14. Confrontation

Lesson #14 Confronta/on

(19: 28 21: 38)

1 Confronta*on

Lesson #13 oered a planned departure from a close examina7on of Lukes text, an excursus on Luke himself and on the Roman Empire at the 7me of the gospels composi7on.

All three synop7c gospels were wriCen 30-40 years aGer Jesus walked this earth, and each one of the gospels portrays Jesus in light of the events that followed his death, burial and resurrec7on. Consequently, each gospel writer looks back at Jesus life, and his view of Jesus is colored by his personal experience, by his understanding of the historical events that took place during his own life7me and by the culture in which he lived.

The Gospel according to Luke was probably wriCen some7me during the early to mid 70s, a 7me of enormous turmoil in the Roman Empire. As we learned in our studies of MaChew and Mark, the back-story begins with the emperor Nero, who rose to power in A.D. 54. A brutal sociopath, Nero murdered his mother Agrippina in A.D. 59, set re to Rome in A.D. 64 (blaming the re on the Chris7ans) and began the rst state-sponsored persecu7on of the Church in Rome, A.D. 64-68.

2 Confronta*on

During Neros reign the great Jewish revolt of A.D. 66-73 began, a revolt that resulted in the death of 1.2 million Jews, the destruc7on of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the Jewish exile from Pales7ne that lasted nearly 2,000 years, un7l the founding of the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948.

This experience was a current event at the 7me the Gospel according to Luke was being composed, and it could not help but color our authors understanding of Jesus thoughts and ac7ons.

In addi7on, Luke was a gen7lethe only gen7le writer of Scriptureand he learned of Jesus through his associa7on with St. Paul. Consequently, we hypothesized that Lukes understanding of Jesus was deeply colored by Pauls high Christological views.

In Lesson #13 we examined these various factors and how they may have inuenced Lukes portrayal of Jesus in his gospel.

3 Confronta*on

Jesus enters Jerusalem on the feast of Passover, A.D. 32. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have arrived from every corner of the Roman Empire, and the atmosphere crackles with discontent under the heavy hand of Roman rule. The procurator, Pon7us Pilate, has brought a por7on of the 10th Roman Legion up from Caesarea Mari7ma on the coast, and they have taken up residence in the Antonia Fortress near the northwestern corner of the Temple plaborm. The religious authori7es tread carefully, striving migh7ly to avoid any hint of civil unrest or insipient rebellion.

In the midst of it all, Jesus enters Jerusalem publically, and with his promp7ng, huge crowds loudly proclaim him king. Then, aGer physically aCacking the moneychangers and merchants at the Temples southern steps, Jesus engages the religious leaders in a series of escala7ng encounters, playing to the crowds and denouncing the religious authori7es with scathing, barbed cri7cism.

4 Confronta*on

We have seen that in Luke, Jesus public ministry consists of three phases:

1. The Galilean ministry (3: 23 9: 50) 2. The Journey to Jerusalem (9: 51 19: 27) 3. The Jerusalem ministry (19: 28 23: 56)

As we enter Lesson #14 we begin Phase #3, the Jerusalem ministry.

5 Confronta*on

Pietro Lorenzeg. Triumphal Entry (fresco, southern transept), 1320. Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy.

6 Confronta*on

7 Confronta*on

Jesus Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (19: 28-48)

After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. As he drew near to Bethphange and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples. He said, Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone should ask you, Why are you untying it? you will answer, The Master has need of it. So those who had been sent went off and found everything just as he had told them.

(19: 28-31)

! Jericho

Mt. of Olives "

Jerusalem "

Old Roman Road"

! Bethphage/Bethany

8 Confronta*on

Dead Sea

Jordan River "

Bethany, home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, is 1.5 miles east of Jerusalem on the south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives.

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

9 Confronta*on

10 Confronta*on


So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped Jesus to mount. As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed:

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.

(19: 35-38)

The words of the crowd are posi7vely incendiary! Blessed is the king who comes

in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven

and glory in the highest.

Luke draws on MaChew and Mark for the words of the crowd, a quote from Psalm 118: 26, but only Luke adds the word king to the quote, making explicit the crowds proclama7on of a new king, one represen7ng in a new kingdom.

