The Resurrection of the King

                                                                  Sunday School Lesson                                          

Lesson: Hosea 6:1-3; Luke 24:1-12
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:6-7).
INTRODUCTION.  It’s very clear to every believer that removing Jesus’ resurrection from the gospel would cut the heart out of Christianity.  The Apostle Paul stated that without the resurrection, our faith would be vain (see I Corinthians 15:14).  It’s the ultimate proof of Jesus’ messiahship (see Acts 2:36) and the Father’s acceptance of His atoning work (see Hebrew 1:3).  It guarantees our own resurrection (see I Corinthians 15:20-23).  In addition, our risen Lord as our Advocate pleads our case before the Father (see I John 2:1).  This week’s lesson combines two passages. The first one calls for the renewal of God’s people, Israel, and the second records the resurrection of Jesus Christ on which all renewal is based.
II. THE RENEWAL OF GOD’S PEOPLE (Hosea 6:1-3).  This portion of our lesson is Hosea’s plea to the Northern Kingdom to return to the Lord.  The background for this portion of our lesson is the final days of the Northern Kingdom, or Israel before the invasion by the Assyrians.  Hosea referred to the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel as Ephraim some 37 times (see Hosea 6:4; 7:1; 11:8).  It means fruitful.  The nation would soon be invaded by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.  However, prior to this time instead of looking for help from the Lord they tried to buy off the king of Assyria to help against other nations (see Hosea 4:3-5:13; II Kings 15:19-20).  After listing Israel’s sins, the Lord declared His judgment on the nation while advising them of the futility of seeking help from the king of Assyria.  Earthly help would be in vain because the Lord, like a lion, would fight against Israel, carrying them away in His anger (see Hosea 5:14).   God made it clear that He would not come to their rescue until while in their suffering they turned to God again (see Hosea 5:15).  This is where this portion of our lesson begins.
A. Israel will return to God (Hosea 6:1-2). 
1. (vs. 1).  This verse says “Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.”  Up to this point Hosea was the speaker, but now in this verse there is an abrupt change in both the speaker and in time.  These are not the words of Hosea’s own generation for they had not gone through the sufferings implied in this verse.  The words of this verse are part of Hosea’s prophecy, but they are not his words: they are the words spoken by future Israel after their sufferings have served their purpose in turning them back to God (see Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:26-27).  The phrase “Come, and let us return unto the Lord” is a call for the people to repent, because a “return” to Him is meaningless unless it is in a spiritual sense.  In the future, those Jews who desire to return to God realize that the Lord was the One who “hath torn and…hath smitten” them as the lion illustrated in Hosea 5:14.  Since the Lord had done this, the people will also say to one another that “he will heal us… and he will bind us up.”  They will come to realize that only the Lord can meet their need.  The fulfillment of these words spoken by Jews to other Jews will happen at the return of Christ when the nation is restored to Him (see Hosea chapter 14; Zechariah 12:9-13:2).
2. (vs. 2).  Hosea further prophesied future Israel as saying “After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”  The numbers in the phrases “After two days” and “the third day” should not be taken literally.  They are a Hebrew idiom or expression in which the second or largest number is the most that the statement calls for.  These expressions do not refer to Jesus’ resurrection.  Such numerical sayings occur at several places in the Old Testament (see Job 5:19; Proverbs 6:16; 30:15; Amos 1:3).  Since two or three days is a short time, the meaning here is that Israel’s restoration back to God will be certain and will happen in a short time.  The words “will…revive us” and “will raise us up and we shall live in his sight” speak of spiritual resurrection (see Ephesians 2:1, 5-6).  This should not be taken in an individual and physical sense.  The primary reference is to the corporate restoration of the entire Israelite nation.  Ezekiel used the same figure of speech in the well known passage concerning the dry bones in the valley (see Ezekiel 37:1-14) which represents Israel coming to life and returning to their homeland through the Spirit of God.  Since this restoration will occur at the return of Christ, even though bodily resurrection will accompany it, our text refers mainly to the national restoration of Israel during the millennium.
B. Israel will seek to know God (see Hosea 6:3).  This verse says “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”  The phrase “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord” might be more clearly stated as “Therefore, let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.”  This is an expression of a real desire in the hearts of repentant Israel to know God and His will.  This lack of experiential knowledge of God was destroying them because there was no knowledge of God in the land (see Hosea 4:1, 6).   Two new figures of speech are now introduced to express God’s presence among revived Israel.  The first figure of speech, “his going forth is prepared as the morning” indicates that the Lord’s restoration of His people will be the beginning of a new day after a long night of suffering, and it will be as certain as the dawn follows the night.  The second figure of speech “and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth” means that God’s presence among His people will also be as refreshing “as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”
III. THE RESURRECTION OF GOD’S SON (Luke 24:1-12).  After Jesus was crucified, a soldier pierced Him in His side confirming that Jesus was dead (see John 19:34).  At that point, Joseph of Arimathaea, a disciple of Jesus and also a member of the Sanhedrin council, obtained Jesus’ body with Pilate’s consent, wrapped it in linen, and placed it in his own tomb (see Matthew 27:57-60; Luke 23:50-53).  Joseph received help from Nicodemus, who brought spices to preserve Jesus’ body (see John 19:39-40).  A large stone was also rolled in front of the tomb (see Matthew 27:60).   All of this had to be done quickly because” that day was the preparation and the Sabbath drew on” (see Luke 23:54).  Once the Sabbath began at sundown, no more preparation of the body or the tomb was allowed.  This was not the regular weekly Saturday Sabbath, but a special Sabbath that John referred to as a “high day” (see John 19:31) since it was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  It had special rules including complete rest, no work could be done, and no leaven could be used in the food or found in their homes (see Exodus 12:15-20).  A number of Galilean women who had benefited from Jesus’ ministry and had ministered to Him watched from a distance when Jesus was crucified (see Luke 23:40).  After seeing where Jesus’ body was laid, the women returned to their homes to prepare spices and ointments and then rested the next day which was the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, also called a Sabbath Day (see Luke 23:55-56).  The spices and ointments were used to preserve the body temporarily and to offset the odor of decomposition.  The Jews had no embalming techniques like those of the Egyptians.  This is where the second portion of our lesson begins.
A. A morning errand (Luke 24:1).  This verse says “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.”  Since the women couldn’t anoint Jesus’ body the day after He died because it was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and also recognized as a Sabbath Day (see the tab on the I Love Sunday School Website that says “The Last Week Of Jesus’ Life” for details surrounding His burial, anointing with spices and His resurrection) they waited for the earliest light on the first day of the week, or Sunday since the Saturday Sabbath also prevented them from going to Jesus’ tomb.  The term “sepulcher” refers to Jesus’ tomb.  The women who had watched at a distance where Jesus was buried came to the tomb “and certain others with them.”  We are not told how many women set out for Jesus’ tomb, but three of them are named later (see Luke 24:10).  Some of them had seen the stone rolled in front of the tomb and as they walked they discussed how it could be removed (see Mark 16:3). 
B. A disappointing discovery (Luke 24:2-3).  
1. (vs. 2).  This verse says “ And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.”  As already mentioned, as the women walked to the tomb they discussed how to remove it. When they reached the place “they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.”  They didn’t know that an angel had earlier rolled the stone away and stricken the guards with fear (see Matthew 28:2-4).  By the time the women arrived, the soldiers had recovered and left, with some of them reporting these happenings to the chief priests (see Matthew 28:11).
2. (vs. 3).  In this verse Luke continues to write “And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.”  Finding the stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb, “they entered in” intending to finish the work of anointing Jesus’ body that Joseph and Nicodemus had begun.  But another surprise awaited them in the tomb. They “found not the body of the Lord Jesus.”  Mary Magdalene concluded that someone had taken Jesus’ body away (see John 20:1-2).   Having come to that conclusion, before she had a chance to hear the angels’ explanation, she ran to tell Peter and John.  She persisted in believing someone had taken the body until Jesus Himself spoke to her (see John 20:1-16). 
C. An encouraging message (Luke 24:4-7).
1. (vs. 4).  This verse says “And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.”  Seeing the tomb empty, the remaining women “were much perplexed thereabout” meaning that they were confused by what they saw, or didn’t see.  But while they pondered the meaning of it all “behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.”  The word “behold” means Look!  It’s often used in Scripture to introduce an extraordinary sight that causes awe or surprise.  In this case “two men” suddenly stood by them dressed in “shining garments.” 

2. (vs. 5).  In this verse Luke goes on to say “And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?”  The sudden extraordinary appearance of the angels frightened the women and they “bowed down their faces to the earth.”  This was a normal reaction humans had to heavenly beings (see Luke 1:12; Acts 10:3-4).  According to Matthew and Mark, an angel told them not to be afraid (see Matthew 28:5; Mark 16:6); then the angels asked them the crucial question “Why seek ye the living among the dead?”  It should be noted that the angels referred to Jesus as “living” for He was life (John 11:25; 14:6) and death has no control over Him (Acts 2:22-24).  Therefore, it was illogical that He would have been in the grave at all.

3. (vs. 6).  In this verse, the angel continued to say “He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee.”  The angel did two things.  First he told the women that the reason Jesus was not there was because He “is risen.”  Second, he reminded them that Jesus had spoken to them and foretold His resurrection “when he was yet in Galilee.”  These women were from Galilee (see Luke 23:49) and they began to follow Jesus during His Galilean ministry (see Luke 8:1-3).
4. (vs. 7).  In this verse the angel reminds the women that Jesus had spoke to them “Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”  We have no record of Jesus sharing this information with these women, but there are several accounts in the Gospels where Jesus shared these facts with the Twelve Disciples in some form or another.  No doubt they probably told the women what Jesus had said to them that after He was delivered into the hands of the Romans, He would be “crucified, and the third day rise again.”  Note:  The first time that Jesus spoke of His coming death and resurrection was right after Peter confessed Him as the Christ (see Matthew 16:21; Luke 9:20-22).  The second time was just after Jesus healed a demon-possessed boy (Mark 9:17-32).  The third time that Jesus gave this prophecy was when He and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem for the last time (see Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-33).  Although Jesus foretold His crucifixion, death and resurrection to His disciples on multiple occasions, for some reason His words never made a lasting impression on them.  On one occasion they discussed among themselves what the rising from the dead meant (see Mark 9:9-10).  On another occasion they didn’t understand His prediction and were afraid to ask Him what He meant (see Mark 9:31-32). 
D.  A prompt report (Luke 24:8-10). 
1. (vs. 8).  This verse simply says “And they remembered his words.”  After the angels reminded the women of Jesus’ prediction of His death and resurrection, “they remembered his words.”  They remembered both the words He had spoken as well as the ways those words were fulfilled.  Jesus had been delivered into the hands of sinful men and crucified, and they were eyewitnesses to that fact.  Now, after three days later (see Matthew 27:63), they had seen and heard the evidence that Jesus had risen from the dead.  Note:  We can profit from the experience of these early believers.  The predicted truth of the death and resurrection of Christ came to them by revelation, not by reason because they didn’t consider it reasonable.  Therefore they didn’t take it seriously.  Now, by revelation once again, God reminded them of that truth and their faith was strengthened.  God’s truth always comes to us by revelation---biblical revelation.  Since parts of the Bible don’t seem reasonable to our minds, we tend to ignore some of it or interpret it figuratively.  As a result, we miss the blessing that God’s Word brings because of unbelief.  Only when we take all of God’s Word seriously can He strengthen us.
2. (vs. 9).  After remembering Jesus’ words, this verse says of the women “And (they) returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.”  With their own faith strengthened, the women “returned from the sepulcher” meaning that they left the tomb.  They returned to Jerusalem and “told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.”  The words “the eleven” refers to the remaining eleven disciples, for Judas had committed suicide (see Matthew 27:1-5).
3. (vs. 10).  Now we are introduced to the prominent members of this group of women.  This verse says “It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.”  One of these was “Mary Magdalene” identified by her home city of Magdala near the Sea of Galilee.  After Jesus cast seven demons out of her, she became a consistent, devoted follower thereafter (see Luke 8:2).  She was the first person to have an encounter with Jesus after His resurrection (see John 20:1-18).  She has often been wrongly portrayed as a prostitute, but there is no evidence of this in any of the Gospels.  A second woman in this group was “Joanna.”  She was socially prominent since she was the wife of Chuza, the steward or servant of Herod Antipas (see Luke 8:3).  A third woman was “Mary the mother of James.”  In Mark 15:40, she is identified as the mother of James the less and Joses and the wife of Cleophas (see John 19:25).  This Mary appears in Scripture only in connection with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, so we know nothing more about her.  This verse does not give the names of “other women that were with them,” but Mark’s account includes Salome (see Mark 15:40; 16:1) who was probably the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John (see Matthew 27:56).  All of these women had a part in telling the apostles about the resurrection.
E. An unbelieving response (see Luke 24:11).  When the women reached the apostles to give them the good news, this verse says “And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.”  One would think that the apostles would be overcome with joy at hearing the news of Jesus’ resurrection, but due to a probable combination of male pride and outright unbelief, “their words seemed to them as idle tales.”  As mentioned previously, in both Hebrew and the Greco-Roman society of that day, women were thought to be inferior to men, thus making their witness untrustworthy so “they (the desciples) believed them not.”  Normally, two or three witnesses was enough to establish the truth of a statement (see Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16; John 8:17), but no amount of testimony would satisfy these men.  Only personal experience could convince them.  The truth of the matter is their faith was no stronger than that of doubting Thomas (see John 20:24-25).  Note:  Of all those who followed Jesus, the Eleven should have had the strongest faith.  They walked with Him for three years and heard Him speak of His resurrection several times, yet they refused to believe.  After His resurrection, when Jesus appeared before the Eleven, He rebuked them for their “unbelief and hardness of heart” (see Mark 16:14).  It’s interesting that their failure to believe is actually proof of Jesus’ resurrection.  Since they were not expecting Him to rise, they surely wouldn’t have imagined to have seen Him.  Neither would they have stolen His body to make others believe that Jesus had risen.  This group of men were dejected and defeated, hiding out because they feared what might happen to them (see John 20:19). Therefore, we can be sure that when they began to preach a risen Christ, they did it on the basis of undeniable proof.  Our faith rests on fact, not imagination.
F. A confirming proof (see Luke 24:12).  Our final verse says “Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.”  John’s Gospel tells us that Mary Magdalene told Peter and John (see John 20:2) that someone had stolen Jesus’ body.  Remember, she left the tomb before the angels explained that Jesus had risen.  After hearing Mary’s words, both Peter and John ran to the tomb and John outran Peter getting to the tomb first, but he only stooped and looked in (see John 20:3-5).  When Peter arrived, He went into the tomb.  In our final verse here, Luke only mentions Peter’s arrival at the tomb and not John’s.  However, they both “beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves” because after Peter went into the tomb, John went in also (see John 20:6-8).   The fact that the “linen clothes laid by themselves” is evidence that Jesus’ body had slipped through them.  It appears that this sight didn’t convince Peter because the last part of this verse says that he “departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.”  In other words, he left the tomb wondering what really happened.  Note:  At some point that day, Jesus personally appeared to Peter (see Luke 24:34: I Corinthians 15:5).  Eventually, all the skeptical and unbelieving apostles saw the risen Christ (see John 20:19-20, 24-29; 21:1-2; Acts 1:1-8; I Corinthians 15:3-8), and their lives changed forever.

                                     

IV. Conclusion.  Jesus told His disciples many times that He would be crucified and rise again.  They seem to have been oblivious to the message, even doubtful that it was true.  But when they saw Him in His resurrected state, they remembered the words that He had spoken to them.  Jesus has also said that He will come again to meet us in the air.  Let us be watchful and believing, remembering His words to us.

 







 

 

The Suffering of the King

                                                                         Sunday School Lesson                                        

Lesson: Jeremiah 23:5-6; Zechariah 6:9-15; John 19:1-5
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands” (John 19:2-3).

INTRODUCTION.  Suffering is a word that some Christians dread and allow to hinder their faith.  But suffering connects us with the Saviour, and is a necessary part of exalting Him.  I Peter 4:13 says, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”  Suffering is not pleasant but it is rewarding.  In this week’s lesson we will discuss how the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah point to Jesus’ future role as the King and Priest of Israel.  We will also examine the suffering He experienced at the hands of the Romans.
THE RIGHTEOUS BRANCH (Jeremiah 23:5-6).  During the days just prior to Judah’s captivity by Babylon, corruption was a common among prophets, priests and kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  Jeremiah pronounced woe upon the “pastors” or shepherds who had scattered God’s flock (see Jeremiah 23:1-2).  These corrupt kings who God called “pastors” and who led the people astray were from David’s royal line.  Even though God condemned these leaders, He also spoke through Jeremiah promising that He would re-gather the scattered flock and place good shepherds over them (see Jeremiah 23:3-4).  This is where the first section of our lesson begins.
A. The reign of the Righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:5).  In this verse Jeremiah’s Messianic prophecy began with “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.”  The phrase “Behold, the days come” as used by Jeremiah, calls attention to special future events, many concerning the Messiah.  The nation of Judah is called on to focus on God’s promise “that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch.”  The term “Branch” means “sprout” and in this verse refers to a descendent of David who will fulfill the Davidic covenant (see II Samuel 7:12-16).  Unlike the kings in Jeremiah’s day, this future king will be “righteous” meaning that He would have no flaws whatsoever, and His rule will be right and good.  This is a clear reference to the Messiah as the Branch of David in Isaiah 11:1-9.  In that prophecy, Christ is also seen as “a rod out of the stem of Jesse.”  Jeremiah also prophesied that Messiah would be a King who “shall reign and prosper.”  Unlike many kings of Israel who were merely puppet kings of foreign empires, Messiah will be a true king whose reign will prosper forever.  The phrase “and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth” makes it clear that His reign will be on earth, which is a reference to the millennium.  Of course, as a righteous King, He will “execute judgment and justice” meaning that all of His judgments will be just and right (see Revelation 19:11).
B. The divine credentials of the Righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:6).  Jeremiah continues to say “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.”  The phrase “In his days” refers again to Christ’s millennial reign here on earth.  During that time, first “Judah shall be saved.”  The name “Judah,” like “Israel” is often used in Scripture to refer to the entire nation.  Note: When Jeremiah prophesied, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had been in captivity by Assyria for some time and only the Southern Kingdom of Judah remained in the land.  However, when Messiah returns, He will restore and reunify the nation and rule over it (see Jeremiah 33:14-16; Ezekiel 37:15-19).  The fact that “Judah shall be saved” means that the reunited kingdom of Israel will be converted and will finally serve the Lord with pure hearts (see Isaiah 59:20-21; Jeremiah 31:31-34: Romans 11:26-27).  It should be noted however, that the nation of Israel has been temporarily set aside (see Romans chapters 9-11).  Israel’s salvation is still a future event.  Not only will the nation be saved, but “Israel shall dwell safely.”  Israel will not dwell in safety until Christ reigns during the millennium.  At that time under Christ’s rule the united kingdom of Israel will live in security.  Like everyone during the millennium, Israel will enjoy safety from all their former enemies as well as the beasts of nature (see Isaiah 11:6-9; Ezekiel 34:25-26).  This verse goes on to say “and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord.”  During His reign, Israel’s King will be known by the name “The Lord Our Righteousness.”   In Scripture, one’s “name” was an indication of that person’s character.  Christ’s character is seen here as both divine, because He is “The Lord,” and “Our Righteousness” because His rule is right and good (see Isaiah 11:4-5) and He will give righteousness to those He has redeemed (see Isaiah 45:24-25).   Note: The name given here to the Messiah is “The Lord.” In the Old Testament, when the term Lord is in all capitals as it is here, it’s a reference to God Himself.  It means “Yahweh” or Jehovah, God’s covenant name for Israel’s God.  Therefore, Christ is recognized as God, and He is (see I John 5:7).
III. THE KING-PRIEST FORESHADOWED (Zechariah  6:9-15).  The second section of our lesson is taken from the Book of Zechariah.  Zechariah wrote after the exiles returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, and were in the process of rebuilding the temple.  Zerubbabel was the governor of Judah (see Haggai 1:1) and Joshua (not the Joshua who took over for Moses) was the high priest.  The Book of Zechariah begins with eight visions that Zechariah had during one night.  The visions were intended to encourage the returning Jewish exiles as they rebuilt the temple.  Included in the visions was a symbolic act that reveals the Messiah’s role in bringing about Israel’s future glory.
A. A symbolic act (Zechariah 6:9-11). 
1. (vs. 9).  This portion of our lesson begins with Zechariah saying “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying.”  This was the prophet's way of authenticating that the message he was about to give was from God (see Zechariah 4:8; 7:4; 8:1, 18).  These words didn’t introduce another vision, but instead they introduced a real event that required Zechariah’s participation.
2. (vs. 10).  The Lord told Zechariah to “Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah.”  The phrase “Take of them of the captivity” refers to the three men “Heldai,” “Tobijah,” and “Jedaiah” who were among those Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian Captivity bringing with them treasures to be used in rebuilding the temple (see Ezra 7:12-22).  The fact that God directed Zechariah to “come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah,” would indicate that “Heldai,” “Tobijah,” and “Jedaiah” were staying at the home of “Josiah the son of Zephaniah.”  Zechariah was commanded by God to go to Josiah’s house and take offerings from these three returnees that they brought back from Babylon.  This “Josiah” wasn’t the Josiah who was king of Judah between 640 and 608 B.C. (see II Kings 22:1).  He was the “son of Zephaniah” the prophet who wrote the Book of Zephaniah.
3. (vs. 11).  Once he found these three men, Zechariah was told to “Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest.”  God said that some of the “silver and gold” brought back from Babylon to be used in rebuilding the temple was now to be used to “make crowns.”  Since “crowns” is plural there is some disagreement as to whether Zechariah was to make two or more crowns, or make one crown having multiple parts.  Since Zechariah was supposed to “set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest” it is unlikely that he would have more than one crown placed on his head.  It seems more reasonable that it was one crown with more than one part.  Whether Zechariah was to make two or more crowns or one with many parts was not as important as the act of placing the crown (or crowns) on “the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest.”  As the son of Josedech, Joshua also held the office of high priest (see Zechariah 3:1). 
B. A prophecy (Zechariah 6:12-13).  
