning’s sermon.

 On Tuesday Jesus taught more people on more topics than He did on any other day of the last week of His earthly life. The teaching at this time was focussed on the different groups who were surrounding Him during the build up to the Passover when He would be sacrificed as the Lamb of God who would give His life for the sins of the world.  

  11: 20-25         the disciples; Prayer & Faith & Fruit

Jesus and His disciples started the day by making their way back to Jerusalem . On the way they saw the fig tree they had passed the previous day which was covered in leaves but which bore no fruit. It was now withered from the roots and Jesus used it an illustration of what happens to fruitless disciples and encouraged them to continue in faith and reminded them of the strong connection between faith and prayer. Fruitful disciples are Faithful disciples and Prayerful disciples..

When they arrived in Jerusalem they found all the different religious and political groups queuing up to put Jesus on the spot to try to trick Him into saying something that would leave Him open to being condemned.

 11 27-12 12       The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders questioned His authority.

Whose authority do you have for what you are doing? John the Baptist acknowledged that Jesus’ authority came from the same source as his authority. Neither were recognised by the religious establishment but both were recognised by spiritually needy people.

  1213- 12:17        the Pharisees and the Herodians

Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. If you want to use Caeser's money you will need to pay Caeser's taxes. 

  12:18 - 12:27     The Saducees and the Resurrection

  Then along came a genuine teacher of the Law with a genuine question. Jesus replied to his question in a very different manner. We must discern between the genuine seeker after truth and those who are trying to trip us up.

12: 28 -34        A teacher of the Law and The Greatest Commandment

Large crowds of pilgrims filled the Temple area and Jesus turned his attention to them. They came spiritually hungry and were fed.

A warning to the crowds

12; 35- 40 Jesus warned the crowds of pilgrims to beware of the pride of the religious leaders. It is not fancy clothes nor  public devotions that give spiritual leaders credibility.

A warning to the disciples 

12: 43 - 44A poor widow came to put her offering into the Temple treasury and Jesus compared what she gave with what the wealthy were giving and used the comparison to instruct the disciples in God’s method of accounting.   

It is not what you give that God takes note of but what you keep back for yourself.

Jesus then left the Temple with His disciples and went across to the Mount of Olives where Peter, Andrew, James and John came to Him privately to ask about the future. It is instructive that not all the disciples were present to hear this teaching. Some of the disciple band was still impressed by the externals of religion. The magnificent Temple still impressed some and was seen as a sign of God’s favour towards Israel .

There were four who wanted to be taught the truths that the others would not have understood or were not interested in. This chapter was in response to their simple request, “What will be the sign that what He said about the future was about to be fulfilled?”

  13   The Future

  The first period, when some of the things predicted were fulfilled, was during the time of the early Church, from Pentecost to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, when v2 was literally fulfilled.

During this period all the structures of Jewish national and religious life were still in place. Because of that the disciples would be arrested, brought to trial and flogged. On the other hand, in spite of the persecution, they would also stand before governors and kings and would witness to them about the Lord Jesus.

It is this context that they are told not to worry about what they will say when this happens. The Holy Spirit will be with them to give them the answers.

  We cannot date the next period so precisely because it has not yet finished. We are still living in the period between the destruction of Jerusalem and the Rapture of the Church.

  This period will also be marked by persecution and martyrdom that will become fiercer as time goes on until God loses patience with this sinful world and rescues His people by calling them out of the world. it is then that the man of sin will be revealed and all restraint will be removed.

  Those Jews and others who become Christians following the Rapture of the Church will be subjected to unbelievable cruelty. 13: 14-27 until the Lord Jesus returns to the earth in power and great glory to gather those who had put their trust in Him during the Great Tribulation. He will set up His Kingdom on earth and establish His reign of righteousness and peace.

See Isaiah 2: 1-4;         2:12 -21

This is only an outline sketch of the teaching in these great chapters. Now open your Bible and read them through for yourself. Spend some time thinking about all that Jesus said on that day and ask God the Holy Spirit to speak your heart and reveal to you more of the precious Lord Jesus.