One of the most
important books ever written
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on the subject of politics
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was actually
written a long time ago
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in fact it was
written in the early 1500's
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by an Italian by the
name of Niccolo Machiavelli
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now Machiavelli became famous
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for writing a
book called: The Prince
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and in that book he describes
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the politically
expedient ways that a prince or
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a king should use in
order to stay in power
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Now Machiavelli is
controversial even today
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in the way he wrote
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because so many of his
ideas make such a good sense,
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I should say they are so
practical and that they work
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but at the same time
they are rather repugnant
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especially to people who believe
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that a person ought
to do the right thing
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no matter what it
costs because you see
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Niccolo Machiavelli
believed that a prince or a king
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a monarch or
anybody else in power
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should do whatever it took
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the ends justify the means.
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For example, he said if
you're going to kill people
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which he believed
that a prince had to do
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in order to stay in power,
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he said you should do all
the severities, all at ones
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and then door? out the
benefits and the rewards
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over a long period of time
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he said the reason for that is
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a person will forget about
the father that you just killed
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but they will never forget it
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if you confiscate their
inheritance, their property.
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Machiavelli said
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overwriting
principle of staying in power
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is not the truth, you can bend
the truth however you need to
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it's to appear truthful, it's to
appear generous to your subjects
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though, Machiavelli's work
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has had a number of
interesting applications
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I even found a
book for sale recently
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called "What
would Machiavelli do"
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written by Stanley Bing?, a
columnist for 'Fortune' magazine
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I understand that
that's not even his true name
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In his real life he has another
name. He works for media company
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but in any case Stanley
Bing has written a book called
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"What would Machiavelli do"
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a sort of a satire on the
techniques of staying in power
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in the corporate world.
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For example he says the
overwriting lesson is to
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always love yourself, never
apologize for anything you do
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and when all odds fails
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recognize that
the truth is flexible
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so it can be
bent any way you want.
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Application: firing
people, killing people,
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same rules,
different game. So he says.
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What was the politics of Jesus?
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Even long before
Machiavelli came on the scene
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people were using his methods.
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Let's follow Jesus about
the week before his death
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and let's ask the question:
what are the politics of Jesus?
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He was on Friday, just
six days before the Passover
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there was a grand
feast at Simon's house.
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Now Simon lived in
the little town of Bethany
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which was just a little
ways away from Jerusalem
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it was a favorite stopping place
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for Jesus and his disciples
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because he could visit
with Lazarus and his two sisters
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Maria and Martha.
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Lazarus of course, had
been raised from the dead.
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Simon had been cured of leprosy.
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Simon wanted to throw a
big party in Jesus honor
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and what better way to
do and what better way of
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showing yourself
prominently in the neighborhood
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than having some very important
guests sitting at your table
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and so he invited Lazarus.
I mean how could you do better
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than that! Have a person who'd
been resurrected from the dead
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Why that would put your party
on the social counter of the day
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Of course all the
disciples were there
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Simon was a Pharisee
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so he undoubtedly invited
some of his Pharisee friends
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Maybe they weren't at the party
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but in town on that Friday
settling in for the weekend
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were a great number of other
people from the surrounding area
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You see, Jesus was
on his way to Jerusalem
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to attend the Passover feast
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and the crowds of people
who would also go to Jerusalem
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to celebrate the Passover
realized that this would be
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a wonderful chance to see Jesus.
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and when they found out
that he was stopping in Bethany
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they also stopped in Bethany.
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So that, by some chance they
could run into him and see him
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and hear him speak
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Bethany was less than
two miles from Jerusalem
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so, they could
easily attend the Passover
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even while staying in Bethany.
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and the stage was then set
for the most important week
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in earth history
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Out of the entire life of Christ
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only the last three years
were recorded in any detail
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of those three
years of his ministry, the
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Bible gives more attention
to the last week of his life
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than to any
other period of time.
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At that feast at Simon's house,
you remembered what happened.
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You remember Mary, the woman
who had been led in the sin
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had saved up her life's savings
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and then spent it to
purchase an alabaster box
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full of the most
expensive perfume
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as a gift for her savior
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and during that party she
had snuck in unnoticed at first
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and broke open her alabaster box
spilling its aromatic contents
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all over Jesus' feet and then
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realizing that she was the
center of unwanted attention
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she started weeping and
wiping Jesus' feet with her hair
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You may also remember that
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there were two very
negative reactions, one by Simon
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and one by Judas
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Judas said 'Why?
