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Chapters 9-12

November 10, 2014

1. Peter’s Confession about Jesus

2. The First Prediction of the Passion

3. The Conditions of Discipleship

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THE MYSTERY OF JESUSPeter’s Confession about Jesus

Jesus asks who do people say that he is.

He asks them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter says to him, “You are the Messiah.”

Then he warned them not to tell anyone.

Most know Matthew’s version (16:16)

The First Prediction of the Passion

Jesus starts to talk about his upcoming suffering.

Peter rebukes Jesus

Jesus rebukes Peter, “Get behind me, Satan. You are

thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

They had no concept of a suffering Messiah.

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The Conditions of Discipleship

Those who are to follow him must deny

themselves, pick up their cross and follow him.

Why gain the whole world and lose yourself?

What can one give in exchange of one’s life?

Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this

faithless generation, the Son of Man will be

ashamed of when he comes into his Father’s glory.

The Transfiguration of Jesus

• After 6 days he took Peter, James and John

• Up a mountain

• He was transfigured before them

• His clothes became as white as no fuller on

earth could bleach them.

• Elijah and Moses appeared with Jesus

• Peter said that it is good that they are here and

wants to remain there by pitching tents for each

of them.

• A voice said, “This is my beloved Son, Listen to

him.”

• As quickly as they saw this, it disappeared

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The Transfiguration of Jesus

• 6 days connecting to the 6 days of creation

• 6 days connecting to the 6 days it took for Moses

to hear the voice of God calling him on mount

Sinai.

• Moses and Elijah represents Jesus between the

law and the prophets.

• Peter was “terrified” or filled with awe.

• The voice matching the baptismal scene and the

crucifixion scene

• They must return to their state after a quick

insight. They cannot stay there.

The Coming of Elijah

The were not to speak of this until the Son of Man

had risen from the dead.

They ask why Elijah will come first.

Jesus says Elijah has come and they did to him

what they pleased as with the Son of Man who will

suffer.

Jesus confirms that John the Baptist is Elijah

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The Healing of a Boy with a Demon

• Jesus walks into commotion.

• A boy with a demon cannot be healed by the

disciples (This presumes that they were doing

some of this work.)

• The father’s boy asks for a healing of the boy

The man says, “If you can do anything …”

Jesus says, “If you can! Everything is possible to

one who has faith”

The father says, “I believe, help my unbelief”

Jesus says that the disciples could not do this

because this kind can only come through prayer

The Healing of a Boy with a Demon

• Jesus says, “Oh Faithless generation, how long

will I be with you. How long will I endure you?

Comments on the lack of faith

Healing is a process that involves faith and prayer

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The Second Prediction of the Passion

Theme:

Jesus must suffer

He will rise after he is dead

They do not understand

They are afraid to ask him

The Greatest in the Kingdom

The disciples do not understand Jesus and why he

is here in their desire to be the greatest.

Jesus asks them what they were discussing.

They remain silent in their embarrassment of

what they were discussing

They were arguing who was the greatest

Whoever wishes to be first must be last and the

servant

Jesus places a child in their midst. He says, “To

receive a child is to receive Jesus and the one who

sent him.”

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Another Exorcist

Someone was driving out demons in Jesus name

and John wants to stop him since this person does

not follow Jesus.

Jesus allows that to happen.

Whoever is not against us is for us.

Jesus’ power is beyond his own circle

Jesus allows good to be done in his name no matter

where it comes from. Not an exclusive club

Anyone who gives a cup of water to drink is doing

the work of God.

Temptations to Sin

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe

in me to sin will be judged harshly.

- Do not tempt others

Hyperbole - an obvious and intentional

exaggeration

Remove the temptation to sin from you

- cut off your hand if it causes you to sin

- cut off your foot if it causes you to sin

- tear out your eye if it causes you to sin

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The Simile of Salt

Salt and fire are for preserving and purifying

Stay true and be ready for sacrifice as a disciple

Chapter 8/9

Peter’s Confession about Jesus

The First Prediction of the Passion

The Conditions of Discipleship

The Transfiguration of Jesus

The Coming of Elijah

The Healing of a Boy with a Demon

The Second Prediction of the Passion

The Greatest in the Kingdom

Another Exorcist

Temptations to Sin

The Simile of Salt

There is a shift

Jesus is teaching about discipleship

suffering

not about power

takes prayer

takes faith

about service

remove temptation

perseverance

purifying fire of suffering

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Marriage and Divorce

Jesus has moved to teaching the crowd.

The Pharisees enter the scene and take up testing

Jesus again.

Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?

Moses permitted divorce

It was because of “hardness of hearts” = Sin that

divorce was permitted or less than ideal state.

Divorce was never God’s intention

Male and female he made them

The two become one flesh

What God has joined, no one must separate

Disciples question: Whoever divorces and marries

another commits adultery

Blessing of the Children

The disciples were forbidding the children to go to

Jesus.

Jesus uses it as a teaching that the Kingdom of God

belongs to the children.

Accept the Kingdom of God like a child, you will not

enter into the Kingdom of God unless you accept it as

a child.

He then placed his hands on them and blessed them

The value of powerlessness

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The Rich Man

Rich man asks what he must do to inherit eternal

life.

Jesus says to keep the commandments, which he

has

Jesus LOOKED AT HIM AND LOVED HIM and

said he lacks one thing, sell what you have and

give it to the poor, you will have treasure in

heaven; then come, follow Jesus

He went away sad because he had many

possessions.

The Rich Man

Jesus talks about wealth

How hard it is for the those who have wealth to

enter the Kingdom of God.

Easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a

needle

Peter states he gave up everything to follow Jesus

Jesus you will receive much more in return and

persecution and eternal life.

