March 25, 2024

What was Jesus doing the Monday of Holy Week?

Matthew 21:10-17; Mark 11:15-18

Jamie Morrison
Monday's Devo

March 25, 2024

Monday's Devo

March 25, 2024

Monday's Devo

March 25, 2024

Monday's Devo

March 25, 2024

Big Book Idea

He is Risen!

Key Verse | Mark 11:17

And he was teaching them and saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."

Matthew 21:10-17

10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 And Jesus entered the temple 1 21:12 Some manuscripts add of God and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they 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 infants and nursing babies
    you have prepared praise’?”

17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Footnotes

[1] 21:12 Some manuscripts add of God
Table of Contents
Introduction to Matthew

Introduction to Matthew

Timeline

Author, Date, and Recipients

Matthew was probably written in the late 50s or early 60s A.D. Matthew (also called Levi), the former tax collector who became Jesus’ disciple, is the author. The original audience may have been the church in Antioch of Syria. Its members included Jewish and Gentile Christians.

Theme

Matthew tells the story of Jesus of Nazareth, the long-expected Messiah who brought the kingdom of God to earth.

Purpose

Matthew writes his Gospel to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah, that he has the right to the throne of David as Israel’s true King, and that he is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing to all the world (1:1; Gen. 12:1–3). Matthew seeks to encourage Jewish Christians (and all future disciples) to stand strong despite opposition. They should feel secure in the knowledge of their citizenship in God’s kingdom. Matthew shows that Gentiles also can find salvation through Jesus the Messiah.

Key Themes

  1. Portrait of Jesus (1:1, 23; 2:2; 14:33; 16:16; 18:20; 21:5–9).
  2. The bridge between Old and New Testaments (1:1–17, 22–23; 2:4–5, 15, 17, 23; 5:17–20).
  3. God’s continuing work of salvation within Israel, extended to all the peoples of the earth through the person and work of Christ (10:5–6; 28:19).
  4. The new community of faith (11:28; 16:18–19; 28:19).
  5. The church as built and maintained by Jesus’ continuing presence (16:18; 18:15–20; 22:10; 28:20).
  6. A “great commission” for evangelism and mission (28:19).
  7. Jesus’ five teachings as a manual on discipleship (chs. 5–7; 10; 13; 18–20; 24–25).

Outline

  1. The Arrival of Jesus the Messiah (1:1–2:23)
  2. John the Baptist Prepares for the Messianic Kingdom (3:1–17)
  3. Jesus the Messiah Begins to Advance the Messianic Kingdom (4:1–25)
  4. The Authoritative Message of the Messiah: Kingdom Life for His Disciples (5:1–7:29)
  5. The Authoritative Power of the Messiah: Kingdom Power Demonstrated (8:1–9:38)
  6. The Authoritative Mission of the Messiah’s Messengers (10:1–42)
  7. Opposition to the Messiah Increases (11:1–12:50)
  8. The Messianic Kingdom Revealed in Parables (13:1–53)
  9. The Identity of the Messiah Revealed (13:54–16:20)
  10. The Suffering of the Messiah Revealed (16:21–17:27)
  11. The Community of the Messiah Revealed (18:1–20:34)
  12. The Messiah Asserts His Authority over Jerusalem (21:1–23:39)
  13. The Delay, Return, and Judgment of the Messiah (24:1–25:46)
  14. The Crucified Messiah (26:1–27:66)
  15. The Resurrection and Commission of the Messiah (28:1–20)

The Setting of Matthew

The events in the book of Matthew take place almost entirely within the vicinity of Palestine, an area extending roughly from Caesarea Philippi in the north to Beersheba in the south. During this time it was ruled by the Roman Empire. The opening chapters describe events surrounding Jesus’ birth in Judea, where Herod had been appointed king by the Romans. The closing chapters end with Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension during the rule of Pontius Pilate and the tetrarchs Antipas and Philip.

The Setting of Matthew

The Global Message of Matthew

The Global Message of Matthew

Jesus Christ is the climax of the Bible and of all of human history. He brings the whole Old Testament to fulfillment, and he is also the means by which salvation floods out to the nations. Matthew’s Gospel thus has much to say to the global church today as God’s people, comprised of both Jew and Gentile, seek to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19).

