The Devotional - 19

The Devotional

Comment:

Did you ever have a question that no one seemed to give an adequate answer too? Most likely your answer to this question is YES! Now there can be several reasons for questions with no answers so let me be blunt, I am not talking about the reasons, but I am talking about the question with no answer. THE QUESTION: Why does religion call this “day” in history – “Good Friday”? The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the Week of Passion (suffering) and Good Friday are significant for God and man. From Matthew 21:1 through Matthew 27:66 the span of time is One Week. From a human view of this week I do not see anything leading up to the last Friday of the Life of Christ as good even though there are moments of pleasantness recorded.

Challenge:

I do wish to have the opportunity to study this “week” in more detail, maybe if the LORD tarries His soon return, I will have the opportunity. But let’s take a brief tour of a few of the events that led up to the crucifixion of the Son of God on a hill called Golgotha (Matt 27:33) around the end of March or beginning of April, AD 33. 

Matthew 21:1-11 – Before entering Jerusalem Jesus fulfills a prophesy made by Zechariah nearly 500 years before this date just outside the village of Bethphage, this word itself meaning “mud or mire”.

Matthew 21:12-17 – Jesus cleanses the Temple of merchant activity, in this He returns the temple to a house of prayer, heaven may have rejoiced but this event certainly added to the anger building up over this young man who seemed to the religious leaders as nothing more than an insurgent.

Matthew 21:18-22 – Now I believe it is important to note that the Hebrew equivalent of Bethphage is the word “Pag” and the meaning is and unripe fig, a fitting place for Jesus to curse the fig tree.

From this moment the religious crowd begin to boldly question the authority of Jesus. His answers to these men are in parable form. Parables are truth that connect the Kingdom of God to the kingdom of man, parables are designed to help man understand. Note Matthew 21:43. Matthew 22; Jesus begins with another parable, the wedding feast which angered the Pharisees even more.

Now their plan changes and turns to test Jesus regarding the Law and Taxation, His answer in found in Matthew 22:15-22. Again Jesus is questioned by the Sadducees about the resurrection of the dead. These men used the teaching of Moses regarding marriage, the reply of Jesus is much lighter with the Sadducees than with the Pharisees, Jesus simply says to these men, “you are mistaken, not knowing the scriptures or the Power of God, Matthew 22:23-33.

Concluding this morning we will look at the rest of chapter 22 and save the rest for another day. Jesus was tested during His final week of life by the religious and legal leaders of that time. Note the comments of the Scribes (lawyers); “Which is the first and greatest Commandment in the law?”

His answer the scribes is Truth, even more Truth than they intended to hear, then He asks them a question, one they refused to answer. Luke records this message at the end of Matthew 22 in verse 46. “And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore”.

Now I see nothing “good” about Friday, which may have been a Thursday! I see nothing “good” about the whole week, but I am reminded of a passage in Hebrews which reads like this; “looking to Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfecter) of faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God”, Hebrews 12:2.