Part 2: INDUCTIVE LESSON ONE

Transcription

1 Part 2: INDUCTIVE LESSON ONE The Grand Entrance Do some of your friends, family, pets, or co-workers suffer from selective deafness? It is an annoying condition in which the listener filters out part of the message and only perceives a selected part of what is said. For example, my golden retriever named Roxy has a taste for the tomatoes in our garden. When I scold her, Roxy! Don t eat the tomatoes! Bad Roxy! She appears to hear only, Roxy! Blah, blah, blah! Roxy! However, when I say, Roxy, want to go for a run? miraculously her hearing loss is cured as she sprints to the front door with her leash in her mouth. As we begin our study this year with the triumphal entry of Jesus on Palm Sunday, we see that the multitude was selectively deaf to God s Word and the message of Jesus. The actual message was Behold, your Messiah has come not to deliver you from the oppression of Rome but to suffer, die, and deliver you from bondage to sin. Unfortunately the crowd, including most of Jesus closest followers, only heard Your Messiah has come. The expectation of the masses was that just as Passover was a celebration of Israel s deliverance from Egypt, so this Passover would mark their deliverance from Rome by Jesus. They didn t understand that Jesus didn t come to make war with Rome, He came to make peace with God for men. The triumphal entry was laden with layers of fulfilled prophecies and typology previous events that foreshadowed Jesus' coming. Most significant was the fulfillment of Daniel 9:22-26, in which the prophet states that 483 years (69 weeks of years) after the order to rebuild the temple is issued, the Messiah would appear. Working forward from the date given by Nehemiah for the start of the temple construction, the Messiah would appear on the ninth of Nissan 30 A.D. or what we now call Palm Sunday. The crowd s actions indicated that they did indeed believe Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah. Their references to Jesus as the Son of David and the coming Kingdom of David showed their belief in the imminent deliverance of Israel. When they laid down their cloaks as they had for kings in the Old Testament and they cut palm branches as they had for Judas and Simon Maccabee when they came to cleanse the temple defiled by pagans, the multitudes felt the Messiah was finally present. Their petition, Hosanna, or save now reflected the belief that Jesus, who had just raised someone from the dead, could redeem them from Rome. Like the Maccabees, Jesus did intend to cleanse the temple not from pagans but from spiritually lost Israel. Even to this day some continue to miss the purpose of Jesus ministry. Presently a top book on the New York Times Best Seller List for non-fiction (some would say it is highly fictional) is Zealot The Life and Time of Jesus of Nazareth, in which the author maintains that Jesus wanted to establish an earthly kingdom and was crucified by Rome for his efforts. Although they correctly assumed Jesus was their Messiah, most in the crowd were selectively deaf to the prophecy of Isaiah 53 and did not realize their Messiah was to suffer for the sins of the people. The crowd missed the significance of Jesus choice of transportation. He chose to 1

2 ride into Jerusalem on a colt of a donkey, which signified a king coming in peace. (See Zechariah 9:9.) By contrast, a monarch bent on conquest would ride a horse into battle. The timing of the entrance of the Lamb of God was in harmony with the requirement that a Passover Lamb be taken into the home for a week before it was slaughtered. The crowd in Jerusalem for the feast numbered over two million residents and pilgrims and gave pause to the Sanhedrin s plot to kill Jesus ( not during the feast lest the people riot Matthew 26:4). However, God s plan, set in eternity past, would not be derailed and on this Passover the ultimate sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God would occur as scheduled. Just as in the first Passover, when the blood of the lambs preserved the life of those willing to apply it to the entrance to their homes, likewise the blood of the perfect Lamb of God will preserve those willing to apply it to their heart. Prayer Start by praying over the passage and asking the Holy Spirit to give you fresh insights and wisdom in understanding it. Then read through the entire passage two or three times. Memory Verse Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He. John 4:26 Study Text / Worksheet Write down your observations, comments, or questions directly on the text as you go over it. Parallel Passages Each of the gospel writers came from a very different background and wrote his account directed to a very different audience. Just as a scene in a movie shot from many different camera angles gives viewers different perspectives and emphasis, so does reading the same account in the life of Jesus as told by different authors. Only about one tenth of the Gospel of John is recorded in any of the other gospels. The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem along with the feeding of the five thousand is one of the few events recorded in all four gospels. According to William Hendriksen there are fourteen elements of the harmonized story. Only six are found in all the gospels. Three of these elements are found only in John while others are unique to the other gospels. This chart is intended to allow a comparison of the gospels at a glance. Matthew Mark Luke John Jesus is... Promised King Servant of God Son of Man Son of God Original Audience Jews Romans/Gentiles Greeks/Gentiles Universal Theme Jesus is Messiahfulfilled OT prophesy Jesus backed up words w/ action Jesus was fully God and fully man Belief in Jesus required for salvation Writer s Style Teacher Storyteller Historian Theologian Greatest Emphasis Sermons and Words Miracles and Actions His Humanity Principles Taught 2

3 Matthew Mark Luke John Author Apostle/ Eyewitness Eyewitness/Peter Collected Information Apostle/ Eyewitness Author s Profession Tax Collector Evangelist Physician Fisherman Date of Writing AD AD AD AD Location of Writing Jerusalem Rome Greece Ephesus Outstanding 5 Major Discourses Miracles Parables Signs Feature Allusions to OT Unique Material 42% only in Matthew 7% only in Mark 59% only in Luke 92% only in John Number of Verses The Triumphal Entry Matthew 21:8 11 (see also Mark 11:7 10, Luke 19:35 44, and John 12:12 19) 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 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! 10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 So the multitudes said, This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. Jesus Cleanses the Temple Matthew 21:12 13 (see also Mark 11:15 17 and Luke 19:45 46) 12 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. 13 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. The Fig Tree Withered Matthew 21:18 22 (see also Mark 11:12 14 and Mark 11:20 24) 18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, Let no fruit grow on 3