Matthew and Redemptive History

The purpose of creation was that mankind, made in God’s image as his ruling representatives, might be fruitful and multiply and spread God’s glory throughout the earth. This quest was repeatedly hijacked by sin, however, throughout the Old Testament. After Adam and Eve sinned, Noah was called by God to be fruitful and multiply, thereby assuming the mantle of spreading divine blessing (Gen. 9:1). After Noah ended his life in shame (Gen. 9:20–23), God called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to carry this mantle (Gen. 12:1–3; 15:5; 17:2; 22:17–18; 28:14; 35:11). Yet they too proved to be sinners, and unequal to the task. The nation of Israel, led by Moses, was also called to be fruitful and multiply (Deut. 6:3; 7:13), but it too failed in this worldwide mandate.

But at what proved to be the center of human history, God sent a Second Adam, a new Moses, a true Israel, to spread divine glory throughout the earth. This was Jesus Christ. He was called God’s “Son” just as Adam and Israel had been called God’s “son” (Luke 3:38; Ex. 4:22–23). This, however, was the personally divine Son of God, now incarnate, who gloriously succeeded in his mission. Indeed, he was the perfect prophet, priest, and king who succeeded where all the previous prophets, priests, and kings had failed. As he tells the story of this second Adam, Matthew connects his Gospel account to the Old Testament more frequently and more explicitly than any other Gospel writer. He repeatedly sees Jesus as the one who “fulfills” the promises of the Old Testament (e.g., Matt. 4:14–16; 8:17; 12:17–21; 26:54, 56; 27:9). And beyond explicit connections of Jesus to individual promises of the Old Testament, Matthew structures his whole Gospel in this way. Jesus gives five extended discourses, for example, echoing the five books of Moses—with whom Jesus also explicitly links himself (5:17–48).

In presenting Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, Matthew shows that Jesus is the one through whom God’s original blessings of creation are to spill forth to the world. Perhaps the commission of Genesis 1:28 to be fruitful and multiply throughout the whole earth is in the back of Jesus’ mind in his own commission to his disciples to fruitfully multiply disciples throughout the whole earth (Matt. 28:18–20).

Universal Themes in Matthew

The new family of God. The new community of faith is not defined by lineage from ethnic Israel. Rather, the new community transcends ethnic boundary markers and is defined by trusting faith in the Messiah, the coming king, Jesus. Jesus extends mercy to Gentiles (Matt. 12:18, 21) even as his own Jewish kinsmen are hard-hearted and resistant to the gospel (e.g., 23:1–39). The blessing that was intended to spread to the nations in the Old Testament finds realization in Jesus, who creates a new family of God composed of men and women from every tribe and people group and nation.

The global dimensions of discipleship. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:18–19). The final charge to his disciples, built on the full authority (28:18) and everlasting presence (28:20) of Jesus, is to make disciples of all nations. The Christian gospel is not for a certain culture or class; it is not a parochial or regional gospel. It is a gospel for all, in fulfillment of God’s original call and promise to Abraham that in him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).

The dawning of the kingdom and the coming new earth. Throughout Matthew, Jesus declares that the kingdom of heaven is dawning (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7; 11:12; 13:44–46). This is a worldwide kingdom, into which all people around the world are invited (24:14). And one day the consummation of this kingdom will be complete: explaining to his disciples what it takes to enter the kingdom of heaven, Jesus expressed the hope of a completely restored new earth, covering the globe as a fully restored and undefileable new Eden: “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (19:28). The Greek word here translated “new world” means “renewal” or “regeneration” (see Titus 3:5, the only other place this word is used in the New Testament). Here it refers to the total rebirth that the cosmos will undergo upon Christ’s return. No corner of creation will go un-restored. In Jesus the kingdom of heaven has dawned, and its final fulfillment is sure.

The Global Message of Matthew for Today

With Jesus, the dawning of the kingdom means that the curse of Genesis 3 has been dealt a decisive blow and the diseased fallenness of the world is beginning to lift. Matthew shows Jesus calming storms, rebuking demons, healing sickness, teaching his disciples, and cleansing the temple, all in fulfillment of Old Testament messianic hopes of a coming deliverer. In all of this, Jesus is ushering in the kingdom of heaven. He is reversing the curse of the fall (Gen. 3:14–19). The world is being restored to the way it was meant to be.