This was too expensive!
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The money should have
been given to the poor
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instead of spend it on
such an extravagant gift!'
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Even today we use that argument
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in our pomposity, in
our superiority if we see
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money being spent in a
way we don't like it spent.
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We say something like: '
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Well, you know, it should have
been spent to feed the poor!
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How can we
expend such extravagance
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but you know, Jesus didn't
reprove this woman. In fact
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he said:' Whoever the Gospel
and whenever the Gospel is told
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the story of this woman
will be told in her honor.'
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The other negative reaction
of course was from Simon
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Let's go to the
background where Simon go!
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Simon had come
down of leprosy one time
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and if you read
between the lines you wonder
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in fact you strongly suspect
that Simon had been the one
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to lead Mary in the sin.
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therefore his leprosy
was naturally looked upon
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by the town's folks
as the judgment of God
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but one day when
Jesus came to Bethany
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He saw Simon outside of Bethany
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crying:' Unclean' as the
leprous were supposed to do
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and he healed
Simon of his leprosy.
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one more thing about Simon
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he was probably Mary's uncle
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and so Simon knew Mary
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and when he saw Mary
break open that alabaster box
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and saw the way she
caressed his feet with her hair
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he thought in his heart:
'If this is a true prophet
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if Jesus is
really who he says he is
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he would not allow a
woman to touch him in that way
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certainly not
this kind of woman!'
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but Jesus read his heart too
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and so he told a little parable
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about people
that had been forgiven
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one had been forgiven a lot
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and the other had been
forgiven for a minor offence
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and then he asks Simon
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'Which of these would
love the forgiver more?'
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Simon says:' It's easy; the
person who had been forgiven the
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most' and Jesus
praised Mary for her gift
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because she after all realized
how much she had been forgiven
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if Simon got the point of
the parable and we hope he did
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he also had to realize
how much he had been forgiven
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Christ could have laid open
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the secrets of his
life before everyone
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but Jesus is not
that kind of person!
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he didn't take advantage of
his knowledge of Simon's life.
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Well, Judas was so
insulted by Jesus' comments!
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The Bible says that he went
to the chief priests and rulers
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to plot with them to
turn Jesus over to them.
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And so by Sunday
Morning the stage was set
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for one of the most important
confrontations in history.
00:10:04.42\00:10:11.41
the confrontation
between the kingdom of evil
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and the kingdom of Christ
00:10:15.61\00:10:17.90
Remember as we go
through these moments with Jesus
00:10:17.94\00:10:24.74
these last few days of his
life, let's ask the question
00:10:24.78\00:10:28.53
what kind of
politics did Jesus have?
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The Pharisees represented:
good old Machiavellian politics
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any means to the end desired
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1500 years before
Niccolo Machiavelli ever wrote
00:10:40.13\00:10:44.04
they exemplified his philosophy.
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It's interesting that
Jesus knew what was ahead
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before they ever got to Bethany
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Jesus had told his disciples
exactly what would happen
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He said:
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' This is going to
fulfill what the prophets
00:11:00.59\00:11:02.14
wrote about the Son of man
00:11:02.17\00:11:03.57
He's going to be
sent over to the gentiles
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He's going to be mocked,
insulted, spit on and flogged
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and finally killed
00:11:09.88\00:11:11.21
and on the third
day He would rise again
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Jesus knew what
was going to happen
00:11:13.62\00:11:15.65
and He tried to
tell His disciples.
00:11:15.68\00:11:17.68
Of course they couldn't get it
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And so, on that Sunday
morning Jesus left Bethany
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to head out for Jerusalem
00:11:23.83\00:11:26.11
But first he sent his
disciples after a young colt,
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a young donkey
00:11:29.72\00:11:30.69
He instructed
them to go to Bethfage
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which was a town
very close to Jerusalem
00:11:33.31\00:11:36.66
find a young colt?
there that was tied up
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bring it back to him and He
would ride it into Jerusalem
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He got on the colt
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now pictures this
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as Jesus is riding
the colt towards Jerusalem
00:11:48.57\00:11:52.98
there are two long streams
of people coming out to meet him
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one stream of course is behind
him, coming out of Bethany
00:11:58.01\00:12:02.94
as people realize
that Jesus is now leaving
00:12:02.97\00:12:05.20
He's heading for Jerusalem
00:12:05.23\00:12:06.85
they pack up their bags
and they head out of Bethany
00:12:06.89\00:12:11.73
towards Jerusalem, behind Jesus.
