Monday, April 2, 2012

Monday:  The Last Week of Jesus’ Life Before the Crucifixion (Passion Week)

In the last week of Jesus’ human life before on earth, He commenced the redemptive work to accomplish salvation for all humanity of their sins.  Jesus’ love, suffering and resurrection established salvation for everyone through faith (John 3:16; Romans 5:8-9).

Sunday, Jesus’ Messianic and Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19

Monday, Jesus curses the fig tree, Monday
Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, Mark 11:20-26

Monday, Jesus clears the Temple
Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-46; cp. John 2:13-16

The next morning (Monday) as they (Jesus and His disciples) were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He (Jesus) noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so He went over to see if He could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard Him say it. When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and He stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill Him. But they were afraid of Him because the people were so amazed at His teaching.  Mark 11:12-18 (NLT).

In Mark’s account, the cursing of the fig tree is intimately associated with the cleansing of the Temple (11:15-19). In these Scripture passages, two unusual episodes are related: the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the Temple. The cursing of the fig tree was related to the cleansing of the Temple because both produced no fruit. God intended the Temple to be a place of true and wholehearted worship to God, but true worship had disappeared. The fig tree revealed a promise of fruit, but produced none. These two passages show Jesus’ anger at religious life without truehearted faith and worship to God. If you claim to love God without revealing fruit, you are like the barren fig tree (Luke 3:8-9). Genuine faith and true worship produce fruit for God’s Kingdom (see Galatians 5:22-23). Just as Jesus judged the fruitless fig tree, He also judged the Temple and the half-hearted and fruitless worship of Israel. Let us all assure we are bearing fruit “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Tuesday, Jewish religious leaders questions Jesus' authority
Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8

Tuesday, Jesus teaches in the Temple
Matthew 21:28-23:39; Mark 12:1-44; Luke 20:9-21:4

Tuesday, Jesus anointed at Bethany
Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-11

Wednesday, The plot against Jesus
Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6

Thursday, The Last Supper
Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14-12-25; Luke 22:7-20; John 13:1-38

Thursday, Jesus comforts His disciples
John 14:1-16:33

Thursday, Gethsemane
Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46

Thursday night and Friday, Jesus’ arrest and trial
Matthew 26:47-27:26; Mark 14:43-15:15; Luke 22:47-23:25; John 18:2-19:16

Friday, Jesus’ crucifixion and death at Golgotha
Matthew 27:27-56; Mark 15:16-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30

Friday, The burial of Jesus in Joseph’s Tomb
Matthew 27:57-66; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:31-42

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