1. (vs. 12).  After Zachariah crowned Joshua, he was then to “speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.”  The phrase “Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts” declares that the Almighty Lord or the Lord of armies will fulfill all that this symbol of crowning the priest stood for.  When Zechariah said “Behold the man” one has to recall these same words uttered by Pontius Pilate about Jesus (see John 19:5) as we shall see in the next section of our lesson.  Here, God called attention to “the man whose name is The Branch.”   This is a description of the Messiah as seen in an earlier verse from Jeremiah 23:5, where this messianic title identifies Christ as sprouting forth from the house of David (see Isaiah 4:2; 11:1; Jeremiah 33:15; Zechariah 3:8).  This verse also says that “The Branch” or the Messiah “shall grow up out of his place.”  This phrase may have a two-fold fulfillment. First, it could refer to Christ’s first coming and to Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2) as well as Nazareth where He would grow up (see John 1:45-46).  Second, it could refer to Christ’s Second Coming (see Isaiah 11:1; 53:2).  The coming “Branch” will also “build the temple of the Lord.”  This most likely does not refer to the temple that would be completed under the leadership of Zerubbabel, but to the millennial temple that Isaiah prophesied (see Isaiah 2:2-3) that the Messiah will complete (see Ezekiel chapters 40-43).
2. (vs. 13).  This verse continues to say “Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”  The words “Even he shall build the temple of the Lord” were repeated from the previous verse to emphasize this work of the Messiah.  The Christ will also “bear the glory” meaning that He will be clothed in kingly splendor.  Part of His glory will be to “sit and rule upon his throne.”  Since Jesus Christ suffered for our redemption and will have defeated the forces of evil at the end of the Great Tribulation, He will claim the throne that is His as the Son of David (see Luke 1:32-33).  Christ will also “be a priest upon his throne.”  This was the symbolic meaning of the crowning of Joshua in verse 11.  Jesus Christ will finally unite the two offices of priest and king as prefigured by Melchizedek, the priest-king of Salem (see Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 5:6; 6:20).  The phrase “and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” refers to both offices of Priest and King that Christ will hold.  Since both offices will be unified under one person, there will never be any conflict between them, only the “counsel (or wisdom) of peace (harmony).”  Messiah’s rule can be peaceful because His political function as King will always be in harmony with His spiritual function as Priest.
C. A memorial (Zechariah 6:14).  This verse goes on to say “And the crowns shall be to Helm, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the Lord.”  If there was more than one crown as discussed earlier, then the Lord declared that “the crowns shall be…for a memorial in the temple of the Lord.”  It appears that placing the crowns in the temple would remind the people of at least two things.  First, it would remind them of the generosity of these three men (see verse 10) who returned from exile with gifts for the temple as well as their host, Josiah.  Second, the crowns would be a reminder of God’s faithfulness in restoring the kingdom and the priesthood to Israel through the Messiah.  This would be encouraging to the returning exiles, for as long as the crowns remained in the temple, they would be reminded that the nation had a glorious future ahead. 
D.  An encouragement (Zechariah 6:15).  The last verse of our second section says “And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”  Zechariah continued his prophecy saying “And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord.”  This is a reference to the many Gentiles who will come from foreign lands during the millennium and contribute their treasures and offer worship (see Zechariah 2:11; 8:22-23).  The phrase “and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you” probably refers to the Angel of the Lord who was giving this message to Zechariah (see Zechariah 2:3, 9-11; 4:9).  The last phrase “And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God” does not mean that the prophecy will not come to pass if Israel was disobedient.  For the prophecy will come to pass regardless.  But it means that only those who are obedient will share in the blessings of the prophecy.
IV. THE PROMISED KING HUMILIATED (John 19:1-5).  This section of our lesson takes place early on the Passover (see John 18:28).  After being taken into custody, Jesus had to endure a number of unjust trials before Pilate, Herod and the Jewish authorities.  According to Roman law, the Jews couldn’t put Jesus to death so they brought Him to Pilate, the Roman appointed governor.  The Sanhedrin Council charged Jesus with blasphemy (see Matthew 26:65), but when they came before Pilate they accused Jesus of being a political threat to Rome (see Luke 23:2).  After questioning Jesus, Pilate came to the conclusion that He was innocent (see John 8:33-38).  In addition, Pilate’s wife had a dream about Jesus and sent her husband word not to have anything to do with Jesus whom she called a just man (see Matthew 27:19).  However, instead of releasing Jesus, Pilate sent Him to Herod Antipas (see Luke 23:6-12), who also found Jesus innocent of any crimes (see Luke 23:13-15) and sent Him back to Pilate (see Luke 23:11).  It was Pilate’s custom to release a prisoner during the Passover (see Matthew 27:15), so in an attempt to satisfy Jesus’ accusers, Pilate was willing to release Jesus and crucify Barabbas, who was guilty of murder during an uprising (see Mark 15:7).  But the crowd wanted no one but Jesus (see John 18:39-40).  This brings us to the second section of our lesson. 
A. The mockery (John 19:1-3). 
1. (vs. 1).  After the crowd refused to have Barabbas killed in place of Jesus, this verse says “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.”  Pilate was still looking for a way to release Jesus before the Jews brought a complaint against him to Caesar (see John 19:12).  Pilate therefore, turned Jesus over to his soldiers who then “scourged him.”  Often the worst criminals were “scourged” before they were crucified.  Note: Scourging involved a whip made of rawhide strips with pieces of metal or bone attached to it.  Then the subject would be beaten with it.  Sometimes the subject died from the scourging, but Jesus survived only to be subjected to further abuse by the soldiers as we will see in the next verses.        
2. (vs. 2).  After scourging Jesus this verse says “And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe.”  Making fun of Jesus for His claim to be a king (see Luke 23:1-3), the “soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head.”  As if this was not humiliating enough, the soldiers also “put on him a purple robe” which was a mark of royalty, and put a reed in His hand as a royal scepter (see Matthew 27:29).  They also spit on Him and took the reed from His hand and beat Him over His head with it (see Matthew 27:30).
B. The mockery (John 19:3).  After putting the purple robe and crown of thorns on Jesus, the soldiers said “Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.  In Matthew’s Gospel we are told that the soldiers also mocked Jesus as they shouted “Hail, King of the Jews” (see Matthew 27:29).  Here we are told that they also “smote” or beat Jesus “with their hands.”
C. The confession (John 19:4).  This verse says “Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.”  After Jesus was abused by the soldiers “Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them.”  This means that Pilate went before the crowd again and spoke to them.  He said “Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.”  Pilate still hoped he could get out of giving the mob what they wanted by bringing the beaten Jesus out to them, but first he declared “I find no fault in him.”  Pilate had a chance to stop the worst miscarriage of justice in the history of the world, but he gave in to the will of the Jewish mob.  Pilate was just as guilty of killing Jesus, as anyone else.
D. The presentation (John 19:5).  In the previous verse, Pilate told the mob that He was bringing Jesus out to them.  Now our final verse says “Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!”  Jesus was brought out to the mob “wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe,” the things that the soldiers put on Him as they mocked Him as a King.  It’s also quite possible that because of the beating Jesus took, His face may have been unrecognizable in fulfillment of Isaiah 52:13-14.  Pilate then presented Jesus to the crowd saying “Behold the man!”  Presenting Jesus in this way, Pilate may have hoped that the mob would feel sorry for Jesus and go along with Pilate’s desire to release Him.  Little did Pilate know that he was repeating the words uttered by Zechariah in verse 12 of the first section of our lesson, “Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH?”  For sure, Pilate was very reluctant to execute a man that he knew was innocent of any crime and who had made some unusual claims (see John 18:33-37).  Although the claims Jesus made may have seemed unusual to Pilate and maybe even insane, they were however true.  One day “The BRANCH” will return to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords (see I Timothy 6:15).       