00:12:11.76\00:12:13.73
They want to be with
Him, they want to follow Him
00:12:13.77\00:12:15.77
They want to see
what's going to happen.
00:12:15.80\00:12:17.19
People sensed that this
was going to be a confrontation
00:12:17.23\00:12:20.83
of proportions they
haven't even imagined them
00:12:20.86\00:12:23.20
the other stream of
people was coming from Jerusalem
00:12:23.24\00:12:28.10
and was coming out to meet Jesus
00:12:28.13\00:12:31.84
as Jesus got closer to Jerusalem
00:12:31.88\00:12:35.17
people were singing his praises
00:12:35.21\00:12:38.43
they were yelling their
Hosannas, their Hallelujahs
00:12:38.47\00:12:42.56
people were
waving the palm branches
00:12:42.59\00:12:45.52
beside him and ahead of him,
00:12:45.55\00:12:47.29
they were laying their
coats down in the pathway
00:12:47.33\00:12:49.73
ahead of him and the
colt would carry Jesus
00:12:49.76\00:12:53.41
across those
coats and those cloaks
00:12:53.44\00:12:55.72
and those blankets
all the way to Jerusalem.
00:12:55.76\00:12:59.29
as He came to the
top of the mount Olives
00:12:59.32\00:13:02.82
the entire holy
city came into view.
00:13:02.85\00:13:08.73
with the sun behind
them they could probably see
00:13:08.77\00:13:12.81
the golden dome of the
temple illuminated as a beacon.
00:13:12.85\00:13:19.54
and Jesus took
one look at the temple
00:13:19.57\00:13:22.70
and he started weeping.
00:13:22.73\00:13:24.65
Luke 19 says that Jesus
wept, in sight of the holy city.
00:13:24.69\00:13:33.78
Why did he weep?
00:13:33.81\00:13:34.98
He wept because He
realized he had the only answer
00:13:35.02\00:13:38.97
for his people and He
yearned to save his people.
00:13:39.00\00:13:42.92
but He saw the
impending disaster
00:13:42.95\00:13:45.99
There is a ninth
century tradition
00:13:46.03\00:13:49.00
that says that when
Jesus got to Jerusalem
00:13:49.04\00:13:51.36
He entered the city from
the East through the golden gate
00:13:51.40\00:13:55.61
that leads to the temple
00:13:55.64\00:13:56.95
as that colt carried
Him up towards that gate
00:13:56.99\00:14:05.02
those who came
out from Jerusalem
00:14:05.05\00:14:07.61
including many of the Pharisees
and teachers of the law
00:14:07.65\00:14:11.05
the opponents,
the enemies of Christ
00:14:11.08\00:14:13.58
and as they heard the commotion,
as they heard the praises
00:14:13.62\00:14:16.61
and the Hosannas,
they said:' Jesus,
00:14:16.64\00:14:18.58
won't you make
your disciples be quiet?
00:14:18.62\00:14:20.90
Jesus said:' If they are quiet,
00:14:20.93\00:14:23.87
the stones themselves
would have to cry out'
00:14:23.91\00:14:26.35
He entered the gate of the city
00:14:26.38\00:14:31.89
He went to the temple
00:14:31.92\00:14:34.20
and then according to Mark
00:14:34.24\00:14:37.27
Jesus went back to
Bethany for the night
00:14:37.31\00:14:40.69
Probably He went back
to Bethany every night
00:14:40.73\00:14:44.04
during that last week of
His life except of course that
00:14:44.08\00:14:47.00
faithful night when
they celebrated the Passover
00:14:47.03\00:14:50.89
in the upper room.
00:14:50.92\00:14:52.39
Now let's review
what just happened
00:14:52.43\00:14:56.50
the triumphal entry was so grand
00:14:56.54\00:15:00.54
and the Bible records
in a good amount of detail
00:15:00.58\00:15:04.42
what Jesus did
as He left Bethany
00:15:04.45\00:15:07.59
and stopped on
top of mount Olives
00:15:07.63\00:15:10.74
and rode down into Jerusalem.
