" JESUS' Final Week of Work - Monday

   

      Mark 11:12-14  Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, HE was hungry, And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves.  HE went to see if perhaps HE would find something on it. And when HE came to it, HE found nothing on it. And when HE came to it, HE found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response JESUS said to it, " Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And HIS disciples heard it.

The Monday after Palm Sunday, as we call it, the LORD was traveling out of Bethany.  Now to recap, the LORD had just been hailed and welcomed into Jerusalem by a large crowd.  This will be in part, the same crowd that will call for HIS crucifixion in just a few days. Some of the crowd will be paid, by the Pharisees, to arouse others and to get a mob against the LORD.

Now many have thought about what the cursing of the fig tree represented, since it had not been the time for figs to be on the tree.  The LORD's disciples will ask HIM about this on Tuesday morning as they are traveling.  We shall see, tomorrow what the LORD had to say about it.

Now the next thing that was written about the Monday after Palm Sunday was the LORD's cleansing of the temple.

      Mark 11:15-19  So they came to Jerusalem. And JESUS went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. And HE would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then HE taught, saying to them, " Is it not written, " MY house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it a ' den of thieves.' " And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy HIM; for they feared HIM, because all the people were astonished at HIS teaching. And when evening had come, HE went out of the city.

      Now in the Book of Jeremiah 7:11 he also talked about the LORD's house becoming a den of thieves and the verse states, " Has this house, which is called by MY name, become a den of thieves in your eyes ? Behold I, even I, have seen it, " says the LORD.  The Gospels of Matthew and Luke also have their inspired events of the day. There were specific guidelines given about how things were to be done within the Temple confines; buying and selling were things to be done out in the markets. What they were selling were birds and animals that would be given in sacrifice by those who traveled from far away. The travelers would go to the corrupt moneychangers and get the correct currency then they would go and purchase the appropriate sacrifice needed for their family size. Also, the moneychangers were crooked and would give low exchange rates for money that was from other provinces. This was just some of what the LORD was talking about when HE cleansed the Temple; none of this was to be done within the Temple area.

Now the Gospel of John gives some of the other teachings that JESUS did that day. In John 12:20-50 JESUS teaches on the significance or attraction of sacrifice and those verses are as follow:

      Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see JESUS." Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told JESUS. But JESUS answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the SON of MAN should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves ME, let him follow ME; and where I AM, there MY servant will be also. If anyone serves ME, him MY FATHER will honor. Now MY soul is troubled, and what shall I say ? 'FATHER, save ME from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. FATHER, glorify YOUR name."  Then a voice came from heaven, saying, " I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."  Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to HIM." JESUS answered and said, " This voice did not come because of ME, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I AM lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to MYSELF."   This HE said, signifying by what death HE would die.

The people answered HIM, " We have heard from the law that the CHRIST remains forever; and how can YOU say, 'The SON of MAN must be lifted up'? Who is this SON of MAN ?"  Then JESUS said to them, " A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  

These things JESUS spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. But although HE had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in HIM, that the word of Isaiah(53:1), the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

              " LORD, who has believed our report ?

               And to whom has the arm of the LORD

               been revealed ?"

Therefore they could not believe because Isaiah(6:9,10)said again:

               " HE has blinded their eyes and 

               hardened their heart. Lest they

               should see with their eyes and

               understand with their heart, lest

               they should turn, so that I should

               heal them."               

These things Isaiah said when he saw HIS glory and spoke to HIM. Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in HIM, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess HIM lest they should be put out of the synagogue; * for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of GOD.*

Then JESUS cried out and said, " He who believes in ME, believes not in ME but in HIM WHO sent ME. And he who sees ME sees HIM WHO sent ME. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in ME should not abide in darkness, And if anyone hears MY WORD's and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects ME, and does not receive MY WORD's, has that which judges him--the WORD that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on MY own authority; but the FATHER WHO sent ME gave ME a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that HIS command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the FATHER has told ME, so I speak.

JESUS's death will be a shock to those around HIM, including HIS disciples. But it should not have been. The LORD spoke, to HIS disciples, of HIS death many times during the approximate 3+ years of HIS adult ministry,but they were unwilling and unable to listen or believe it. When the LORD spoke about HIM being lifted up, this was a reference to the cross but also a reference to the bronze serpent that Moses was instructed to make for the children of Israel when they had sinned. The serpents started to bite them and they would die from the bite. Moses was instructed by GOD to make a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole, then instruct the people who were bitten to look up at the bronze serpent and they would be healed.  Those who looked were healed and those who refused such a simple remedy for their affliction, died. Numbers 21:4-9 gives the account of the judgement with serpents and redemption with the serpent up on a pole.  Think of it, this was a picture of what would happen to the coming of Israel's Messiah nearly 1500 years later.

* Take note to this asterisked phrase and what was really most important to many that heard the LORD speak and either refused to believe HIM or believed in silence.

We will look into more of JESUS' teachings tomorrow as we walk along with HIM on HIS way to the cross and HIS resurrection.

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie