Jesus' Ministry, per Matt, Mark & Luke (part 19)

• For the entire itinerary, see Ministry Itin'ry;
• in (parentheses) is the location per today's geography.

[18] in Galilee; along the border of Galilee & Samaria; in Judea;

[19] 3rd time in/around Jerusalem-- mid-fall, Feast of Tabernacles:

1. in Jerusalem-- halfway through the Feast, to the Temple courts;
2. to the Mount of Olives (south-central West Bank)-- for 1 night;
3. back in the Temple courts of Jerusalem;
4. Jesus spoke again to the people; as He went along...;

[20] 4th time in Jerusalem-- winter, Feast of Dedication;

[21] to Judea & surroundings (southern West Bank & E of the southern Jordan River):

1. went on the other side of the Jordan R. (west-central Jordan);
2. approached, entered & left Jericho, NE of Jerusalem (southeast-central West Bank);
3. in Bethany (El-Azarireh, SE of Jerusalem; south-western West Bank) on the Mount of Olives, less than 2 mi. from Jerusalem-- raised Lazarus;
4. in Ephraim (NE of Jerusalem; central West Bank);
5. back in Bethany, 6 days before the Passover-- Jesus' feet anointed;
6. came to Bethany & Bethphage (between Jerusalem & El-Azarireh in the West Bank), at the Mount of Olives-- 2 disciples sent;

D. (cont'd) During the 5th time in/near Jerusalem 

  8. The Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came [22] above (2nd pt.)

• Matt 22:23-33 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came directly to Him with a question. Teacher, They said, Moses told Us that if a man dies without having children, His brother must marry the widow & have children for Him. Now there were 7 brothers among Us. The 1st 1 married & died, & since He had no children, he left His wife to the 2nd. The same thing happened to the 2nd & 3rd brother, right on down to the 7th. Finally the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, which we don't believe in anyway, whose wife will She be of the 7, since all of Them were married to Her. Jesus replied, You are in error because #1 You do not know the Scriptures or #2 the Power of GOD. #1, there will be a resurrection of the dead: At the resurrection of the dead people will neither marry nor be given [restored] in marriage: They will be like the angels in Heaven. #2, about the power of God: But more about the resurrection of the dead-- have You not read, I am the GOD of Abraham, the GOD of Isaac, & the GOD of Jacob (Exo 3:6). HE is not the GOD of the dead but of the living. The N.T. refers to the resurrected dead as a great cloud of witnesses-- alive, but not perfect. In Hebr 11 (the "Hall of Faith" chapter) we find listed Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses et al., which chapter concludes, These were all commended for Their faith, yet none of Them received what had been promised. GOD had planned something better for Us so that only together with Us would They be made perfect-- being already alive. And Hebr 12 begins, Therefore, since We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
• Mark 12:18-27 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him with a question. Teacher, They said, Moses wrote for Us that if a man's brother dies & leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow & have children for His brother. Now there were 7 brothers. The 1st 1 married & died without leaving any children. The 2nd 1 married the widow, but He also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the 3rd. In fact, none of the 7 left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will She be, since the 7 were married to Her? Jesus replied, Are You not in error because You do not know the Scriptures or the Power of GOD? When the dead rise, They will neither marry nor be given in marriage; They will be like the angels in Heaven. Now more about the dead rising-- have You not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how GOD said to Him, I am the GOD of Abraham, the GOD of Isaac, & the GOD of Jacob. HE is not the GOD of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!
• Luke 20:27-40 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question, Teacher, They said, Moses wrote for Us that if a man's brother dies & leaves a wife but no children. the man must marry the widow & have children for His brother, Now there were 7 brothers. The 1st 1 married a woman & died childless. The 2nd & then the 3rd married Her, & in the same way the 7 died, leaving no children. Finally the woman died too. Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will She be, since the 7 were married to Her? Jesus replied, The people of this age marry & are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age & in the resurrection from the dead will neither in the cloud marry nor be given in marriage, & They can no longer die, for They are like the angels. They are GOD'S Children, since They are children of the resurrection. But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for He calls the LORD the GOD of Abraham, & the GOD of Isaac, & the GOD of Jacob. HE is not the GOD of the dead, but of the living, for to HIM We all are alive. Some of the teachers of the Law responded, Well said, teacher! And no 1 dared to ask Him any more questions.

  9. Jesus answered a Pharisee, 'The "greatest" commandment' [22] above (2nd pt.)

• Matt 22:34-40 As was mentioned in PerMtMkLk15 C.3.2., there were 5 "relational" commandments (the 6th - 10th of the 10 Commandments-- see Exo 20:12-17). This 2nd category was the "like it" commandment Jesus spoke of here. The 1st category (the 5 "honoring"  commandments) was the "1st & greatest" commandment Jesus mentioned here-- these Commandments 1-5 were listed in Exo 20:3-12. Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 1 of Them, an expert in the Law, tested Him with this question: Teacher, which is the 1 greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied with the 2 categories: Love the LORD Your GOD with all Your heart & with all your soul & with all Your mind (Deu 6:5-- which has "strength" instead of "mind"). This is the 1st  & greatest commandment. And the 2nd is like it: Love Your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18). All the Law & the Prophets hang on thse 2 commandments.
• Mark 12:28-34 1 of the teachers of the Law came & heard Them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given Them a good answer, He asked Him, Of all the commandments, which is the most important? The most important 1, answered Jesus, is this: Hear, O Israel, the LORD Your GOD , the LORD is ONE. Love the LORD Your GOD with all Your heart & with all Your soul & with all Your mind & with all Your strength (Deu 6:4-5). The 2nd is this; Love Your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater than these. Well said, teacher, the man replied. You are right in saying that GOD is ONE & there is no other but HIM. To love Him with all Your heart, with all Your understanding & with all Your strength, & to love Your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings & sacrifices. When Jesus saw that He had answered wisely, He said to Him, You are not far from the Kingdom of God. And from then on no 1 dared ask Him any more questions.
• Luke