4 you ever again. Immediately the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How did the fig tree wither away so soon? 21 So Jesus answered and said to them, Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. Jesus Authority Questioned Matthew 21:23 27 (see also Mark11:27 33 and Luke 20:1 8) 23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority? 24 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: 25 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? 26 But if we say, From men, we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet. 27 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. Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar? Matthew 22:15 22 (see also Mark 12:13 17 and Luke 20:19 26) 15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money. So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, Whose image and inscription is this? 21 They said to Him, Caesar s. And He said to them, Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar s, and to God the things that are God s. 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way. 4

5 Observation My Observations: In the left column write down observations you make directly from the text. Inductive tips (things to look for): a) What are the promises? b) What are the commands? c) What are the sources of conflict? d) What are the cause/effect relationships? e) What are the repeated words and ideas? f) What do we know about who is speaking and who is receiving the message? g) What comparisons and contrasts can you identify and what do they illustrate? h) What details are unique to the different gospel accounts (What did Luke include or emphasize that Matthew may have omitted?) i) We are very familiar with many of the accounts we will be studying in the life of Jesus. What new insights or observations did you discover when you took a closer look? j) Do you have unanswered questions on part of the passage? (Share them with your group.) Digging Deeper: In the right column write down any additional observations you can add from other sources such as: a) other scriptures that apply (cross references) b) dictionaries for specific words (English or Greek dictionary) c) Bible dictionaries for historical information d) commentaries. See the Tool Box at the end of the study for suggested sources. Study parallel passages in other gospels. Each of the gospel writers, while inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote with a definite audience in mind. Accounts found in parallel passages, while very similar, often reveal small but critical details omitted by another author. Interpretation Webster tells us that interpret means to explain the meaning or make understandable. What is the spiritual truth or lesson that God is trying to teach in this passage? Don t isolate the passage but read into it and read out of it. Look for commands, imperatives, promises, or warnings. What is God saying to those people at that time? You will share what God is saying to you in the next section. State the spiritual truth or lesson in a single sentence. Application This is where you purpose to do what God has taught you in your time with Him. It is through applying the Word that God changes lives. Application does not happen by osmosis but by intent. God enlightens us with His Word, we apply what we ve learned with our wills, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to carry out these choices. The goal of all application is to glorify God by becoming more like Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for... Teaching: What did I learn? Reproof: Where do I fall short? Why do I fall short? Correction: What will I do about it? Training in righteousness: How can I make this principle a consistent part of my life? 5

6 The Triumphal Entry Matthew 21:8 11 (see also Mark 11:7 10, Luke 19:35 44, and John 12:12 19) My Observations Digging Deeper Interpretation: Application: Jesus Cleanses the Temple Matthew 21:12 13 (see also Mark 11:15 17 and Luke 19:45 46) My Observations Digging Deeper Interpretation: Application: 6

7 The Fig Tree Withered Matthew 21:18 22 (see also Mark 11:12 14 and 11:20-24) My Observations Digging Deeper Interpretation: Application: Jesus Authority Questioned Matthew 21:23 27 (see also Mark11:27 33 and Luke 20:1 8) My Observations Digging Deeper Interpretation: Application: 7

8 Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar? Matthew 22:15 22 (see also Mark 12:13 17 and Luke 20:19 26) My Observations Digging Deeper Interpretation: Application: Take Away / Summary If one of your friends at work or a neighbor were to ask you what you did last night, you would tell them you went to a Bible Study. The next question would likely be, What did you learn? We often summarize an entire athletic contest or a movie in a few brief sentences and easily convey the essence of the event. Now apply these same skills to give a summary of the passage in a sentence or two. Then, in an additional sentence or two describe what impact this passage will have on how you live. Memory Verse Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He. John 4:26 Key Words / Phrases Write out the definition of these key words. You can use a regular dictionary or go to one of the Greek sources listed in the Tool Box at the end of the study. You may also use a concordance to see where else and how the word is used in the Bible. 8

9 Hosanna (Matthew 21:9) Hypocrites (Matthew 22:18) Tool Box Step 1: The Bible. Read the passage in a couple of different versions. If you are having trouble understanding a passage, chose a more dynamic version such as New Living Translation or The Message). To focus in on the exact meaning of a verse chose a more literal translation such as New American Standard Bible or New King James Version. Step 2: Study Tools. Use these to help you dig deeper. Background Information: 1) Unger s Bible Dictionary 2) Bible Dictionaries online at biblestudytools.com and blueletterbible.com Word Studies: 1) Zodhiate s The Complete Word Study New Testament 2) Vine s Complete Expository Dictionary 3) Strong s Dictionary of Bible Words 4) The two websites listed above Step 3: Commentaries. Do not use these in place of studying God s Word directly, but they can give you additional insights. Listed by author/title: John MacArthur, J. Vernon McGee, The Expositors Commentary, NIV Application Commentary, William Barclay (great for background and culture but be careful of his spiritual applications). Step 4: Where Does This Week s Study Fit into the Life of Jesus 9

10 2013 Mark Newton. All rights reserved. Express permission granted for use and reproduction by Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA. Prayer Requests 10

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