Wednesday, April 16, 2014
THE WEEK THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
WEDNESDAY: DAY OF PROPHECY AND ... PERFUME
- Jesus Asks a Question About the Messiah -
And all the people came early in the morning to hear Him at the temple. While the Pharisees were gathered together, while Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls Him 'Lord?' For David himself declares in the Book of the Psalms: 'The LORD said to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.' David himself calls Him 'Lord.' How then can He be His son?" No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask Him any more questions.
- Jesus Prophesies the Destruction of Jerusalem -
Jesus went on later to say, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Jesus left the temple and was walking away when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."
- Jesus Prophesies the Destruction of the Whole World -
He told them this parable: "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don't know you.' Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
- Jesus Prepares His Disciples for His Crucifixion -
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He said to His disciples, "As you know, the Passover -- the Feast of Unleavened Bread -- is two days away and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."
- Jesus Honored at Bethany (Wednesday evening) -
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took an alabaster jar containing about a pint of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?" "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial."
- The Plot of Judas (Wednesday night) -
Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out thirty silver coins. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
-- Selected and Adapted from Orville Daniel's "A Harmony of the Gospels" (NIV84)