  10. Jesus was not the son (descendant) of David, but the Son of GOD [22] above (2nd pt.)-- we saw in PSALM 132 Ancestry of Jesus Per Luke (near the top), He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph:

• Matt 22:41-46 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus 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 that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls Him LORD? For He says, The LORD said to My LORD: 'Sit at MY Right Hand until I put YOUR enemies under YOUR Feet (Psa 110:1)'. If David then calls HIM LORD, how can He be HIS Son? No 1 could say a word in reply, & from that day on no 1 dared to ask Him any more questions.
• Mark 12:35-37 While Jesus was yet teaching in the Temple courts, He asked, How us it that the teachers of the Law say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: The LORD said to My LORD: 'Sit at MY Right Hand until I put YOUR enemies under YOUR Feet'. David himself calls HIM LORD. How can He be HIS Son? The large crowd listened to Him with delight.
• Luke 20:41-44 Then Jesus said to Them, How is it that They say the Christ is the son of David? David himself declares in the Book of 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?

  11. 'You have 1 Master/Father/Teacher [22] above (2nd pt.)

• Matt 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds & [in the hearing of the crowds] to His disciples: The teachers of the Law & the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So You must obey Them & do everything They tell You. But do not do what They themselves do, for They do not practice what They preach. They tie up heavy loads & put them on men's shoulders, but They themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them loads. Everything They do is for men to see: They make Their phylacteries (boxes containing Scripture verses, worn on foreheads & arms) wide & the tassels on Their garments long; They love the place of honor at banquets & the most important seats in the synagogues; They love to be greeted in the marketplaces & to have men call Them 'Rabbi'--  these things make their hearts flutter. But You are not to be called 'Rabbi', for You have only 1 Master & You are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'Father', for You have 1 Father, & HE is in Heaven. Nor are You to be called 'Teacher', for You have 1 Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among You will be Your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
• Mark 12:38-40 As He taught, Jesus said, Watch out for the teachers of the Law. They like to walk around in flowing robes & be greeted in the marketplaces, & have the most important seats in the synagogues & the places of honor at banquets, They devour widows' houses & for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.
• Luke 20:45-47 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to His disciples, Beware of the teachers of the Law. They like to walk around in flowing robes & love to be greeted in the marketplaces & have the most important seats in the synagogues & the places of honor at banquets, They devour widows' houses & for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.

  12. '6 woes to teachers of the Law & Pharisees' [22] above (2nd pt.)-- some of these 6 woes are repeats of the 6 he gave in Galilee, before he went to Jerusalem the 3rd time (see PerMtMkLk11 B.52). We also saw 4 woes being pronounced (after the "beatitudes" were given) in Luke 6:24-26 (see PSALM 24 Beatitudes), & also woes being pronounced to 3 towns/cities in PerMtMkLk9 B.41.

• Matt 23:13-36
  1. Woe to You, teachers of the Law & Pharisees, You hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of Heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will You let those enter who are trying to.
  2. Woe to You, teachers of the Law & Pharisees, You hypocrites! You travel over the land & sea to win a single convert, & when he/she becomes 1 You make Him/Her 2x the son of hell as You are. Woe to You, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the Temple, it means nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the Temple, he is bound by his/her oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he/she is bound by his/her oath.' You blind man! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he/she who swears by the altar swears by it & everything on it. And he/she who swears by the Temple swears by It & the ONE who dwells in it. And he/she who swears by Heaven swears by GOD'S Throne & by the ONE who sits on It.
  3. Woe to You, teachers of the Law & Pharisees, You hypocrites! You give a 10th of Your spices-- mint, dill & cummin. But You have neglected the more important matters of the Law-- justice, mercy & faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
  4. Woe to You, teachers of the Law & Pharisees, You hypocrites! You clean the outside if the cup & dish, but inside they are full greed & self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! 1st clean the inside of the cup * dish, & then the outside also will be clean.
  5. Woe to You, teachers of the Law & Pharisees, You hypocrites! You are like white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones & everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside You appear to people as righteous but on the inside You are full of hypocrisy & wickedness.
  6. Woe to You, teachers of the Law & Pharisees, You hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets & decorate the graves of the righteous. And You say, 'If We had lived in the days of Our forefathers, We would not have taken part with Them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So You testify against yourselves that You are the descendants of Those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of Your forefathers!

You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will You escape being condemned to hell? There's just 1 way-- become a "converted Jew". Therefore I am sending You prophets & wise men & teachers. Some of Them You will kill & crucify; others You will flog in Your synagogues & pursue from town to town-- the fate of many early Christian-era martyrs. And so upon You will come the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom You murdered between the Temple & the altar. About Zechariah, 2ndCh 24:21 has by order of the king They stoned Him to death in the courtyard of the LORD'S Temple. I tell You the truth, all of this will come upon this generation. I've emphasized these last 2 words, as I 1x saw a poster declaring that all present-day Roman Catholics deserve death-- because they cowardly gave in to the Pharisees & teachers of the Law!

• Mark
• Luke