                           

V. Conclusion.  As Christians, our faith demands that we have integrity, commitment, and a willingness to stand, and yes, suffer for righteousness and truth.  Wavering Christians dishonor Christ and mock Him all over again.  The Bible says that Christ freely surrendered to the Cross (see John 10:17-18) which was an extremely high price for the redemption of everyone who would be saved.  Suffering is often viewed as an unwelcomed intruder in the lives of God’s people.  However, the Bible teaches that suffering is not only inevitable, but it’s also incomparable (see II Timothy 2:12; 3:12).  As a result, suffering can lead to incomparable ministry and future glory.  May we gladly identify with the suffering of our King, Jesus Christ.

 







 

 

The Cleansing of the Temple

                                                            Sunday School Lesson

                                            

Lesson: Isaiah 56:6-7; Jeremiah 7:9-11; Mark 11:15-19
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 7:11).

INTRODUCTION.  It was God’s intent that the nation of Israel be a holy people through whom He would reach the world.  His desire was for non-Jews to come to Him.  For this reason the temple contained a courtyard to be used by believing Gentiles.  However, in Jesus’ final week of ministry, it was necessary for Him to drive out those who had converted this courtyard into a corrupt marketplace.
THE HOUSE OF PRAYER PROVIDED (Isaiah 56:6-7).  In Isaiah chapters 54-57, God is seen bringing salvation to both Jews and Gentiles.  Chapter 56 focuses on extending His spiritual blessings to those who were previously excluded from the covenant He had made with Israel.  In Isaiah 56:1, the Lord announced that His salvation is “near to come” and would be available to everyone who was previously left out including eunuchs and foreign proselytes (see Isaiah 56:3-5).  This is where our lesson begins as the Lord continues to speak through Isaiah regarding the stranger or foreigner.
A. A place for Gentiles (Isaiah 56:6-7).
1. (vs. 6).  Continuing with his prophecy concerning God giving the stranger a place in His kingdom, Isaiah writes “Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant.”   The word “Also” refers back to verses 4-5 where God promises to give the eunuchs a place in His house.  Just like the eunuchs, God also included in His promise “the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord.”  This refers to foreigners or non-Jews who decide to follow or give their allegiance to Jehovah, Israel’s God.  These strangers who become Jewish proselytes (converts to Judaism), will “serve him (God)” meaning that their service to the Lord would be intentional and enthusiastic.  In addition, the believing Gentiles will “love the name of the Lord.”  In other words, they will have a heartfelt desire for God’s presence, and a real inner yearning to be associated with Him.  The phrase “to be his servants” speaks of the foreigner’s availability and obedience in serving the Lord.  These strangers are also, as God said, those “that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant.”  Keeping, or honoring the Sabbath is seen here as evidence of respect for God’s covenant in general (see Isaiah 56:2, 4).  Since the time that God called Israel as His own people, the Sabbath was a key sign of their covenant with God (see Exodus 31:12-17; Ezekiel 20:12-20).  By taking hold of God’s covenant with Israel, the stranger demonstrates that they fully identify with Jehovah.
2. (vs. 7).  Still speaking of the strangers who follow Him, God says “ Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”  The words “ Even them” again refers to the non-Jewish worshippers or strangers in verse 6.  God said that He will bring them “to my holy mountain.”  This is a reference to Jerusalem.  By using this phrase, Isaiah was prophesying worship in the temple at Jerusalem during the millennial reign (see Isaiah 2:2; 11:9: 65:25: Jeremiah 3:17).  Once the Lord has brought all peoples together to Himself, He promises to “make them joyful in my house of prayer.”  The believing foreigner or non-Jew will have an acceptable place to worship in the temple.Many scholars differ on whether the phrase “their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar” should be understood literally.  Some scholars understand this phrase to be literal, meaning that animal sacrifices will be restored during the millennium.  Others believe that this phrase is symbolic of worship during the millennium in general.  Regardless of how we understand this phrase, the important message is that all believers will have the same access to God (see Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:14-22; Colossians 3:11).
III. THE HOUSE OF PRAYER POLLUTED (Jeremiah 7:9-11).  The second portion of our lesson is a part of what is known as Jeremiah’s “temple address” (see Jeremiah chapters 7-10).  God commanded Jeremiah to stand in front of the temple and warn the people to repent of their evil ways (see Jeremiah 7:1-3).  Jeremiah also spoke against the false prophets who gave the people of Judah the mistaken belief that the presence of the temple would keep anything from happening to Judah (see Jeremiah 7:4).  In verses 5-7, Jeremiah told the people what God expected from them in order to avoid judgment for their wickedness.  And again in verse 8, Jeremiah denounced the people for “trusting in lying words that cannot profit.” This brings us to the second section of our lesson.
A. The hypocrisy of the worshippers (Jeremiah 7:9-10).
1. (vs. 9).  In this verse, God poses a question to His people which would reveal their hypocrisy.  He asked “Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not.”  Believing the prophets’ false words that the temple’s presence would protect the nation regardless of how they behaved, they continued to “steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely.”  All of these actions violated the Decalogue, or the Ten Commandments.  Six sins are listed here that the people were guilty of, but they involved seven of the commandments.  The fact that they excused their sin because of the presence of the temple, demonstrated that they also took God’s name in vain.  They even went as far as to “burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not.”  They were worshipping and following gods that they didn’t even know, or ever knew.  “Baal” was the chief male god of the Phoenicians and Canaanites.  God’s people may have appeared to be worshipping Jehovah, but their hearts were with the false gods of surrounding peoples. How hypocritical!  
2. (vs. 10).  God exposed Judah’s hypocrisy by saying that they were involved in all kinds of sins but yet “And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?”  In essence God was asking His people, “How can you come to worship me in my temple which has my name all over it and then claim that no harm will come to you even though you’ve committed all these sins?”  It was bad enough that God’s people were involved in sinful living, but their guilt was made worse by practicing outward worship at the temple while they committed the sins God listed in verse 9.  To them the temple was like a rabbit’s foot, or a lucky charm.  The people believed that they could do whatever they wanted and go to the temple and be protected from any enemy attacks.  This is what is meant by “We are delivered to do all these abominations?”  As Babylon was on the verge of destroying Jerusalem, the leaders and people of Judah comforted themselves with the false belief that the temple’s presence guaranteed the city’s safety.  But boy were they wrong!  Note: Today, too many Christians act the same way.  We go to our houses of worship once a week thinking that this will cover all the other ungodly things we say and do during the week.  For some reason, many believers think that going to church will get God’s favor and prevent trouble from happening.  They then go home to cheat, lie, and lust, lose their tempers, steal and speak evil of others.  However, God does not owe them anything for their church attendance because their hearts are far from Him (see Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8).  The truth is, a person’s true spiritual condition, not the outward appearance of religion, is what’s most important.