As Christians around the globe find themselves embattled with the effects of the fall—Satanic warfare, political oppression and corruption, economic adversity, dysfunctional family relationships, infant mortality, large-scale hunger, shortage of clean water—we are reminded from Matthew’s Gospel that amid all the darkness, light shines. And this light, though often repressed, must one day encompass the whole earth as Christ returns in final victory over sin, death, and Satan (Rev. 21:1–22:5). In the meantime, it is the church’s privilege to spread the love of Christ not only through word (for the next life) but also through deed (for this life), as the parable of the final judgment makes plain (Matt. 25:31–46).

Above all, global Christians remember the final three chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, in which the entire account climaxes. Here we see Jesus not only defeating Satan by casting demons out of people but defeating Satan by stealing his power of accusation: Jesus bears the punishment his people deserve, so that Satan can no longer accuse them. Here the Lamb of God is forsaken so that his people around the world and down through history, despite their sin, will never be forsaken (Matt. 27:46). Here the temple curtain is torn in two from top to bottom, because the way is now open for God’s people to meet with God openly and boldly—wherever they live, rather than only in Jerusalem (see Acts 1:8).

The kingdom has dawned (Matt. 3:2). The new world is coming (19:28). All authority is Christ’s (28:18). Let us go and make disciples of all nations (28:19).

Harmony of the Events of Holy Week

Harmony of the Events of Holy Week

Day Event Matthew Mark Luke John
Friday/Saturday Jesus arrives in Bethany       12:1
Mary anoints Jesus       12:2–8
Crowd comes to see Jesus       12:9–11
Sunday Triumphal entry into Jerusalem 21:1–11 11:1–10 19:28–44 12:12–18
Some Greeks seek Jesus       12:20–36
Jesus weeps over Jerusalem     19:41  
Enters temple   11:11    
Returns to Bethany 21:17 11:11    
Monday Jesus curses the fig tree 21:18–19 11:12–14    
Clears the temple 21:12–13 11:15–17 19:45–46  
Returns to Bethany with the Twelve   11:19    
Tuesday Disciples see the withered fig tree on the return to Jerusalem 21:20–22 11:20–21    
Temple controversies in Jerusalem 21:23–23:39 11:27–12:44 20:1–21:4  
Olivet Discourse on the return to Bethany 24:1–25:46 13:1–37 21:5–36  
Wednesday Jesus continues daily teaching in the temple     21:37–38  
Sanhedrin plots to kill Jesus 26:3–5 14:1–2 22:1–2  
Wednesday/Thursday Preparations for the Passover 26:17–19 14:12–16 22:7–13  
Thursday Passover meal/Last Supper 26:20–35 14:17–26 22:14–30  
Upper Room Discourse       13:1–17:26
Jesus prays in Gethsemane 26:36–46 14:32–42 22:39–46  
Friday Betrayal and arrest (after midnight?) 26:47–56 14:43–52 22:47–53 18:2–12
Jewish trial:        
   —before Annas       18:13–24
   —before Caiaphas and part of the Sanhedrin 26:57–75 14:53–72 22:54–65 18:19–24
   —before full Sanhedrin (after sunrise?) 27:1–2 15:1 22:66–71  
Roman trials:        
   —before Pilate 27:2–14 15:2–5 23:1–5  
   —before Herod     23:6–12  
   —before Pilate 27:15–26 15:6–15 23:13–25 18:28–19:16
Crucifixion (approx. 9:00 A.M.to 3:00 P.M.) 27:27–54 15:16–39 23:26–49 19:16–37
Burial (evening) 27:57–61 15:42–47 23:50–54 19:38–42
Sunday Empty-tomb witnesses 28:1–8 16:1–8 24:1–12  
Resurrection appearances 28:9–20 16:9–20 24:13–53 20:1–21:25
Study Notes

Matt. 21:12 And Jesus entered the temple might seem to suggest that this took place immediately after Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on Sunday (vv. 1–11), but Mark clearly places the incident on Monday morning (Mark 11:12–19). At times Matthew shortens some of the narrative of Jesus’ activities during Holy Week and arranges it topically, which is the case here. all who sold and bought. Within the temple was a sort of market. There Jewish pilgrims who had traveled a long distance could exchange their own currency for temple currency (Matt. 17:24–27; see Ex. 30:11–16) and purchase animals and other items for sacrifices.

