Dear Friends,
If you knew that you only had only hours to live, it is likely that you would want to tell the most important people in your life the most important information they needed to know. That is true regarding Jesus’ final evening with His chosen apostles. During that final Passover evening Jesus communicated what they would need to embrace in order to persevere as His disciples through the next three days and for the rest of their earthly lives. He is preparing them for the trials and tasks that lay ahead. All that He had said and done over the previous three years, and what He was about to do for the world, would soon be entrusted to them. His final instructions to them would not only frame the remainder of their lives and ministries, but also the lives and ministries of all who would follow their testimony about Jesus for the next 2,000 years. These “final instructions” are super-important to us.
When you complete this week’s reading in Sections 209 – 226 (pages 204 – 222), the Man Who continues to be perceived by the massive crowds in Jerusalem as the Messianic “Son of David” will have less than twelve hours to live.
Attached below is a TIMELINE/CHART which details the events which occurred during THE FINAL THREE DAYS of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry. If you print out this chart it will be quite helpful in understanding the flow of events of His final three days.
In order for you to be prepared for this coming Sunday’s discussion please pre-read Section 209 (page 204) through Section 226 (page 222).
This week’s lesson title will be: Jesus Broadens His Apostles’ Beliefs For The Battle Ahead – Sections 209 – 226.
Here is a review of the lesson titles we have used and the Sections we have covered in previous weeks:
Jesus Begins His Ministry With A “Bang” – Sections 27-42
What Began With A “Bang” Begins To Have “Bumps” – Sections 43-56
The “Bumps” Become A “Brouhaha”: The Sabbath Controversies – Sections 57-62
The “Brouhaha” Becomes A Verbal “Barrage” – Sections 63-72
Jesus’ “Barrage” Is Answered With A “Bomb” – Sections 73-92
Their “Bomb” Causes Jesus To “Bifurcate” His Ministry – Sections 93-108
Jesus “Begins” His “Break” With Contemporary Judaism – Sections 109 – 111
Jesus “Broadens” His “Break With Contemporary Judaism – Sections 112 – 123
Jesus “Brings” Their “Belligerence” To Jerusalem – Sections 124 – 129
Jesus “Brings” Their “Belligerence” To Jerusalem, Part 2 – Sections 130 – 143
Jesus “Beaconing” Becomes Even More “Blunt” – Sections 144 – 152
Jerusalem Is Brought To The Boiling Point – Sections 153 – 164
Jesus “Miracle-Bombs” Jerusalem Into Believing – Sections 165 – 172
Jesus “Miracle-Bombs” Jerusalem Into Believing – Sections 173 – 183
The Breach Over Jesus Brings Jerusalem To The Breaking Point – Sections 184 – 192
Jesus Brutally Condemns The Willful Blindness Of Judaism’s Leaders – Sections 193 – 199
Jesus Begins To Focus Beyond The Failings Of Israel – Sections 200 – 208
This week’s Table Discussion Question will focus on the main theme of The Olivet Discourse which we focussed on last Sunday, that being the Second Coming of Christ. We will look again at Hans Memling’s famous painting entitled The Last Judgement so we may discuss the following questions:
What details illustrated in this painting do non-believers frequently disbelieve? Can a person be a true follower of Jesus and not believe some aspect(s) of this painting?
