✝️TUESDAY B4 #Easter Sunday - TRUTH DAY #JESUS confronts the Pharisees #Devotional #PassionWeek

 

The Tuesday before Easter Sunday

Jesus’ final days on earth were packed with teaching. A large chunk of all that we have recorded of Jesus’ teaching on earth is recorded from the final week of His life. Much of that was given on Tuesday. We read some poignant parables directed to the Pharisees which did not miss their mark (ouch!). He calls them hypocrites to their face in front of their home crowd. For many of these sessions, we can picture Jesus in that outer court of the Gentiles (which He brought to order a couple days ago, you will remember) with a large crowd gathered around teaching the common man using pictures they could under- stand (albeit some pictures they could not understand).

Two Meetings, Two Motives, One Divine Purpose

Books have been written on the teaching recorded on Tuesday of Passion Week, so it is beyond our devotional study to delve into these paragraphs. In- stead, I would like to point your attention to one paragraph from Matthew which tells us of two meetings that may have even occurred simultaneously.

“When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, ‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man isto be handed over for crucifixion.’ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. But they were saying, ‘Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people’” (Mat- thew 26:1-5).

After a day filled with teaching on some rather groundbreaking themes (Olivet Discourse), the disciple’s heads were spinning. We must believe that although Jesus had hinted at His death several times, they were still fairly clueless about the impending judgment He was about to take for them. In fact, they were still jockeying for the most prominent positions on what they anticipate will be Jesus’ earthly reign as King of National Israel after Jesus overthrows the Ro- man puppet government. “Who will be chief?” That is their concern in Jesus final days!

The Followers’ Shock

But Jesus has something else to share. “In just a couple days I will be cruci- fied.” No doubt the path the men were walking together seemed darker. The jovial sounds of a bunch of young Jewish men jabbering back and forth re- hashing a day full of activity ceased. Pensive thoughts and quiet reigned for the rest of the walk to Bethany. We don’t know the rest of the conversation. We just know that the King revealed to His subjects that He will be crucified, sooner than later.

Think of a Presidential candidate, once a long shot now gaining in the polls. Now he or she has gained a slim lead only to announce to the campaign organizers that the campaign was over for that time, “I’m dying.” You can imagine the shock, surprise, and sorrow of such a statement. Now multiply that feeling by ten. These men had invested everything in Jesus and to this point they thought He was brining not only spiritual victory, but political and military victory as well. Instead He prophesies His death.

Now we head back to Jerusalem and read about another group of individuals with a different set of motives. Here the thoughts are not light, and the con- versation is heated.

The Pharisees’ Scheme

The religious leaders are at unified over something which rarely happens. You see, earlier that day Jesus silenced leaders from every major political/reli- gious party and criticized all of them (hence the “gaining points in the public opinion polls”). In fact, they gave up the debate option entirely.

“Some of the scribes answered and said, ‘Teacher, You have spoken well.’ For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything” (Luke 20:39-40).

So, instead of the plan to silence Jesus by debating Him they decide to silence Him by destroying Him. And the plot begins, or we could say, begins to take on concrete steps to take Jesus’ life.

I find the juxtaposing of these two scenes telling. The most powerful counsel in Jerusalem schemes while the Rabbi with just a small rabble of followers reveals what they intend to do before they even say it openly.

The Father’s Design

The only explanation is that God the Father in heaven is superintending
all. He brings even the schemes of the wicked to His purpose. God is not taken by surprise. The plan was instituted before humanity existed. You see, Jesus came to die.

This is a stretch of imagination, but I see Satan delighted while watching the schemes of the religious leaders and most likely Judas plot the details of Jesus death. But I also see the Father is delighted when His Son tells His fol- lowers the same plans beginning to form against Him. He has the blueprint.

The end of it all is our salvation. Our redemption must be secured with the sacrifice of the Lamb - God’s Passover Lamb. God’s Passover Lamb will be slain by sinful man in order that sinful man can be forgiven.