Study Notes

Matt. 21:15–16 Hosanna to the Son of David! Jesus acknowledges the children’s praise and links it to Ps. 8:2, thus claiming to be the Messiah.

Study Notes

Matt. 21:12–17 John’s Gospel records a similar cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (John 2:13–17). Interpreters have proposed two explanations: (1) there was only one cleansing, but John narrated the action at the beginning for thematic/theological purposes, while Matthew, Mark, and Luke narrate the actual historical chronology; or (2) there were indeed two similar but distinctly different temple cleansings. The differences of detail seem to indicate the latter. While the initial action is similar, Jesus’ statement (Matt. 21:13) and the challenge from the Jewish leaders (vv. 15–16) are entirely different from what John records.

Matt. 21:17 to Bethany. A village about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Jerusalem on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Perhaps Jesus lodged at the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha, who were close friends of his (Luke 10:38–42; John 11:1–44; 12:1–3).

Mark 11:15-18

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.

Table of Contents
Introduction to Mark

Introduction to Mark

Timeline

Author, Date, and Recipients

The apostle Peter passed on reports of the words and deeds of Jesus to his attendant, John Mark, who wrote this Gospel for the wider church as the record of Peter’s apostolic testimony. The book was likely written from Rome during the mid- to late-50s A.D. (though the mid- or late-60s is also possible). Mark’s audience, largely unfamiliar with Jewish customs, needed to become familiar with such customs in order to understand the coming of Jesus as the culmination of God’s work with Israel and the entire world, so Mark explains them.

Purpose and Theme

The ultimate purpose and theme of Mark’s Gospel is to present and defend Jesus’ universal call to discipleship. Mark returns often to this theme, categorizing his main audience as either followers or opponents of Jesus. Mark presents and supports this call to discipleship by narrating the identity and teaching of Jesus. For Mark, discipleship is essentially a relationship with Jesus, not merely following a certain code of conduct. Fellowship with Jesus marks the heart of the disciple’s life, and this fellowship includes trusting Jesus, confessing him, observing his conduct, following his teaching, and being shaped by a relationship with him. Discipleship also means being prepared to face the kind of rejection that Jesus faced.

Key Themes

  1. Jesus seeks to correct messianic expectations and misunderstandings (1:25, 34, 44; 3:12; 4:10–12; 5:18–19, 43; 8:30; 9:9).
  2. Jesus is man (3:5; 4:38; 6:6; 7:34; 8:12, 33; 10:14; 11:12; 14:33–42).
  3. Jesus is the Son of God (1:11; 3:11; 5:7; 8:38; 9:7; 12:6–8; 13:32; 14:36, 61; 15:39).
  4. Jesus is the Son of Man with all power and authority (1:16–34; 2:3–12, 23–28; 3:11; 4:35–41; 6:45–52; 7:1–23; 10:1–12).
  5. Jesus as the Son of Man must suffer (8:31; 10:45; 14:21, 36).
  6. Jesus is Lord (2:28; 12:35–37; 14:62).
  7. Jesus calls his followers to imitate him in humble service, self-denial, and suffering (8:34–38; 9:35–37; 10:35–45).
  8. Jesus teaches on the kingdom of God, and implies that God continues to call a people to himself (compare 1:15; 9:1; 14:25; 15:43).

Outline

  1. Introduction (1:1–15)
  2. Demonstration of Jesus’ Authority (1:16–8:26)
    1. Jesus’ early Galilean ministry (1:16–3:12)
    2. Jesus’ later Galilean ministry (3:13–6:6)
    3. Work beyond Galilee (6:7–8:26)
  3. Testing Jesus’ Authority in Suffering (8:27–16:8)
    1. Journey to Jerusalem (8:27–10:52)
    2. Entering and judging Jerusalem (11:1–13:37)
    3. Death and resurrection in Jerusalem (14:1–16:8)
    4. “Longer ending of Mark” (16:9–20; see note)]

The Setting of Mark

The events in the book of Mark take place almost entirely within Palestine, from Caesarea Philippi in the north to Beersheba in the south. During this time Palestine was ruled by the Roman Empire. The book opens with Jesus’ baptism by John during the rule of Pontius Pilate and the tetrarchs Antipas and Philip. It closes with Jesus’ death and resurrection about three years later.

