Midweek Shift - Debate, Discourse, and Devotion

“Holy Week Speaks!” Part 2 - Tuesday & Wednesday

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Opening

We are living in uncertain times, but one thing has always been, and still remains certain… Jesus is coming back. In Luke 18:8, Jesus asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” That tension… between a turbulent world and a steady faith is exactly what Jesus taught His disciples as He walked toward the cross.

We are currently in our series, “Holy Week Speaks!”, exploring how Jesus’ final actions still give a very clear message to the Church today. Last week, we looked at the withered fig tree and the difference between empty ritual and true intimacy with Christ. (If you missed it, you can catch up anytime on our YouTube channel @crosscreekflorida.)

Today, we dive into the events of Holy Tuesday and Wednesday. As Jesus gives His final rebukes to the religious leaders, He simultaneously shifts His disciples’ focus toward His future return. Through these scenes, we see a powerful transition from public debate, to private discourse, and finally to personal devotion. As we prepare our hearts to receive this message today, let’s open our hearts to the Lord in prayer.

Pray

Dear Lord, we come to you this morning with humble hearts and willing spirits. We acknowledge the uncertainty of the world around us, but we fix our eyes on the certainty of Your Holy and Infallible Word.

Lord, we ask that you remove every barrier - every distraction, every worry, and every noise - that prevents us from fully hearing You today. We lay down our preconceptions and our own agendas. Instead, we open our hearts to the revelation of Your Holy Spirit.

As we look at Jesus’ final days before the cross, shift our focus from the public debates of this world to the personal devotion You desire from us. Speak through Your message today; challenge us, comfort us, and conform us to Your image. May we never be the same again.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Public Debate - questions of intellect

Matthew 21:23-22:46; Luke 20:1-47

I am following a Harmony of the Gospel accounts for this sermon series, but for your reference, today’s narratives can be found in Matthew 21-26, Mark 11-14, and Luke 20-21

After Jesus cleansed the Temple, the atmosphere in Jerusalem shifted. A time of celebration had been deconstructed by calculated conspiracy. The religious leaders weren’t just offended; they were finished. They had already decided in their hearts that Jesus had to die - but to do it, they needed a legal trap. They needed Him to slip up.

So, Holy Tuesday begins with a series of high-stakes debates. One after another, different groups of leaders - the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes - approach Jesus. Not to learn, but to “trip Him up.’ They turn the Temple courts into a courtroom of intellectual games, trying to force an answer that would satisfy a death sentence under both Jewish law and Roman rule.

As we look at these questions of intellect, notice how Jesus refuses to play their game, and instead, exposes the very condition of their hearts. This isn’t just a debate; its a theological minefield. In Matthew, chapters 21 through 22, the most powerful factions in Jerusalem step forward one by one, trying to force Jesus into a mistake that would end His life.

The First Trap: The Question of Authority

The heavy hitters - the Chief Priests and Elders - step up first, demanding to see His credentials: “By what authority are you doing these things?” It’s a classic power play. But Jesus, the Master Teacher, flips the script by asking if John’s baptism was from heaven or men.

Trapped between admitting they ignored God or sparking a riot, they retreat with a cowardly, “We don’t know.” Jesus then exposes their hypocrisy through the parables of the two sons, the wicked tenants, and the wedding banquet. The message is clear: God rejects religious systems that ignore His will and replaces them with those who produce good fruit.

The Second Trap: The Political Standoff

Next, an unlikely alliance - the anti-Rome Pharisees and pro-Rome the Herodians - attempt to ensnare Jesus in a political “gotcha”: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” If Jesus says yes, He’s a traitor to His people; if no, He’s a rebel to Rome.

Jesus simply asks whose face is on the denarius. When they say “Caesar,” He delivers the knockout: “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Essentially telling them to give the government their denarius, but give God your devotion.

The Third Trap: The Intellectual Absurdity

The Sadducees - who denied the supernatural - present a ridiculous “what-if” scenario about a woman who outlives seven husbands. “In the resurrection, whose wife will she be?” They think they’ve proven that the afterlife is a fairy tale, but Jesus corrects their vision revealing that eternity isn’t just an extension of earth; it’s a higher reality where our relationship with God is the ultimate union.