The first will be last and the last will be first.

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The Rich Man

Jesus is speaking about detachment from

possessions.

Despite the rich man’s goodness of following the

commandments, he cannot follow Jesus’

instruction

The norm for holiness demands far more than

most can do so one must rely on God’s grace.

Total dependence on God

- ultimate poverty

- ultimate detachment

The Third Prediction of the Passion

Peter seems to be comfortable that he has done the

detachment needed and so Jesus speaks of his

upcoming Passion.

The disciples were again amazed and afraid.

Great detail - They will condemn him to death and

hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him,

spit upon him, scourge him and put him to death,

but after three days he will rise.

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Comparing the Prediction of the Passion

8:31-33He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

10:32-34 They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentileswho will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise.”

9:30-32They left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

Ambition of James and John

James and John still do not understand after the

third prediction passion and the teaching of

powerlessness and detachment.

They ask to be on the right and left side of Jesus in

his glory.

Jesus says that it has already been decided who will

be on the right and left side of Jesus

The ten are upset and Jesus has to teach once again

about powerlessness and detachment.

They are not to lord it over as the Gentiles (earthly

power)

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The Blind Bartimaeus

Note the difference between the rich man who

could not follow and the blind man who had

nothing and was powerless could follow Jesus on

the way immediately.

He wishes to see but actually sees more of who

Jesus is than those with actual sight.

Chapter 10 - Summary

Marriage and DivorceBlessing of the ChildrenThe Rich ManThe Third Prediction of the PassionAmbition of James and JohnThe Blind Bartimaeus

Teaching on returning to God’s intentions for living - Marriage- Childlike- powerlessness- detachment- total reliance on God

The disciples fail to understand The blind man does understand and is healed

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The Entry into Jerusalem

Jesus sent two disciples to go and get a colt

He entered Jerusalem on a colt with people

spreading their cloaks and palm branches.

Fulfilling the words of Zechariah and Simon

Maccabeus – OT

A colt means both humility and peace

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

Jesus approaches the fig tree and found only

leaves on the tree, no figs

It was not time for figs.

Jesus curses the fig tree saying that no one will

ever eat of its fruit again.

Often thought of as the tree forbidden in the

Garden of Eden.

Fig tree in bloom was considered to be a sign of the

end time.

The cleansing of the temple is sandwiched between

the fig story

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Cleansing of the Temple

Jesus drove out those selling and buy in the temple

area.

The chief priests and scribes began to seek a way

to put him to death.

Jesus is not against the Temple

Jesus was not against the Temple system that

allowed for money on the premises

Jesus wanted to purify the temple of the foreign

influences that has commercialized the temple

The Withered Fig Tree

Jesus and the disciples walk by the tree that Jesus

cursed and saw it withered.

Jesus speaks the power of prayer and believing in

its effects. One can move mountains.

Ask, believe and it will be yours

Forgive others when you pray

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Authority of Jesus Questioned

Pharisees ask by what authority Jesus is doing the

things he is doing

Jesus questions the Pharisees by asking what

authority John the Baptist did what he did. Did it

come from heaven or earth?

They see that if they say one answer, it will give credit

to divine authority to Jesus but if he says earthly, the

people will rise up.

They do not make a commitment and so will never see

by what authority Jesus does his work.

Summary of Chapter 11

The Entry into JerusalemJesus Curses a Fig TreeCleansing of the TempleThe Withered Fig TreeAuthority of Jesus Questioned

The focus is on Jesus’ humility as he entered Jerusalem

He is a peace-making king following OT figures

However Jesus is focused on the restoration of Jerusalem as found in the temple and the fig tree.

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Parable of the Tenants

Jesus addresses this to the Pharisees in the prior

chapter who question his authority

Vineyard is Israel

Tenant Farmers seem to be those in charge

(Roman Authorities and Jewish Collaborators or

religious leaders of the time)

Servants are the prophets

The Son is Jesus

The leaders react to the story by wanting to arrest

him, but they feared the crowd

4 Questions

Paying the temple tax

Question about the resurrection

The greatest commandment

Jesus asks about David’s Son

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Paying Taxes to the Emperor

Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Jesus.

Begin by praising Jesus.

Question Jesus about paying the temple tax.

Whose image is on the coin? Where is God’s

image?

Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to

God what belongs to God.

They were utterly amazed.

The Question about the Resurrection

Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection questioned

Jesus about life after death and the law of marriage.

The husband’s brother must marry his wife if he dies to

ensure that his sister-in-law and her family is cared for

and not destitute.

There is no marriage in heaven.

Tells the Sadducees that they are misled because of

their lack of belief in the resurrection.

God is the God of the living. These prophets are alive.

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The Greatest Commandment

Scribe asked Jesus, :which is the greatest

commandment? He did because he saw them

disputing and heard Jesus’ great response.

There is no malice in his question.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul,

mind and strength.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus praises the scribe by saying he is not far

from the Kingdom of God. Jesus is in agreement

with Jewish teaching.

Jewish teaching

Question about David’s Son

Jesus challenges the belief that the messiah would

be the Son of David.

David calls him “my Lord” and not “my Son” so he

must be more than the Son of David

He is the Son of God.

He is challenging their understanding of the

Messiah as he did with Peter and the disciples.

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Denunciation of the Scribes

Warning against the scribes who are scribes

for themselves and their own glory and not

for the glory of God.

The Poor Widow’s Contribution

The widow who gave from her need is

praised over the wealthy who gave more

money but gave from their surplus.

Connection to the cleansing of the temple.

Connection to the Rich man.

Connection to the total giving of the self

and detachment.