The Setting of Mark

The Global Message of Mark

The Global Message of Mark

The Central Message of Mark

The central message of Mark’s Gospel is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has come to earth (Mark 1:1), that “the kingdom of God is at hand,” and that all should “repent and believe in the gospel” (1:15).

Mark establishes early in his Gospel that Jesus is indeed the very Son of God—as we see when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. When Jesus came up from the water, immediately the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, and the voice of God the Father spoke from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:9–11). These verses show clearly that the One True God of the Bible exists as three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Other books of the Bible also show that Jesus is the Creator of everything in the universe, including this earth and every human being on it (John 1:1–3). The apostle Paul writes that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Col. 1:15–16).

The global significance of this is massive. Because Jesus created everything, he is the rightful ruler of everything. But the tragic reality of human existence is that life on this earth is deeply damaged by cruelty and suffering, by evil and injustice, by sickness and finally death.

Global Good News

Mark’s Gospel starts off with global good news—the triumphant announcement of the arrival of the kingdom of God: “Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14–15). The long-awaited worldwide kingdom—in which all would be put right and justice would prevail—dawned when Jesus came into the world. Though injustice and evil still ravage this world, the King of creation, the rightful righteous ruler has landed! Evil’s defeat is certain and imminent. God’s cosmic, global restoration has begun—in the coming of Christ, in his life and death and resurrection.

Immediately after announcing that the “kingdom of God is at hand,” Jesus calls his first disciples from among a group of fishermen (Mark 1:16–20). Here we see a pattern that has been reflected in Christianity around the world throughout history and down to the present. It is not the social elites that Jesus calls to leave everything and follow him, but common people from every walk of life. The gospel is for all peoples, not limited to a select few who outwardly observe a list of rules (7:3–4). Jesus underscores the inclusion of people from every nation—by showing mercy to the Gentiles (e.g., 7:24–30) and by welcoming “whoever does the will of God” into his own family (3:35).

We also learn, right from the start of Mark’s Gospel, that Jesus cares deeply about physical suffering—as he heals a leper, a paralytic, and a man with a withered hand (1:40–45; 2:1–12; 3:1–6). Later on Mark says that wherever Jesus went “in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces,” and all that touched “the fringe of his garment” were made well (6:53–56). Likewise, Mark’s Gospel tells how Jesus miraculously fed a great crowd of five thousand, having “compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (6:34). On another occasion he fed a crowd of four thousand who had been with him three days and had nothing to eat (8:1–10). Many other times throughout Mark we see Jesus caring for people’s physical needs (e.g., 7:31–37; 8:22–26). While spiritual sickness is the fundamental disease that Jesus came to heal (2:5, 17), Jesus cared deeply about the physical well-being of people as well, because all are made in the image of God. Thus the proclaiming of the gospel of God in word (1:14) was likewise demonstrated in deed.

Mark also has much to say about global poverty. On the one hand, Jesus encourages his followers to be generous toward the poor, even exhorting one wealthy man to sell all that he has and give it to the poor (Mark 10:21). Such generosity is not only for the rich, for Jesus makes a point to praise the generosity of the poor widow who gives a tiny amount, which was “all she had to live on” (12:41–44). Sacrificial giving to alleviate the poverty of others is not restricted to a certain class but is something to which all believers are called. At the same time Jesus makes clear that he himself is the greatest treasure (14:7; compare 2:19). While material poverty is close to Jesus’ heart, and is something that global Christians are called to alleviate, Jesus himself—not money or anything else—is the fundamental need of every human heart. Jesus is our supreme treasure, and release from spiritual bondage and poverty is our greatest need.

Lastly, Jesus teaches the divinely ordered relationship between people and government. When the religious officials of the day tried to trap Jesus in his teaching, he astonished them with his answer: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). Thus Jesus teaches the appropriate submission to government that helps ensure social well-being while also indicating, more deeply, that God’s kingdom transcends earthly kingdoms, and that the Christian’s deepest loyalty must be to God.

The Global Message of Mark for Today

What then is the global message of Mark’s Gospel today? Clearly the kingdom of God has come near in Jesus’ ministry of word and deed. Clearly Jesus calls all who believe in him and call him Lord to “proclaim the gospel of God” and to demonstrate the fruit of the gospel in all of life. “If anyone would come after me,” Jesus said, “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). If Christ is the Lord of life, he must be the Lord of all of life. The first great commandment, Jesus said, is, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (12:29–31).