Jesus triumphal entry deliberately recalls Solomons entry into Jerusalem, when David elevates him to the throne in 1 Kings 1: 38-40.

11 Confronta*on

Circle of Adriaan Verdoel, The Anoin/ng of Solomon (oil on panel), c. 1600. Chris7s, Sale 2650/Lot 41 (previously in the Hague, Amsterdam).

12 Confronta*on

Palm Sunday road "

Mount of Olives

Temple

13 Confronta*on

X

The Palm Sunday road on the Mount of Olives, the path that Jesus rode down as he entered Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd.


14 Confronta*on

Dome of the Rock " (Temple in Jesus Day)

! Eastern Plaborm Wall "

The Temple in Jesus day. (1.50 scale model of 1st-century Jerusalem, Israel Museum.)


Antonia Fortress "

! Temple Southern Steps "

! Golden Gate Eastern Wall "

Royal Por7co "

! Kidron Valley "

15 Confronta*on

Meanwhile, Pon7us Pilate had moved security forces up from Caesarea Mari7ma to the Antonia Fortress in Jerusalem, where he could keep an eye on the massive crowds who had arrived in Jerusalem for the pilgrimage feast of Passover.

16 Confronta*on

GioCo. Pon7us Pilate, detail from Mocking Christ (fresco), 1305. Arena Chapel (south wall), Padua, Italy.

17 Confronta*on

Caesarea Mari7ma "

!Jerusalem

Joppa "

18 Confronta*on

! Via Maris

!Linking Road, Joppa to Jerusalem (and onward, down to Jericho

and east to Rabbah (Amman, Jordan))

The Mount of Olives is clearly visible from the southern steps of the Temple and from the Antonia Fortress, giving both Pilate and the Jewish religious leaders a clear view of Jesus triumphal entry and of the cheering crowd proclaiming a new king!

19 Confronta*on


Dr. Creasy teaching on the Southern Steps of the Temple plaborm. (The Mt. of Olives is clearly visible at the top leG, less that 500 yards away.)

Mt. of Olives

20 Confronta*on

Not me.

Wow! Jesus is cour7ng disaster! Staging his entry into Jerusalem as a kingin full view of the

Roman and religious authori7esis provoking, to say the least!

Maybe he didnt mean it that way.

21 Confronta*on

22 Confronta*on


Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. He said to them in reply, I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out.

(19: 39-40)

23 Confronta*on

I guess I was wrong about

that.

24 Confronta*on


As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, If this day you only knew what makes for peacebut now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.

(19: 41-44)

Enrique Simonet. Flevit super illam (oil on canvas), 1892. Museum of Mlaga, Spain.

25 Confronta*on

As we noted in Lesson #13, when the Jewish Revolt began in A.D. 66, Nero chose Vespasian to suppress it. Coming out of re7rement, Vespasian commanded two Roman legions (the 5th and 10th), eight cavalry squadrons and ten auxiliary cohorts, Vespasian was joined by his son, Titus, who commanded the 15th Roman Legion. With the death of Nero in A.D. 68, Vespasian leG for Rome to claim the throne, leaving Titus in command.

By the summer of A.D. 70, Titus had breached the city walls of Jerusalem and captured the Temple. During the erce gh7ng the Temple complex caught re, and on Tisha BAv (29/30 July A.D. 70) the temple fell. The re spread quickly to the city itself, destroying most of it. Over half a million Jews fought the Romans in Jerusalem; those captured were crucied, up to 500 per day; and historians es7mate that 1.2 million Jews died during the revolt.

26 Confronta*on

For Luke, this was all front-page news, happening at the very 7me he was draGing his gospel, and Luke has Jesus foreseeing it allwith crystal clarity.

27 Confronta*on

28 Confronta*on

Jerusalem

Falls!

David Roberts. The Siege and Destruc/on of Jerusalem by the Romans under the Command of Titus, A.D. 70 (oil on canvas), 1850. Private Collec7on.

29 Confronta*on

When Jesus arrives at the Temple, he went directly to the southern steps.


East Gate "

30 Confronta*on


Southern steps of the Temple where the money changers and merchants were located.

Southern Steps

31 Confronta*on

Antonia Fortress

32 Confronta*on


Then Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves. And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.

(19: 45-48)

El Greco. Christ Driving the Traders from the Temple (oil on canvas), c. 1600. Na7onal Gallery, London.

