March 5, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in our Lenten readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 16 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Week Jesus Dies
Read Sections 5.1 through 5.2 (pages 134-136)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
5.1 Jesus Enters Jerusalem: Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, genuinely saddened by the rejection that He knows God’s people are about to commit, and the judgement that will follow. A lot of fulfilled prophecy in this section. Such a striking contrast between how the people receive Him as He enters Jerusalem at the beginning of the week…and how the people will reject and murder Him by the end of it, because He did not meet their expectations.
5.2 Jesus Says a Fig Tree Will Die: I am sure Pastor Peter will elaborate here…but another stunning description of the grief of Jesus over the rejection of Him by His people.
It is remarkable how Jesus tells the fig tree that it shall bear no more fruit and it instantly dries. The power of the Lord in front of believers.
Hey Reason! Good to see you on here, brother!
Thank you Sean! It feels good being in the Word.
The Life of Jesus 5.1-5.2.
Lenten day 16
It’s interesting, what palm fronds symbolize…victory, peace and eternal life. They were commonly used to welcome triumphant kings and leaders riding in on their horses in that day. But, the true symbol of these fronds belonged to OUR humble King who rode in on a donkey offering us the gift of victory, peace and eternal life.
Entering Jerusalem on a donkey was only the beginning of what was expected of Him by His Father, and yet I can’t help but think of the pit he must’ve humanly felt in His stomach as to what lay ahead. And though He prayed to His father to remove this cup, He still left it as ‘His Fathers will be done’. Unfathomably, incredible!!!!!
Jesus gradually revealed as time went on who He was to others more and more. In the triumphal entry which all of the four gospels record; He is showing everyone that He is the Messiah. He has sent two of His disciples to get a colt that no one has ever sat on to bring it to Him. He demonstrated that He is coming at this time in peace. In the ancient near East if a king came in peace, he would ride a donkey instead of on a war stallion. Here He is fulfilling scripture for the prophet Zechariah speaks of Him in both the first coming and the second coming. This would be the first coming. Zech. 9:9b { thy King cometh unto thee : He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.} Even while the people are calling out they are quoting scripture from Psalm 118:26. { Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord: —-} This is a Messiantic praise. This is why the Pharisees were telling Jesus to make His followers to stop saying that He is the Messiah. The Pharisees clearly knew what it meant. His answer was that even the stones would call out these words if the people didn`t. God could do anything. As we know the Pharisees didn`t want any part of what the people were saying. It would mess with their belief and doctrine that Jesus was coming only as a conquering King and not as a lowly carpenter`s son. Jesus wept over Jerusalem for the people didn`t understand the scriptures of what was happening that day. He also fore told of the destruction of Jerusalem and it came about in A.D. 70 by the Roman soldiers. This also was foretold by prophets of old. God bless as we do this study together.
Very enlightening and educational comments, Dennis, thank you…I had no idea about the tradition of the king coming in peace.
Jesus entering Jerusalem at Passover hosanna!! They claim. One who saves.!! From Rome oppression or spiritual. The path Jesus takes is the opposite of what they are looking for. Would I have joined them days later. Crucify him! Saddens me to think. The fig tree is in connections with Jerusalem who had lost their spiritual zeal. Bearing no fruit
“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
”But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?”“
Matthew 21:15-16
”But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.“
Luke 18:16
”“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.“
Matthew 18:10 NKJV
Jesus looks out for the children and they know Him. Their angels are before the father.
Each detail of God’s plan so carefully laid out. The donkey ready and waiting. The same cheering crowd shouting “Hosanna Hosanna” will soon shout “Crucify Him”. Such a heavy burden He carried that day knowing how the end was coming and knowing how these people would turn. I guess the fig tree took some of the brunt of that pain.
How amazing is our God that He always reveals the truth and gives people a chance to react, especially here, when He knows they will eventually reject Him. Jesus and the people knew full well the significance of what He was doing here, especially in light of the prophecy in Zecchariah. And the people do the fitting thing for One who had revealed Himself in power and wisdom, showing Himself to be their Messiah. And it is important that Jesus did things like this to make sure we know that He knows that He is the Messiah. And what care He shows for Jerusalem and what true and powerful words He speaks about what will happen to it in 70 AD when the Romans come in and destroy the city. And all because they did not receive Him for who He was, their Savior. It has always been interesting for me to consider what would have happened if the Jews accepted Him and mainly based on statements like this that Jesus makes.
And it is tough to know what to make of the fig tree…mostly not to read into it too little or too much. Jesus mentions His desire for His people to be fruitful, and so for this fig tree to appear to have fruit, but then not have it is reflective of the vine that bears no fruit and is cast away. It is also fitting to think, as Mark, that it is connected to Jerusalem bearing no fruit for the kingdom. But we cannot miss that Jesus later takes what Peter points out, reminding Jesus what He had done….and Jesus turns it into a lesson about faith. So in the same way that He dealt with the fig tree, they could do to anything. So fruitfulness and faith seem to be the primary emphasis here, and two things that all believers should seek to have more of.
Lenten 2024 – Day 16
Lenten 16 Thank you Pastor for explanation of fig tree!