It is not a matter of either/or. If we truly love the Lord with all our heart, we will love our neighbor as ourself. Thus the grave questions that face the global church are at the heart of our calling as Christians—not only to bring the gospel to every corner of the earth but also to care for orphans and widows; to uphold the dignity of each individual; to defend the sanctity of every life; to feed the hungry; to relieve poverty; to work for justice; and to care for the creation that God has entrusted to us.

We do these things because Christ is Lord of all. But we also do them knowing that we can do nothing in our own strength (John 15:5). So we look to Christ as our strength and our salvation. We trust in his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins and for our redemption. And we look to the day when he will come “with great power and glory” to gather his own “from the four winds, from the ends of the earth” to establish his eternal kingdom (Mark 13:26–27).

Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus

Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus

By the time of Jesus, Jerusalem had grown from a modest military fortress to a world-class city with a newly renovated temple that rivaled nearly any in the ancient world. Public pools were fed by the Gihon Spring and by two aqueducts that brought water to the city from as far as 7 miles (11 km) away. The towns of Bethphage and Bethany were located on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, which lay to the east of Jerusalem. See also Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus, pp. 1364–1365.

Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus

Harmony of the Events of Holy Week

Harmony of the Events of Holy Week

Day Event Matthew Mark Luke John
Friday/Saturday Jesus arrives in Bethany       12:1
Mary anoints Jesus       12:2–8
Crowd comes to see Jesus       12:9–11
Sunday Triumphal entry into Jerusalem 21:1–11 11:1–10 19:28–44 12:12–18
Some Greeks seek Jesus       12:20–36
Jesus weeps over Jerusalem     19:41  
Enters temple   11:11    
Returns to Bethany 21:17 11:11    
Monday Jesus curses the fig tree 21:18–19 11:12–14    
Clears the temple 21:12–13 11:15–17 19:45–46  
Returns to Bethany with the Twelve   11:19    
Tuesday Disciples see the withered fig tree on the return to Jerusalem 21:20–22 11:20–21    
Temple controversies in Jerusalem 21:23–23:39 11:27–12:44 20:1–21:4  
Olivet Discourse on the return to Bethany 24:1–25:46 13:1–37 21:5–36  
Wednesday Jesus continues daily teaching in the temple     21:37–38  
Sanhedrin plots to kill Jesus 26:3–5 14:1–2 22:1–2  
Wednesday/Thursday Preparations for the Passover 26:17–19 14:12–16 22:7–13  
Thursday Passover meal/Last Supper 26:20–35 14:17–26 22:14–30  
Upper Room Discourse       13:1–17:26
Jesus prays in Gethsemane 26:36–46 14:32–42 22:39–46  
Friday Betrayal and arrest (after midnight?) 26:47–56 14:43–52 22:47–53 18:2–12
Jewish trial:        
   —before Annas       18:13–24
   —before Caiaphas and part of the Sanhedrin 26:57–75 14:53–72 22:54–65 18:19–24
   —before full Sanhedrin (after sunrise?) 27:1–2 15:1 22:66–71  
Roman trials:        
   —before Pilate 27:2–14 15:2–5 23:1–5  
   —before Herod     23:6–12  
   —before Pilate 27:15–26 15:6–15 23:13–25 18:28–19:16
Crucifixion (approx. 9:00 A.M.to 3:00 P.M.) 27:27–54 15:16–39 23:26–49 19:16–37
Burial (evening) 27:57–61 15:42–47 23:50–54 19:38–42
Sunday Empty-tomb witnesses 28:1–8 16:1–8 24:1–12  
Resurrection appearances 28:9–20 16:9–20 24:13–53 20:1–21:25
Study Notes

Mark 11:15–17 he entered the temple. Jesus comes as Lord of the temple, to purify it (Mal. 3:1–4). See notes on Matt. 21:12–17; 21:12. Tables had been set up in the temple area to enable pilgrims to change their various currencies into coins for the annual temple tax, as well as to purchase pigeons, lambs, oil, salt, etc., for various sacrifices. But the business activity had turned the temple into a den of robbers (Jer. 7:11). Gentiles in particular were hindered by the commerce in the outer temple court. Jesus wants to restore the temple to its function as a house of prayer for all the nations (Isa. 56:7).

Study Notes

Mark 11:18 they feared him. The Jewish leaders correctly saw Jesus’ act as a challenge to their authority in the most sacred space in the world.