B. The defilement of the temple (Jeremiah 7:11).  After revealing the hypocrisy of His people, God here said “ Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.”    This was God’s “house” and not just another building.  It belonged to Him so He could declare that it “is called by my name.”  In other words, the Lord identified with the temple.  But there was something terribly wrong.  God told His people that the house that carried His name had “become a den of robbers in your eyes.”  Note: For sure over the years, the temple had undergone unspeakable corruption and misuse.  King Joash made repairs to the temple because the sons of Athaliah (wicked queen of Judah who killed all the heirs to the throne except Joash who hid in the temple: see II Chronicles 22:10-12) had torn it up (see II Chronicles 24:4-7).  Manasseh desecrated the temple by putting up altars to false gods (see II Chronicles 33:1-5) and King Josiah once again cleansed it (see II Chronicles 34:1-8).  But now the temple had been polluted once again (see Jeremiah 7:30).  However, it wasn’t the actual pollution of the temple itself that the Lord condemned.  It was the improper motives of the worshippers.  It had “become a den of robbers” or thieves.  “Robbers” would hide temporarily in mountain caves until they planned their next move.  Likewise, these hypocrites treated this holy temple as if it was a place to hide from God’s judgment until they headed back into their sinful lives.  However, the people were not fooling God.  He declared “Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.”  In other words, He had seen everything.  God sees actions, reads motives and trust me, He also judges what He sees.  Note:  In verse 12, which is not part of our text, God reminded His people that He still judges wickedness.  He urged them to remember what He did to Shiloh, because of Israel’s wickedness.  Shiloh was the place where the tabernacle was first set up after the Israelites entered Canaan.  During Samuel’s time, the Ark of the Covenant was kept in Shiloh and the people revered it just like the people in Jeremiah’s day did the temple.  They expected the ark to bring them victory against the Philistines, but of course it didn’t.  Israel was defeated, their priests were killed and the ark was taken.  God does not play and neither should we!
IV. THE HOUSE OF PRAYER PURGED (Mark 11:15-19).   The last section of our text takes place the day after Jesus made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem riding on an ass (see Mark 11:1-10).  After entering Jerusalem, Jesus went into the temple, looked around, and then returned to Bethany for the night (see Mark 11:11).  Our remaining text begins with the next day. 
A. Jesus’ actions (Mark 11:15-16). 
1. (vs. 15).  Mark says in this verse “And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves.”   The phrase, “And they come to Jerusalem” means that Jesus and His disciples returned to Jerusalem the next day and “Jesus went into the temple.”  This is actually a reference to the temple area or more specifically, the Court of the Gentiles which was the area outside the temple reserved for Gentile worship of Israel’s God.   In the temple area, Jesus first “began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple.”  In the large outer court of the Gentiles, the high priest had authorized the selling of animals for temple sacrifices, but that didn’t mean it was the wise thing to do.  No doubt the high priest received kickbacks for allowing this practice.  Pilgrims coming to Jerusalem from a distance for the feast of Passover and Unleaven Bread which would be celebrated later that week, found it more convenient to buy their sacrificial animals in Jerusalem than to bring them with them.  Other items like oil, salt, and wine were probably also sold there.  Jesus also “overthrew the tables of the moneychangers.”  The “moneychangers” were those who converted foreign currency into Tyrian silver coins which was the only currency accepted for the annual temple tax (see Exodus 30:11-16) and for sacrificial animals.  They charged very high rates for exchanging the currency as well as over pricing the sacrificial animals.  Next, we are told that Jesus also turned over “the seats of them that sold doves.”  The “doves” were sacrificial animals offered by the poor (see Leviticus 5:5-8).  All of these transactions were necessary, but they were not appropriate for the temple area.  The sights, sounds, and smells that greeted Jesus when He entered the Court of the Gentiles no doubt hindered the intentions of Gentiles who had come to worship God.  By allowing this commercialism, the Jewish religious leaders were actually preventing Gentiles from the worship that Scripture had promised them (see Isaiah 56:6-7).  Since all of this merchandising was taking place in the only area Gentiles were allowed to worship God, we can safely assume that proper worship by the Gentiles was at the very least hindered.  All of this played a part in Jesus’ decision to clear the temple courts.  
2. (vs. 16).  In addition to clearing the temple area for its improper use, Jesus “would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.”  This means that Jesus wouldn’t even allow anyone to continue to carry items through the temple courts.  The commercial desecration of the temple court made many think that it was okay to use the outer court as a short cut from one part of the city to the other.  This activity also took away from God’s holy purpose for the temple area.  This shows just how much this holy place had been profaned.  It was no longer honored as God’s dwelling: it was just another building with a courtyard that could be used as a short cut to another part of the city.  The violation of the temple’s holiness called for righteous anger.  Note: This was the second time that Jesus cleansed the temple area for this practice of buying and selling.  The first time was at the beginning of His ministry (see John 2: 13-16).  Of course this second time was at the end of His ministry for Jesus would be crucified a few days later.
B. Jesus’ teaching (Mark 11:17).  This verse then says, “And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.”  Being the Master Teacher, Jesus turned this into a teaching moment.  He proceeded to give clear teachings about the temple’s purpose.  The phrase “Is it not written” indicates that Jesus was about to use Scripture to support His words.  He applied the two Old Testament texts that we’ve previously discussed in this lesson.  Jesus said “My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?” quoting from Isaiah 56:7.  This teaching especially applied to the Court of the Gentiles, where people of all nations, or non-Jews were permitted to come.  Isaiah had foreseen that non-Jews would be allowed to worship in the temple as noted in John 12:20.  Yet this was the very area that had been polluted.  Jesus spared no words as He quoted a second Scripture from Jeremiah 7:11, “but ye have made it a den of thieves.”  The merchants and moneychangers were engaged in dishonest, fraudulent dealings and like thieves they were robbing Gentile worshippers of the opportunity to worship the true God.  Thieves had crowded out true worshippers from the temple courts.
C. The reaction (Mark 11:18-19).
1. (vs. 18).  After Jesus taught what the true meaning of the temple was, Mark writes “And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.”  As previously noted, this was the second time Jesus cleansed the temple.  The first time the religious leaders asked Him for a sign to confirm His right to do it (see John 2:13-18).  This time they apparently said nothing, for when the religious leaders, “the scribes and chief priests” heard Jesus’ teaching they “sought how they might destroy him.”  Their plot to kill Jesus was because “they feared him.”  These religious leaders reasoned that if Jesus gained more popularity, they would lose their power over the people.  They feared Jesus “because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.”  Therefore they couldn’t take Him by force at that time.  These religious leaders had to bide their time and wait for another opportunity.  The phrase “astonished at his doctrine” means that the people who heard Jesus’ teaching about the sanctity of the temple were struck with amazement.  They could hardly believe that anyone would do what Jesus had just done in the temple courts.  Note: By clearing out the temple area, Jesus established His messianic authority over the temple, the high priest and the religious leaders (see Malachi 3:1-3).  By staying and teaching in the temple courts, Jesus guarded against the return of the merchants.  However, everything was now in place for the final confrontation with the religious leaders.  But for now, Jesus had the support of the huge Passover crowds as He challenged the religious leaders.  But rest assured, these leaders would try again (see Matthew 21:23-27; Luke 20:1-8; Mark 14:1-2).
2. (vs. 19).  Our final verse says “And when even was come, he went out of the city.”  When evening came, Jesus and His disciples left the city, probably returning to Bethany as He had done the day before (see Mark 11:11; Luke 21:37).           

