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Thursday, March 24, 2011

the big picture

At times i read the Bible and just turn one verse over and read it and study it from different angles, but at times i also read large sections. This morning was Matthew 21 through Matt. 26. It was amazing to see the beauty of how it all came together.
In Matthew 21 he arrives in Jerusalem and is given a popular welcome (i don't get why there are two animals a donkey and a colt and how he rode both, but anyway). It was neat that the Message and the NKJV both bring out, that the driving out of the money-grubbers from the temple, made room for the blind, the crippled and the children. He healed the blind and the crippled and the children ran through the temple "running and shouting, 'Hosanna to David's Son!'" The "done in order" crowd took Jesus to task about these noisy kids and how they were giving Him a messianic title. Jesus commended the kids as the ones who were raised up by God to give "true praise" in that situation.
(So the kids were being judged as being wrong in their theology)
Jesus goes away to Bethany to rest, (and to get away from those who thought they knew God and knew what the 'Son of David' would look like.)
He comes back to the temple the next morning. The High Priests and the leaders, who in a very short time would put Him on trial, ask to see His credentials, who gave Him this authority to be teaching. Jesus wants to get His question answered first, "Who gave John the Baptist, his authority to teach, men or God?" They obviously thought it was human authority, because they rejected John and his teaching, but they were too chicken to say that. Matthew 21:32 does not let their 'chicken hearts' off the hook. Jesus confronts them and says, "even when you saw the fruit of John's ministry in the conversion of sinners, you still rejected him." Then Jesus boldly tells them two stories that convict them of their pride and they respond not with repentance, but with a strong desire to 'take Him out.'

The "house" is waking up and i must go, but maybe i will post more on this later.

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