Lesson 21 - Last Week in Bethany and Jerusalem - Part 3

Need to understand that the book of Matthew is NOT chronological

Simply Matthews recount of events in the life of Christ
So in your harmony of the Gospel’s you will jump back and forth in this book

Left off last week where a disciple pointed out how GRAND the temple was

And it WAS a grand BUILDING
And it would NOT be completed until 64 AD
But even during the time of Jesus - even in the midst of CONSTRUCTION - it was BEAUTIFUL
But not for LONG:

Matthew 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

In 70 AD, just SIX years after its COMPLETION, Roman general Titus CAPTURED Jerusalem and completely DESTROYED and LOOTED the temple
AFTER this observation of the GRANDER of the Temple, Jesus and His disciples cross the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives

i. There Jesus continued to teach His followers

Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Jesus was speaking BOTH of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD as well as the RETURN OF CHRIST #. Jesus gives us some SIGNS of His Second Coming

i. FALSE preachers

ii. WARS and RUMORS of war

iii. Famines, pestilences and earthquakes

Two kinds of PEOPLE today i. Those who are PREPARED, WATCHING for the coming of Christ

ii. And those who are NOT

Jesus CONCLUDED the Olivet Discourse by reminding His disciples that the Passover was ONLY two days away

That He would THEN be BETRAYED and CRUCIFIED #. Matthew tells us that this was the SIXTH time Jesus told His disciples that He was going to DIE

Just down the road PLOTTING was taking place

The chief priests and scribes were in a SECRET session in the home of the high priest
PLOTTING and PLANNING

Matthew 26:4 - 5 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.

They just had to GET Jesus but NOT on the feast day

i. Didn’t want to insight Jesus’ followers

So much for THEIR planning – i. Jesus WAS crucified during the Passover
Jesus really was in CONTROL of the WHOLE event – i. NOT His enemies
God’s plan was in motion and NOBODY was going to change it

Simon the leper has a dinner for Jesus

Simon probably called the LEPER because he had leprosy but was HEALED by Jesus #. NOW he can sit down and have FELLOWSHIP with Jesus and the other guests
John tells us that Mary, Martha and Lazarus were present
Martha SERVED the mean
Mary came to Jesus with some very EXPENSIVE ointment in a vase

i. Believed to worth a one year salary

ii. Point being it was a LOT on money

iii. Mary anointed Jesus’ head and feet with that ointment

iv. Then WIPED His feet with her hair

v. This was a very LAVISH act of love

vi. It caused much DEBATE among the disciples assembled

vii. Many thought that the ointment ought to have been SOLD and the money given to the POOR

viii. John tells us that Judas Iscariot was the SPOKESMAN

1. The FIRST one to speak out AGAINST this act

The CRITICISM got so heated that Jesus RESPONDED

John 12:7 - 8 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

i. This ANNOINTING is NOT the same event that took place in the house of Simon the Pharisee found in Luke 7:36-50

1. Different hosts, different women, different critics

Judas was OFFENDED by Jesus’ REBUKE

Judas would GIVE the Jewish authorities WHAT they WANTED i. Which WAS?

1. The ABILITY to arrest Jesus AWAY from the crowds

Judas would KNOW Jesus’ SCHEDULE

i. Judas could give that INFORMATION to the Jewish authorities

The REBUKE was not the SOLE reason for condemning Jesus to CERTAIN death i. All the disciples were rebuked – not just Judas

ii. Rather that was the FINAL straw

iii. There was no FUTURE in following Jesus

iv. There was no FINANCIAL gain in following Jesus

v. What is the POINT

vi. Time now to sell out to the HIGHEST bidder

We have no record of what else transpired on Wednesday

A.T Robertson says that the plotting event and the dinner Matt 26 took place on Wednesday i. With reference by Jesus of ‘2 days’ Wednesday fits
We do know that Tuesday was a FULL day
So was Wednesday
As would be Thursday
We can assume Jesus spent Wednesday and most of Thursday with His friends in Bethany

THURSDAY AFTERNOON

Preparation for the Last Supper

Most commentators believe that the events recorded now in Matthew 26:17-30 took place on Thursday of Passion Week. #. This was the FIRST day of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread.

i. On that FIRST day Passover lambs were sacrificed

Mark 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?

ii. The Feast of Unleavened Bread followed immediately after the Passover

1. The entire EIGHT-day event was sometimes called the Passover WEEK

PLANS were already in place for THIS meal
Jesus SENT Peter and John to Jerusalem to carry out the PLANS
The PLACE of the Passover celebration is not designated in any of the Gospels,

i. Though it took place in the city (Matt. 26:18) – Jerusalem

ii. Probably in the HOME of someone who acknowledged Jesus as MESSIAH.

1. That he WILLINGLY opened his home indicated he had an awareness of Jesus and His claims.

Besides finding the location, the two disciples . . . prepared the Passover i. Means they PURCHASED and PREPARED the food

ii. Probably took most of the day.

THURSDAY NIGHT (AFTER SUNSET) – BEGINNING OF THE JEWISH FRIDAY

The Passover Meal

The purpose of this meal was to REMIND the Jews of their DELIVERANCE from Egyptian BONDAGE i. The MENU was roasted lamb, unleavened bread, wine and herbs

ii. At SUNSET, the trumpets would sound

1. The meal would BEGIN

iii. But TONIGHT Jesus brought NEW meaning to this MEAL

1. Transforming it into the LORD’S SUPPER

After ARRANGEMENTS had been COMPLETED

i. Jesus and the disciples ENTERED the UPPER ROOM

ii. There to observe the Passover Supper

We know that when the supper began there was some CONTENTION as to WHO would be the GREATEST

The disciples still did NOT know what was about to HAPPEN #. Once more Jesus had to TEACH them

Luke 22:25 - 30 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Next Jesus DEMONSTRATED what it meant to be GREAT

i. He took a TOWEL and a BASIN of water and began to WASH the disciples feet

When Jesus came to PETER i. In John 13;6 Peter said in affect, DON’T wash my feet

ii. Remember we talked about SUBMISSION last Wednesday night

iii. Jesus warned Peter that without complete SUBMISSION he could have NO part in Jesus

iv. Peter got the idea

1. NOW asking then for a COMPLETE bath

The BETRAYER – the SPY to be Revealed

John 13:18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

THIS would be the PROPHETIC fulfillment

Psalms 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

Judas had the OPPORTUNITY to receive Christ into his heart i. BUT he turned Jesus DOWN
We will pick up here next Sunday night