                           

V. Conclusion.  Jesus Christ travelled to Jerusalem and entered the temple.  He discovered people with monetary motives filling the courts of the temple.  After expelling the money changers, the Lord taught about the true purpose of His house---prayer.  How tragic it is that those who were religious leaders in Israel didn’t learn the lesson Jesus taught.  Today, many spiritual communities are struggling with finances.  In some instances, God’s people have resorted to fund-raising events within the confines of the church building which in itself is not wrong.  However, without being legalistic, we need to be careful not to diminish and compromise the essential character of God’s house---which is prayer.

The Entrance of the King

                                                    Sunday School Lesson

                                            

Lesson: Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1-11  
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9).

INTRODUCTION.  Jesus had warned His disciples that in Jerusalem He soon would be betrayed, condemned, mistreated, and crucified (see Matthew 16:10-21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22).  He also told of His resurrection on the third day.  Later when Jesus made His entrance into Jerusalem, He was presenting Himself as Israel's King and Messiah, fully aware that in only a few days Israel’s rejection of Him would culminate at the cross. Throughout His ministry, Jesus warned that the time of His public presentation as the Messiah had not arrived (see Matthew 9:27-30; 16:20; and 17:1-9).  This week’s lesson shows that the time had finally come.

THE KING’S ARRIVAL FORETOLD (Zechariah 9:9.  The prophecies in Zechariah chapters 9 through 11 focus primarily on the first coming of Israel’s Messiah, while chapters 12 through 14 foretold the Second Coming.  The passage preceding our lesson text, Zechariah 9:1-8, is usually considered to be a prophecy of the campaign of Alexander the Great through Israel in 332 B.C.  While the surrounding countries were overtaken, Alexander spared Jerusalem, merely visiting the city (see Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 11.8).  In contrast to Alexander’s imposing military presence and character, Zechariah presented the Messiah entering Jerusalem as a humble King.  Our first verse says “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”  By saying “Rejoice greatly," Zechariah was encouraging Jerusalem to look forward with joy to the arrival of its true King.  The phrases “O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem” both refer to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  “Zion,” which is another name for Jerusalem, was the name of the ancient Jebusite fortress situated on the southeast hill of Jerusalem at the junction of the Kidron Valley and the Tyropoen Valley (see II Samuel 5:7).  After David captured “the stronghold of Zion” by defeating the Jebusites, he called Zion “the city of David” (see I Kings 8:1; I Chronicles 11:5; II Chronicles 5:2).  Zechariah encouraged Jerusalem to rejoice because “thy King cometh unto thee.”  Zechariah prophesied during the period after the Jews returned from Babylonian Captivity when Israel had no king so they were eagerly awaiting the Messiah.  Notice that Zechariah referred to the Messiah as "King" and then prophesied three things about Messiah’s appearance.  First, this King would be “just” meaning that He would be righteous and therefore would rule justly (see Psalms 45:6-7; Isaiah 11:4-5; Jeremiah 23:5).  Second, this King is described as “having salvation.”  As a mighty Deliverer, not only will the King bring salvation, He is salvation as His name Jesus would indicate (see Matthew 1:21).  The Hebrew word Zechariah used for “salvation” is yasha, from which the name Yeshua comes which is the Hebrew name for Jesus.  Third, this King would come “lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”  This phrase indicates that He will come in peace and humility unlike the rulers and monarchs of this world.  The word “lowly” can mean “humble” as well as “afflicted.”  Of course Jesus would eventually be both, humble and afflicted.  The King would arrive in an unmistakable way---“riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”  Riding an “ass” or donkey was not the normal manner in which kings arrived, for they usually came as conquerors riding on horses.  Notice that Zechariah mentions both “an ass” and “a colt.”   The “colt” was a young donkey or “foal” and was normally not broken (see Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30).  We will discuss why Zechariah prophesied that there would be two animals when we get to the next section of our lesson in Matthew 21:2.
THE KING’S ARRIVAL PLANNED (Matthew 21:1-5).  The entire process leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion was set in motion when the Saviour and His followers began their journey to Jerusalem. The great Passover festival was only a few days away, and Jews from every part of the Roman Empire travelled to the city for this week-long celebration that commemorated the exodus from Egypt.  As mentioned in the introduction, several times in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus had told His disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem.  Finally, that a time had come. Jesus and His disciples took the normal route from Galilee to Jerusalem.  They travelled down the east side of the Jordan River (see Matthew 19:1) and then crossed back over the Jordan at Jericho (see Matthew 20:29).  After the steep uphill climb from Jericho, they approached Jerusalem from the eastern side of the city.
A. The arrival at Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1).  This part of our lesson begins with “And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples.”  This would be Jesus’ last trip to Jerusalem, because He a few days later He would be crucified.  As He and His disciples departed from Jericho, “they drew nigh unto Jerusalem” meaning that they came close to the city.  They then came to “Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives.”  The village of “Bethphage” was located on or near the southeast slope of the Mount of Olives, less than a mile from Jerusalem.  It was close to the road from Jericho to Jerusalem.From His position on the Mount of Olives, Jesus gave instructions to “two disciples” sending them into Bethphage. We are not told who these two disciples were.
B. The Saviour’s instructions (Matthew 21:2-3).  
1. (vs. 2).  Jesus, being well aware of the prophecy He was about to fulfill, gave further instructions to the two unnamed disciples, “Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.”  These two disciples were to “Go into the village over against you” which refers to Bethphage.  Jesus said “straightway,” or immediately as they entered the village they would “find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.”  The “ass” was the mother donkey and the “colt” was the donkey’s offspring. Jesus instructed the disciples to “loose them, and bring them unto me.”  When the disciples found the animals, they were to “loose” or untie them and bring them to Jesus.
2. (vs. 3).  Jesus went on to say “And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.”  Jesus understood that an owner, a caretaker, or anyone might ask these two men, who no doubt would be strangers, why they were untying the animals (see Mark 11:3; Luke 19:31).  In case this happened, the disciples were to respond saying “The Lord hath need of them.”  Although Jesus is omniscient, or all-knowing and would know exactly where these animals were, it is probably best to see this as a prearranged agreement between Jesus and the owner.  The words “The Lord hath need of them” may have been some sort of password that would be understood by the owner(s) of the animals.  Upon hearing this response, the owner(s) would “send them (the animals).”  It is also possible that the owner(s) were followers of Jesus.  The disciples were not stealing the animals, they were simply carrying out the plan that Jesus, no doubt had already arranged.  Besides, as the Creator, He owns everything and has the authority to make use of whatever He finds in His creation, even you and I.
C. The fulfillment of prophecy (Matthew 21:4-5).
1. (vs. 4).  In this verse Matthew says “All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying.”  One of the characteristics of Matthew’s Gospel is his repeated reference to fulfilled prophecy.  Since he was writing to Jews, he used Old Testament Scriptures to convince them that Jesus was indeed their King.  The phrase “All this was done” refers to the Saviour’s use of the donkey and the colt as fulfillment of prophecy.  The prophecy that was “fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet” was Zechariah 9:9 which is the first verse of our lesson and is repeated in the next verse.
2. (vs. 5).  Here Matthew goes on to say that the prophecy that Jesus fulfilled was “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”  Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem fulfilled the prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9.  First, Zechariah called on the “daughter of Sion” or the nation of Israel to “Behold” or take note that “thy (your) King cometh unto thee.”  This ancient prophecy told of the Messiah coming to His people Israel as King in an unusual way.  Instead of entering the city of Jerusalem as a military hero on a warhorse, he would come “meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”  This humble entry demonstrated the meekness of Jesus.  Unlike what many Jews expected, He didn’t come to lead an armed revolt against Rome.  Instead, He came as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (see John 1:29).  However, it won’t be this way always.  The One who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt will return as a Judge, riding a white horse (see Revelation 19:11-16) overcoming all of His enemies.  Jesus came the first time as the Lowly One to reconcile, or make peace between God and man (see II Corinthians 5:18-19).  But He will return as the Mighty One punishing those who refuse to be reconciled (see Jude 1:14-15). 

