Monday, June 3, 2019

Jesus in Jerusalem (GL73)

    'Appreciating God's Love'
 
Final Week of Jesus
Glorious Entry into Jerusalem
Mat 21:9-11  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! *'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'* Hosanna in the highest!"
    During His glorious entry into Jerusalem while riding on a donkey, the multitudes proclaimed Him as the Messiah who came in the Name of the Lord.

Rock Split to Praise Jesus
Luke 19:39-40  And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."
     The Pharisees were jealous and called out to Jesus to stop the multitudes from praising and honouring Him. He told them that if the multitudes kept silent, the stones would cry out to praise Him.
    Jesus showed His greatest love for men when He offered Himself to die on the cross for the remission of men's sin.
     All His disciples should be praising and thanking God for His great love and their salvation, but instead, they were mourning of His death.
     Since no one praised God for Jesus, the rocks (stones) split causing an earthquake to fulfill this prophecy,
Mat 27:50-51  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

Jesus Cleansed the Temple
Mat 21:12-13  Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"
   Though the sacrificial animals sold in the temple ground were for the convenience of the worshippers yet our Lord drove out the traders from doing business in the house of God.
    Jesus knew that when man sees the opportunity of making money and lots of money, out of greed they will forget sincerity and fairness.
    These temple traders were using the temple compound to exploit the devout Jews coming back from foreign land to worship God. Our Lord called these traders thieves for they sold the animal and birds at exhorbitant prices.
    Churches should not allow their members to conduct business in their compound nor be involved in business. Pastors and full time workers must not go back to the world nor be involved in business for they must stay holy because they serve a holy God.
    Let the businessmen brethren make their money in their pursuits, give to His church the Body of Christ, mission, poor and needy, so that God can bless them more.
I Pet 1:13-16  Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

Jewish Leaders Admonished
Mat 21:24-27  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?" And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet." So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know." And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
    Our Lord used all situations to try and help the Jewish leaders to believe and obey the Mosaic law, which they were entrusted to teach.
    He knew that once the Jewish leaders realized their hypocrisy, wickedness and sins and repent of them, the whole Israel will be saved.
    He asked them concerning the baptism of John the Baptist, but out of pride they denied that John the Baptist was a prophet.
    Sinners such as harlots and tax collectors believed John and repented of their sins but these Jewish leaders refused to believe nor repent.
Mat 21:32  "For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."