The Final Question: The Heart of the Matter

Finally, a lawyer asks the defining question: “Which is the great commandment?” Out of 613 laws, Jesus doesn’t hesitate. He points them back to the Shema: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. The debate ends there. The leaders realize they cannot outthink Him, and from that moment on, no one dared ask Him another question.

Through these debates, Jesus pulls back the curtain on a hard truth: religious titles and institutional history mean nothing if they aren’t aligned with the Father’s will. He tells the leaders directly in Matthew 21:43 that the Kingdom is being taken from them and given to those who actually bear fruit. The religious leaders were merely curators of the past, but Jesus was the architect of the future.

Friends, can I just tell you, you cannot “out-think” God or find salvation through your intellect alone. This is the turning point of the Mid Week Shift: Until a person moves past intellectual facts to a heart that believes Jesus is the Son of the Living God, they will never truly perceive His truth. I’ve heard it’s called the 16 inch drop - from the head to the heart makes all the difference.

The primary failure of these religious leaders was tragic irony: the very Word of God they meticulously copied onto parchment and strapped to their bodies in leather cases was now standing right in front of them - and they didn’t recognize Him.

Their pride was a blindfold. They were so committed to their idea of what God required that they couldn’t see what God had actually given them in Christ. They craved control, but Jesus offered a Covenant. They wanted a rigid system; He offered a restless Father who wouldn’t stop until His children were safely home in His Kingdom.

They couldn’t see their Savior because he didn’t fit into their religious mold. To them, Jesus was just a carpenter’s son from a nowhere town. He was a transient who shared His table with tax collectors, unclean outcasts, and questionable women. Their reliance on physical evidence blinded them to the spiritual reality, proving that seeing is not believing; believing is believing.

As Isaiah had prophecied, “They kept on listening but did not understand, and kept on looking, but did not perceive, for their hearts had become dull, with their ears they scarecly hear, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and return and Christ would heal them.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)

So, Jesus left Jerusalem to their white-washed tombs. Beautiful on the outside but full of death and unholiness within.

Private Discourse - faith for the future

Matthew 24:1-25:46; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-38

In the quiet space between the very public cleansing of the Temple and the ultimate sacrifice of the Cross, Jesus moves away from the crowds to deliver the Olivet Discourse to His closest friends. He shifts the focus away from the visible, crumbling structures of religion and toward the invisible, enduring power of faith.

The Mount of Olives offers a vista-like view of the city of Jerusalem. As the disciples gaze at the massive, “permanent” stones of the Temple, some of them having only seen it foo the first time, they are awestruck. But Jesus tells them in Luke 21:6 “The days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”

Seeking clarity about this destruction, Peter, James, John and Andrew pull Jesus aside to ask the question we all want answered, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:4)

Jesus’ response is sobering as He delivers an apocalyptic discourse of deception, chaos, calamity, and betrayal which, brings contradictory feelings to the heart of the believer - both trembling and assurance at the same time. He describes a world in birth pains; many coming in His name to mislead people - wars, rumors of wars, and nations rising against nations - earthquakes, famines and pestilence - families turning against each other and believers facing global hatred.

In Matthew 24:12 He warns of the greatest danger of all: “Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

But this isn’t a script for a horror movie; its a manual for endurance in faith. Jesus tells them - and all of us - not to be afraid. He promises that when we are pressured, He will provide the words of wisdom we need. He shifts our focus from the tactile battle around us, to the eternal promises of His Word.

He paints a picture of His return in the clouds with great power and glory, gathering His people from the corners of the earth. His message is clear: When the world begins to shake, do not be afraid. “Look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)

He concludes by saying that no one - not even the angels - knows the exact day or hour. This leads us to the ultimate question for the Church today: If we don’t know when He’s coming, how are we supposed to live while we wait?

To answer this question, Jesus provides a series of parables that act as a four-part blueprint for the Church. Keep watch, stay filled, be good stewards, and care for one another.