Bonus: Holy Week: Matthew 21:10-17; Mark 11:15-18

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Dive Deeper | Matthew 21:10-17

The Monday of Holy Week often goes unnoticed, sandwiched between Jesus' Triumphal Entry and Judas' betrayal. Yet, it is special in that it depicts the familiar sense of starting a new week, and we get to take a lesson from Jesus as He gets back to work like many of us are doing today.

It takes one verse (Mark 11:15) for Jesus to get to Jerusalem, fix His eyes on the corruption taking place in the temple, and take action to deal with the problem. Once the tables are flipped and the problem in the temple is addressed, Jesus begins to teach about the true purpose of the temple.

Jesus quotes the Old Testament from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. The context of Isaiah shows that God is looking forward to a coming day when all of those excluded from His house will be welcome to enter. Instead of people from all nations seeking the Lord in the temple, Jesus sees opportunists seeking profit (likely approved by the Jewish leaders and officials).

On the Monday of Holy Week, Jesus reveals that losing a healthy fear of the Lord makes us susceptible to allowing corruption into our hearts. "The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant." (Psalm 25:14)

Without a healthy fear for the Lord, we risk overlooking the sacredness of His presence in our hearts and the importance of living in obedience to His word. Just as Jesus addressed the corruption in the temple, we must submit to His authority over sin in our lives. When we lose our fear of the Lord, we become susceptible to allowing selfish desires and worldly pursuits to unmake us.

This month's memory verse

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

– Romans 5:8

Discussion Questions

1. How can we take action to address areas of sin and compromise in our own lives? What areas of our hearts might we need to ask Jesus to confront?

2. What does it mean to fear the Lord in a positive and healthy way? How does this fear affect our choices, attitudes, and relationships with others? How can we cultivate a deeper reverence for God in our lives?

3. How can we actively challenge corrupt practices or attitudes in the world around us?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

MS

Michael Scaman

As far as Isaiah: In Isaiah 9 God will make light for those in darkness by Gallilee. In Isaiah 11 it will be done by the root of Jesse who is a man called branch (same root word as Nazareth) Strange the man would be spoken of as a root of Jesse and also a branch. Both true in Jesus. Isaiah 53 - Jesus being rejected, suffering for sins, dying and overcoming death Isaiah 54 - an eternal covenant of peace ushered in Isaiah 55 - My House shall be called a house of prayer for the nations (tied to the eternal covenant of pece) As far as the Psalms: There is also an interesting contrast Psalm 2 (the son of God) contrasted with Psalm 3 ( Where David is on the run from his son Absolom). The second Adam comes in Psalm 8 where "what is MAN that you should be so artful of him" and the quote "your glory is over the heavens but out of the mouth of babes you established strength because of your enemies" This is strongly in contrast with the MAN of the world in Psalms 10 and 11 who is violent and unjust and fallen MAN who in Psalm 14 'no one does good no not one". God instructs sinners in the way in Psalm 25 which immediately follows the identity of Messiah in the cross, the crook and the crown Psalms (of Psalms 22, 23, 24) and yet in mercy and forgiveness we will still have the meek inheriting the earth as Psalm 37 of the other bookend on Psalms book 1 along with Psalm 25.
MS

Michael Scaman

A song as if by Kirsten Ghetty Title: Resurrection's Song: A Journey Through the Promises (Verse 1) In Isaiah's prophecy, a light to shine so bright, Through Galilee's darkness, dispelling the night. From Jesse's root, a branch will spring, In Jesus, our Savior, all redemption we'll bring. (Chorus) Easter's song of joy, Isaiah's words resound, In Calvary's victory, hope and grace are found. From shadows into light, from death to endless day, Jesus, our Savior, leads us on our way. (Verse 2) The second Adam, Psalm 8 proclaims His name, In heaven's glory, He overcomes all shame. Though fallen man may tread in ways of sin, Through Christ's mercy, we find new life within. (Chorus) Easter's song of joy, Isaiah's words resound, In Calvary's victory, hope and grace are found. From shadows into light, from death to endless day, Jesus, our Savior, leads us on our way. (Bridge) In Psalms of cross and crown, the Messiah's love revealed, Through His suffering and forgiveness, our salvation's sealed. The meek inherit all, as the Psalms declare, In Christ's mercy and grace, we find endless care. (Verse 3) Isaiah's promise, in chapters fifty-three, Jesus, rejected, died to set us free. A covenant of peace, in fifty-four we see, Through Christ's resurrection, hope eternally. (Chorus) Easter's song of joy, Isaiah's words resound, In Calvary's victory, hope and grace are found. From shadows into light, from death to endless day, Jesus, our Savior, leads us on our way. (Outro) In Isaiah's vision, a house of prayer for all, Through Christ, our Lord, we answer His call. So let our voices rise, in praise and jubilation, For Jesus, our Savior, brings eternal salvation.
GJ