IV. THE KING’S ARRIVAL FULFILLED (Matthew 21:6-11)      

A. The King’s procession (Matthew 21:6-7). 
1. (vs. 6).  This verse says “And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them.”   After receiving Jesus’ instructions, the two disciples did exactly as He had commanded.  There are times when we may not fully understand all that God might want us to do.  In those moments simple obedience is the proper response.  As God brings about His plan for our lives, we will begin to see the reasons why He has us do certain things.
2. (vs. 7).  After completing their mission, this verse says that the two disciples “brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.”  The two disciples brought the “ass” (the mother donkey) and her “colt” (the foal) to Jesus and put their outer garments on “them” a reference to the two animals.  Then “they set him thereon.”  The disciples helped Jesus sit on the garments covering the colt.  Jesus rode the colt as Zechariah’s prophecy had foretold (see Zechariah 9:9).  The colt’s mother, there to clam the colt, was also prepared for the ride probably because they were not sure which animal Jesus would ride.  Note: This began Jesus’ final royal entrance into Jerusalem.  For three years, Jesus had provided evidence of who He was, but this was His official presentation to Israel as their Messiah.  He offered Himself for their acceptance, but knowing that they would reject His offer, on this day He would also weep over the city (see Luke 19:41-44).  Jesus would also foretell Israel’s destruction because they failed to recognize that God had visited them.
B. The crowd’s response (Matthew 21:8-9).
1. (vs. 8).  Here Matthew writes “And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.”  As Jesus and His disciples began travelling down the Mount of Olives into the Kidron Valley in His approach to Jerusalem, “a very great multitude” joined the procession.  This crowd of people “spread their garments in the way.”  They laid their outer garments before Jesus, making a kind of red carpet over which Jesus could ride.  This was considered a show of honor to royalty (see II Kings 9:13).  In the same spirit of welcome, another crowd identified as “others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.”  This second group of people cut down palm branches (see John 12:13) and laid them in the way before Jesus.  John 11:55-57 indicates that many of the visitors to Jerusalem were wondering whether Jesus would come to the city.  However, the religious leaders were hoping for an opportunity to arrest Him.  Note: This multitude of people was present in Jerusalem because the Passover and the Feast of Unleaven Bread were near.  Since the Feast of Unleaven Bread was one of the three major feasts in Israel when all males were to appear before the Lord (see Exodus 23:14-19; Deuteronomy 16:16-17), Jews came from all over Israel and the Roman Empire to Jerusalem.
2. (vs. 9).  Matthew continued to say “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”  There were two crowds of people there to witness Jesus’ arrival: “the multitudes that went before, and that followed.”  Both crowds of people in front and behind Jesus were shouting “Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”  These words are taken from Psalm 118:25-26, which is a messianic Psalm and a prayer for the Lord to deliver and prosper His people.The word “Hosanna” means “save now.”  However, over time, it came to be used as a cry or shout of greeting, or an utterance of homage and praise, much like “Hallelujah!” or “Glory to God.”  The description “son of David” was a popular Jewish title used to refer to the coming Messiah. When the people used it to refer to Jesus, they were acknowledging His kingship for John’s account of this episode reports that the crowds shouted out “Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord” (see John 12:13).  However, many didn’t understand the spiritual aspect of Jesus’ kingdom.  Many saw Him only as a political leader who could restore Israel to its past greatness.  The crowds also cried out “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”  This phrase shows that the crowds had some sense that Jesus came with God’s authority, but not necessarily that they recognized the true nature of His mission: to save His people from their sins (see Matthew 1:21).  The phrase “Hosanna in the highest” concluded the outcry of praise to God by the people.  It can be taken two ways, as an acclamation and as an appeal to God.  First, as an acclamation, it could be used in the same way as “Glory to God in the highest” (see Luke 2:14).  But as an appeal, it would mean “Save now, You who dwell in the highest heaven.”  In either case, the crowds of people correctly identified Jesus with messianic deliverance.
C. The city’s reaction (Matthew 21:10-11). 
1. (vs. 10).  This verse says “And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?”  As Jesus entered the city riding the young donkey “all the city was moved” meaning that everyone experienced some sort of excitement and formed different opinions.  This led them to ask the key question, “Who is this?”  During His ministry, Jesus didn’t spend a lot of time in Jerusalem and probably was not well known there, so many people just wanted to know who this man was that was causing so much excitement.  For sure, all of Jerusalem was moved, but many were not happy about Jesus’ entrance into the city (see John 12:19).
2. (vs. 11).  Our final verse says “And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”  In response to the question “Who is this?” many in the crowd answered “This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”  Many in the crowd knew Him as Jesus, but they underestimated Him by calling Him simply “the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”  Moses had prophesied the coming of a grea Prophet (see Deuteronomy 18:15), and many people recognized Jesus as the One who fulfilled that prophecy (see John 7:40; Acts 3:22-24; 7:37).  But Jesus is much more that a Prophet.  He is God Himself (see John 14:7-9).  Note: It’s sad that after 3 years of ministry, the Saviour’s true identity was still not clearly known.  The crowds of people recognized Him as a great man of God, but not as the Son of God.  In a few days their praises would turn into raging shouts for Jesus’ brutal execution (see Matthew 27:22-23).          

                           

V. Conclusion.  Borrowing tools from a neighbor can be a blessing if your friend has what you need and is willing to let you use it.  Jesus borrowed a number of things: an animal to ride on, the upper room, and a tomb.  At times it’s a privilege to help others.  At all times we are privileged to be used by Jesus for His purposes.  Jesus entered Jerusalem in a parade.  No one ever deserved the honor more than He did and yet the purpose of this procession was not mere pomp and circumstance; instead it was to fulfill the plan of His Father (see Matthew 21:4-5).  The amazing thing about Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was that after acknowledging Him as the Son of David, there were still many who asked “Who is this?”  Sadly today there are still far too many people who are asking the same question.  Are you one of those?