1. Keep Watch: The Disciplined Life

Jesus warns us in Mark 13:33-37 to “Take heed, watch and pray.” He compares Himself to a master traveling abroad who leaves his servants in charge. The doorkeeper’s only job is to stay awake. Jesus’ message is blunt: Don’t let the Master find you sleeping. This is about staying spiritually alert in a world that tries to lull us into a coma of complacency.

2. Stay Filled: The Prepared Life

He tells the story of the ten bridesmaids. The five wise ones kept their lamps filled with oil, while the five foolish ones ran dry. When the bridegroom arrived, the door was shut on those who weren’t ready. This is a call to maintain your spiritual reservoir. We must stay filled with the Holy Spirit, tending to our own spiritual condition so that our light doesn’t flicker out when the night gets long.

3. Be Good Stewards: The Invested Life

In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus explains that He has given each of us resources based on our ability. Two servants multiplied what they were given, but one buried his out of fear. This isn’t just about money; it’s about spiritual investment. Are we using the gifts, time and grace God gave you to expand His Kingdom, or are we just trying to keep what we have safe until He gets back?

4. Care for One Another: The Compassionate Life

Finally, Jesus describes the Great Separation - the sheep from the goats and the deciding factor in who The King welcomes is based on who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited the prisoner. He makes it clear in Matthew 25:40, “Inasmuch as you did to one of the least of these… you did it to Me.” Our waiting is not meant to be passive; it is meant to be active in service. Caring for the least among us, and being the example of the coming Kingdom by sharing all we have in relationship with one another.

These four pillars - watching, filling, stewarding and caring - are the “to-do list” for the Church until the sky cracks open. We have to realize that we were not saved for ourselves alone. We are saved for the good of the Kingdom and called to serve as ambassadors for Christ until the very moment He returns.

Before we step into the final section of today’s message, we must understand the “Already but Not Yet” nature of our faith.

Jesus’ earthly ministry was defined by a tension that we still carry today. He preached, “The Kingdom of God is at hand,” using the Greek word eggizo. It signifies proximity - the Kingdom has drawn near, it is within reach, but it hasn’t fully materialized. It’s like the first light of dawn; the sun hasn’t fully risen, but the darkness is already breaking away.

We should all feel that same urgency in our spirits. We don’t know the hour the Bridegroom will return, but we can feel His approach as surely as the morning sun. As His church we have to be simultaneously in the present and looking toward the future. We are not a people defined by the chaos around us, but by the Kingdom coming toward us.

To live the Christian life is to live in this “Already but Not yet” reality by faith. We believe that we are actively participating in the Kingdom of God right now - through our worship, our service, and our love - even though that Kingdom won’t reach its full, glorious expression until an unknown day in the future.

If the parables of watching ,filling, stewarding, and caring represent the blueprints of our waiting for that future, then the final scene of our narrative brings the entire message into sharp, relational focus.

Personal Devotion - devotion and betrayal

Matthew 26:1-16; Mark 14:1-11; John 12:2-8

We have moved past the public debates and transitioned through the private teachings. Now, we enter a moment of raw, personal devotion. While the world argued and the disciples speculated, one woman stepped forward to show us exactly what it looks like to live in the tension of the “Already but Not Yet.”

This final moment on the Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week is even more intimate than the conversation on the Mount of Olives. It brings us face-to-face with the ultimate decision we all must make - a choice embodied by two very different followers of Jesus. In the end, we each must decide: Will we serve the kingdom of self, or will we surrender to the Kingdom of God?

In the quiet of a home in Bethany, the tension of Holy Week finally breaks into a moment of pure, unfiltered devotion.

A woman named Mary enters the room. She isn’t there to debate a theology or ask about the end of the world. She carries an alabaster jar of incredibly expensive ointment - pure nard - worth a whole year’s wages. In an act that stuns the room, she breaks the jar and pours it over Jesus, liberally anointing His head and feet.

In the first century, these alabaster jars weren’t designed with screw caps or resealable lids. They were sealed for permanence. To get the oil out, you had to break the neck of the jar. There was no “saving some for later” and no way to put it back.

When Mary broke that jar, she was committing to a total, irreversible sacrifice. She gave it all. As the fragrance filled the house - a physical sign of a heart completely surrendered - it proved she wasn’t hedging her bets or waiting for a more “certain” time. She gave her absolute best to the Savior while He was right there in front of her.