greg jones

The Old Testament that Matthew 21 alludes to but doesn’t necessarily mention speaks just as loudly as what it quotes. “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:10-11) Matthew is not saying Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee is a prophet”. By describing Jesus’ entry he is describing the entrance of a king coming in peace. And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. Matthew 21:12 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Matthew 21:13 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. Matthew 21:14 When I break those verses up individually it helps me to see something that maybe we miss. Kinda like the crowd verse 10 missed something about Jesus. What we might be missing, the people in verse 12, might be the same people in verse 14 for Matthew. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, Matthew 21:15 When Jesus enters Jerusalem, and then the temple, he not only flips the money changers tables, he flips the script of David’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David's soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him. 2 Samuel 5:6-10 Or verses 8 in the Septuagint Greek translation to make the scene a little more eye opening. And David said on that day, Every one that smites the Jebusite, let him attack with the dagger both the lame and the blind, and those that hate the soul of David. Therefore they say, The lame and the blind shall not enter into the house of the Lord. That, together with “My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers” adds some voice to what Matthew is saying. Just a side note. An objection to that could be John 2:13-17. The ESV study note on Matthew 21:12-17 favors the idea that there were two similar temple clearings over the idea that John changed the chronological order of the temple clearing to make a theological statement. In that case two separate incidents are being described so you couldn’t compare the scene in Matthew Mark Luke to John. Personally I lean the other way. I see John changing the order and description of the temple cleansing to make a different theological statement about Jesus. Really good questions this morning.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Thanks so much, Jamie. I loved this from Dr. Constable's notes, commenting on Jesus quoting from Psalm 8, "‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” Reportedly the young child of an atheist couple once asked his parents, “Do you think God knows we don’t believe in Him?” Reading that the chief priests and scribes feared Jesus: it's not the godly "fear of the Lord" that is the beginning of wisdom, where we are drawn to and simultaneously shrink back from the power and holiness of the God of the Universe. These guys were afraid "because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching." They were afraid of losing their influence and THEIR power over the people. It was a sick and dysfunctional kind of fear. A fear for all the wrong reasons. I am currently in the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia. It has been years since the last time I read through them. (And since I have forgotten so much, it's like reading them for the first time again!) Reading about the chief priests and scribes fearing Jesus resonates with me because of the way unrighteous people fear Aslan (the Christ figure in C.S. Lewis's books). They focus on the well-known saying that the Lion was "not safe," disregarding the balancing truth "but he is good."
MS

Michael Scaman

The week started with the prior week. Lazereth's family had a party and some of the group of people were going along with Jesus on Palm Sunday beyond excited telling how Lazareth was back from the dead. "Hosanna to the son of David!" Save us! And Jesus rides in not on a war horse but a peaceful donkey.
AL

Amy Lowther

1. Accept life “as is”. Be responsible for our actions and ideas. Be truthful even if it is a little bit at a time, gradually adding up to the whole picture. Jesus should confront every part of our heart. 2. You are going to do something you need to do, you were always going to do, because the Lord helps you do it. It affects our scheduling and organization to get everything done. A deeper reverence for God can be from: praying to Him, reading about God to learn about His character, serving for church or church related organizations, and discussing God with a friend because friends can learn from each other and help each other. 3. Accept them for who they are, not reinventing them just to make small talk. Respect them as God respects you. Ask them how they are doing, sincerely listen, and help them when possible. Jamie - Thank you for sharing your ideas. You make a good point in saying, “Just as Jesus addressed the corruption in the temple, we must submit to His authority over sin in our lives”. Jesus can help each of us as people and can help our overall opportunities.
KH

Kathy Hempel Cox

Thank you for the reminders of all that the fear of the Lord produces in us and keeps us from in our hearts.