33 Confronta*on

Once in Jerusalem, Jesus teaches every day at the southern steps, gathering ever-growing crowdsand increasing opposi7on from the religious leaders. Luke gives us three examples:

1. Ques7on about Jesus authority (20: 1-19)

2. Ques7on about paying taxes to Rome (20: 20-26)

3. Ques7on about the resurrec7on

(20: 27-40)

The three ques7ons are followed by a scathing denuncia7on of the religious leaders (20: 41-47).

34 Confronta*on




(20: 27-40)

35 Confronta*on

Parable of the Tenant Farmers

36 Confronta*on




(20: 27-40)

37 Confronta*on

Silver denarius with the Emperor Tiberias (reign, A.D. 14-37). The inscrip7on reads: Caesar Augustus Tiberias, son of the Divine Augustus.

The reverse features Livia, wife of Augustus and mother of Tiberias, as Pax (Peace).

38 Confronta*on




(20: 27-40)

39 Confronta*on

Resurrec7on of the Dead, Holy Thorn Reliquary [detail], c. 1390. Bri7sh Museum, London.

Created in Paris for John, Duke of Berry, to house a relic of the crown of thorns. Bequeathed to the Bri/sh Museum in 1898 by Ferdinand de Rothschild.

40 Confronta*on

Jesus follows this by posing a paradox that the religious leaders cannot answer:

Then he said to them, How do they claim that the Messiah is the Son of David? For David himself in the Book of Psalms says:

The Lord said to my lord,

Sit at my right hand Till I make your enemies your footstool.

Now if David calls him lord, how can he be his son?

(20: 41-44)

41 Confronta*on

Not me.

Ah, ha! If the Messiah is Davids lord, then he must be greater than David. But as Jesus says in Revela7on 22: 16, I am the root and ospring of David; that is,

Jesus is both the creator and the descendant of David. Only the Son of

God made esh could say that.

My, arent you clever!

42 Confronta*on

Jesus then closes with a scathing denuncia7on of the religious leaders:

Then, within the hearing of all the people, he said to [his] disciples, Be on guard against the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and love gree/ngs in marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemna/on.

(20: 45-47)

43 Confronta*on

This leads us right into the story of the widows mite:

When he looked up he saw some wealthy people pueng their oerings into the treasury and he no/ced a poor widow pueng in two small coins. He said, I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made oerings from their surplus, but she, from her poverty, has oered her whole livelihood.

(21: 1-4)

44 Confronta*on

Unknown Ar7st. The Widows Mite (mosaic), 6th century. Basilica di SantApollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy.

45 Confronta*on

The widows mite (Greek = leptovn, singular; leptav, plural: meaning small) is a 7ny copper coin, the smallest denomina7on, equivalent to about a penny.

46 Confronta*on

This story is almost always read as a commenda7on of the poor widow, who has given all she has to God.

It is just the opposite. In the previous verse (20: 47), Jesus excoriates the religious leaders who devour the houses of widowsand then, in the very next verse, we have a poor, impoverished widow who gives everything she has to the religious leaders!

The story of the widows mite is not a commenda7on of the widow, but a condemna7on of the religious leaders who have taken advantage of such gullible widows to ll their coers.

47 Confronta*on

Not me.

Confronta*on

Now, that is clever!

I had never thought of it that

way.

48

In the closing sec7on (21: 5-38) we have Lukes version of the Olivet discourse from Mark 13 and MaChew 24, once again stressing the catastrophe to come upon Jerusalem, followed by the imminent return of Christ and the coming of the Kingdom of God.

49 Confronta*on

Gustave Dor. The Triumph of Chris/anity over Paganism (oil on canvas), 1868. Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

50 Confronta*on

1. Why does Jesus enter Jerusalem, riding down the Mount of Olives on a colt?

2. Why did the religious leaders not arrest Jesus immediately?

3. In Mark, once Jesus enters Jerusalem he is extremely confronta7onal. How would you describe his agtude and ac7ons in Luke?

4. How can the religious leaders stop Jesus, without s7rring up a riot?

5. What is the lesson of the g tree?

51 Confronta*on

Copyright 2015 by William C. Creasy

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52 Confronta*on

14. Confrontation

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