STUDY THEME: ONE SOLITARY LIFE: “THE LIFE OF JESUS.” 6-3-01

UNIT 6. THE PERFECT SACRIFICE: “DEVOTED TO THE KING.”

MATT. 21: 1-3, 6-11, 12-13, 14-16. (MARK 11:1-11, 15-18, LUKE 19: 28-44,

JOHN 2: 13-17, 12-19.)

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO MATTHEW 21.

Today in our nine-month study of “THE LIFE OF JESUS” we begin a new six lesson unit titled “THE PERFECT SACRIFICE.”

The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the watershed event of human history and the decisive, unrepeatable act of God in providing for His creation’s redemption. Numerous promises and prophecies in the O.T. pointed toward Jesus’ coming. N.T. writers called attention to these O.T. Scriptures and showed clearly in Gal. 4:4-5 how “when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under law.”

How was the death of Jesus unique? Many good people have died torturous deaths at the hands of evil people as they sacrificed their lives for their country, family, or friends. However, Jesus was not just a good person. He was the sinless Son of God. He died not only a painful death but endured the burden of the sins of the world. He died not for good people but for sinners. Few things can inspire u, encourage us, and challenge us as the biblical account of the death of Jesus for our sins.

All the Gospels give great attention to the death of Jesus as the climax of His saving mission. This new unit deals with the cross and the events of Jesus’ last week, which led up to the crucifixion. This six-session unit entitled “The Perfect Sacrifice” is based on selected passages from Matthew, Mark, and John. The unit begins with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and His cleansing of the temple and concludes with His crucifixion and burial. The unit encompasses Jesus teachings on His second-coming and the end of the world. His institution of the Lord’s Supper. His prayer and arrest in Gethsemane, and Peter’s denials. We will be concerned to study carefully the events and to allow God’s Word to impact us personally. We trust today’s lesson will help each of us demonstrate an ever-increasing devotion to Jesus as King of our life.

The secular worldview shows no devotion to Jesus. It lacks any appreciation for worship. In one of the prayer requests received this week from Linda Hathcock in Prague, Check-Republic, was for a university student in Latvia who translated for the Youth Bible Study. He did not return for the following lesson. He told the missionaries he did not believe what they were teaching; that it was impossible to know God and the Bible is just a collection of fables. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to convict him and open his heart to the truth. His name is Voss.

In the biblical worldview, Jesus is the Son of God who is worthy of all devotion and worship. People come to Him and accept Him on His own terms. They seek to grow in their devotion and service to Him.

Today’s lesson deals with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The Lord orchestrated the event of His ministry in Jerusalem in detail. As the sovereign King, He left nothing to chance but prepared each detail so as to culminate His ministry with majestic fulfillment of the O.T. prophecies that pointed to this week of the Lord’s passion. Here we see: the Lord’s Careful Preparation; the Purpose of the Lord’s Preparation; and the Lord’s Impact on Jerusalem.

1. PLEASE READ MATTHEW 21: 1-3.

This Sunday was much more than simply a festive celebration for Jesus. The day was filled with all kinds of emotional experiences for Jesus. On Palm Sunday Jesus experienced joy, conflict, anger, and heartbreak all before He laid down His head to go to sleep at the end of the day. The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is recorded in every one of the four Gospels.

The spring of 33 AD was a time of great contrasts for Jesus and His followers. On one hand His ministry had never been more successful. Jesus has had the opportunity to share deep spiritual truths with not only the disciples, but with the much larger crowd of people that followed Him wherever He sent. He is reaching people that no one thought could be reached for the Kingdom of God. Zacchaeus, a Roman tax collector gave his life to Jesus and was changed forever. A change has come over the longtime followers of Jesus as well. Now for some reason they were able to call people they had once despised Brother—deep down inside their very being they felt differently, they loved people they used to hate. It was a remarkable thing to see.

Yet, on the other hand, there were those who hated Jesus to the very ground that He walked on. The Pharisees, the ones who had always gone out of their way to show off their religion and so many others who thought they were in the know, couldn’t stand Jesus, and wanted to see Him dead. And now in the face of this huge contrast we’ve come to a crossroads.

Jesus has been talking about going to Jerusalem but those closest to Him have been advising against it, thinking that nothing good could come of it. Yet in spite of their admonitions Jesus seems determined to go. Now, it was time for the Passover celebration, and if Jesus was gong to go, now was going to be the time. As a matter of fact His coming or not was a hot topic of conversation in the temple courts.

Jerusalem was Israel’s capital city, home of the glorious temple that was being restored and magnified by Herod, and center of all Israel’s political and religious hopes and expectations. Jesus had announced Jerusalem as His destination. He also had announced the purpose Jerusalem served for Him—final confrontation with the Jewish leaders and His death. The disciples heard the destination, but they ignored the purpose. They believed Jesus finally had decided to take over the kingdom from Rome. Now the disciples would receive their well-deserved reward for all the trudging through Galilee they had done with Jesus, for all the family, friends, and occupations they had left behind. Only one question remained: Who would serve in what positions in Jesus’ new government in Jerusalem? James and John sought the positions on either side of Jesus. This caused the other disciples to be greatly displeased.

Jesus followed the usual 17 mile route Roman soldiers traveled from Jericho to Jerusalem.

Climbing about 3,000 feet above sea-level, the road led through Bethany and Bethphage on the southeast slope of the Mount of Olives. A glorious, awe-inspiring view lay below Jesus and the disciples of as the Lord sent two of them on a mission.

Luke 19:41-44 records that, As He Approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on that day what would bring you peace, but now is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the groundk you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

It was decision time for a lot of people, not just Jesus. The disciples, and those who had been so closely associated with His ministry had to decide where they would be if Jesus did go on to Jerusalem. Would they go with Him, risking their own lives to show their allegiance to Him? Or would they lay back a bit to see how things panned out before declaring themselves for Him? But then how could they really call themselves committed to Jesus if they only followed Him when things were safe?

The decision ws made ot cas their lot with Jesus, come what may. He meant more to them than life itself, and they couldn’t leave Him now. This was a time to celebrate, not to shrink. They knew something others hadn’t figured out---The King was coming. No doubt the people journeying to Jerusalem had no idea that God’s Passover Lamb of the ages was making His way to the city to offer Himself for the “sins of the world.” The crowds swelling Jerusalem for a Passover week, have been estimated as high as 2 and ½ million Jews.

An amazing thing happened in Jerusalem just before the Passover! God rode a donkey into town. This entrance into the city wasn’t what they were used to—it was different. It was common. When kings or governors traveled it was always with fanfare and majesty. There were heralds that announced their coming. There were beautifully adorned chariots that displayed all the trappings of royalty. There was always a royal guard to keep onlooker as a distance. It was something to behold.

All powerful/