But the beauty of the moment is immediately met with a harsh, cold rebuke. Judas Iscariot - one of the twelve, a man who had seen the miracles and heard the teachings - is indignant. He hides his greed behind a mask of “ministry,” grumbling that the oil should have been sold to help the poor.

Jesus silences Judas and the other critics of her extravagance, “Leave her alone… she has done a beautiful thing to Me.” (Mark 14:6) He reveals the deeper spiritual reality - she was anointing His body for burial.

While the religious leaders were plotting His death and the disciples were arguing over resources, Mary was the only one who truly understood the assignment. She perfectly lived out the “Already but Not Yet.” She honored the King who was present, while preparing for the sacrifice that was to come.

Mary’s life was marked by extravagant sacrifice and personal devotion. She recognized that Jesus wasn’t just a teacher to be studied, but the only treasure worth having. She breaks her jar because she knows that nothing she has compares to the One standing before her.

Judas, however is marked by calculation and building a safety net. He is near Jesus, but he is using Him as a means to an end. While Mary is looking for a Savior to adore, Judas is looking for a system to manage.

Closing

As I close, and the intercessors and communion stewards come forward, let’s examine our hearts before the Lord. The question we’ve been asked today isn’t just “When is He coming back?” The question is this: When He returns, what will He find?

We are left with the same choice these two followers faced in the shadow of the cross. Will we live with a calculated heart toward God, or a broken jar of devoted surrender?

Are we able to see past the present sacrifices into the future Kingdom? Are we willing to let go of our own ideas of what God requires so that we can simply receive what He has already given? Is there anything in this world you are holding so tightly that you wouldn’t surrender it at the feet of Jesus?

Will we be like Mary, offering our most precious resources in radical faith? Or will we be like Judas trying to cling to what we consider to be valuable for the sake of our own security?

The truth is, there is nothing in this world that is truly ours alone. Nothing we earn has come without His favor; nothing we own has reached us except from His hand. We choose to live this way - with open hands and broken jars - because this is how He chose to die for us.

Because Jesus held nothing back, how can we hold anything back from Him? He didn’t stay on the throne; He stepped into our skin and gave everything on the cross. He gave up His life - not for His own sake, but to secure our future and our salvation from sin and death.

If you sense that you may have been living with a “calculated heart” toward God, trying to manage your own life and your own assurances, Jesus is inviting you today into the freedom of a broken jar. He is calling you to stop negotiating with God and start surrendering to Him.

Whether you need to surrender your life to Him for the first time, or simply lay down a treasure you’ve been clutching too tightly, the invitation is open. Don’t calculate the costs, simply break the lid off your heart and pour out your devotion to the one who poured out everything for you.

Let’s take a moment to bow our heads and do that now. (Pause)

Pray (Stand)

Lord, as we come to the table, we bring our hearts before You - not as critics, but as your children. We confess that we often live like the world, distracted by the massive stones of our own making and the uncertainty of the days we live in. We admit that, like Judas, we have sometimes been calculated with our devotion, holding back our “alabaster jars” out of fear or a desire for our own security.

But today, Lord, we choose the way of Mary.

As we take this bread and this cup, we remember that You held nothing back. You broke Your body and poured out Your life so that we could be gathered into Your Kingdom. We thank you that Your grace is sufficient for today and Your return is the certainty of our tomorrow.

Holy Spirit, fill us now. Help us to stay watchful, to stay filled, and to be good stewards of all You have given us. May the fragrance of our lives be a sweet aroma of devotion to You until the day you return in glory.

In the name of the One who was, and is, and is to come - Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If you’ve asked Jesus into your heart this morning for the first time, please let us know so that we can pray with you.

For the sake of brevity, the small group questions this week are in your notes:

a. How do you personally balance the anxiety of today’s headlines with the certainty that Christ’s Kingdom is already at hand?

b. Which of Jesus’ parables waiting (watching, filling, stewarding, or caring) feels most challenging to you right now?

c. Is there a specific dream, resource, or area of control that the Holy Spirit is asking you to break and surrender at the feet of Jesus this week?

Please stay to join us for a family meal and fellowship after service.