00:15:10.77\00:15:13.04
encountered the Pharisees
and the priests and the rulers.
00:15:13.08\00:15:17.00
But it's also interesting
to notice what Jesus didn't do!
00:15:17.03\00:15:20.92
First of all Jesus had to know
00:15:20.95\00:15:24.29
that Judas and the authorities
were plotting to kill him.
00:15:24.33\00:15:28.59
and yet he didn't strategize
00:15:28.62\00:15:31.77
to give Himself an
advantage over His enemies
00:15:31.81\00:15:34.88
He could have exposed
Simon and Judas on the spot
00:15:34.91\00:15:37.75
and even if he didn't
expose them on the spot
00:15:37.79\00:15:40.60
He could have
exposed their plan later
00:15:40.63\00:15:42.84
when it best
suited His advantage
00:15:42.87\00:15:44.69
but you see,
00:15:44.72\00:15:47.71
Judas and the Pharisees
00:15:47.75\00:15:49.21
never did understand
Jesus kind of politics
00:15:49.25\00:15:51.62
For them, it
was all a power game
00:15:51.70\00:15:54.26
stay in control in
order to have power
00:15:54.30\00:15:56.33
if you don't have
position and power than
00:15:56.37\00:15:58.37
it doesn't
matter how good you are
00:15:58.40\00:15:59.85
you loose
00:15:59.88\00:16:01.12
that's the Machiavellian way
00:16:01.16\00:16:03.49
earlier that year
00:16:03.52\00:16:08.21
the Bible records that a
high priest had prophesied
00:16:08.25\00:16:11.11
that Jesus would die
for the Jewish nation.
00:16:11.14\00:16:13.38
now, this is
fascinating because this is
00:16:13.41\00:16:15.62
one of the enemies of Christ
00:16:15.65\00:16:17.01
and yet he had
prophesied that Jesus would die
00:16:17.05\00:16:20.75
for the nation of Israel
00:16:20.78\00:16:21.90
but this is the way he said it
00:16:21.94\00:16:23.20
it's expedient
that one should die
00:16:23.24\00:16:26.40
for the people
00:16:26.43\00:16:29.44
they needed Jesus to loose
00:16:29.48\00:16:34.13
in order for them to win
00:16:34.16\00:16:38.74
it was a win-loose philosophy
00:16:38.78\00:16:41.98
they expected
everyone to think that way
00:16:42.02\00:16:44.36
and so they
couldn't understand Jesus way
00:16:44.39\00:16:46.66
you see, He was willing
to die that others might live
00:16:46.70\00:16:51.14
He taught that the
first would be last
00:16:51.17\00:16:54.66
and the last would be first
00:16:54.69\00:16:56.75
but the Machiavellian
politicians of the day
00:16:56.79\00:17:00.46
they were willing
for another to die
00:17:00.49\00:17:04.62
so that they could live
00:17:04.65\00:17:06.60
Jesus was willing to die Himself
00:17:06.64\00:17:09.60
so that others could live
00:17:09.63\00:17:11.62
the second thing
that Jesus didn't do
00:17:11.66\00:17:14.85
is that He didn't form any
political alliances with anybody
00:17:14.89\00:17:18.10
in order to
establish His Kingdom
00:17:18.13\00:17:19.66
He had the perfect opportunity
after the triumphal entry
00:17:19.70\00:17:22.60
why couldn't Jesus as
He rode into Jerusalem
00:17:22.63\00:17:25.66
on that high day
00:17:25.69\00:17:27.33
He knew He was popular, He knew
He had the mandate of the people
00:17:27.37\00:17:31.92
why couldn't He have reached
out to those who were in power
00:17:31.95\00:17:36.32
established His kingdom
00:17:36.35\00:17:38.61
converted the nation
00:17:38.65\00:17:40.69
would have been better?
00:17:40.72\00:17:42.69
the Pharisees were intimidated
00:17:42.73\00:17:47.19
we notice in John 12:17-19
00:17:47.23\00:17:51.62
'Now the crowd that was with him
00:17:51.66\00:17:55.29
when He called
Lazarus from the tomb
00:17:55.33\00:17:57.24
and raised him from the dead
00:17:57.27\00:17:58.55
continued to spread the word
00:17:58.58\00:17:59.79
Many people,
because they had heard that
00:17:59.83\00:18:02.24
hHe had given this miraculous
sign, went out to meet Him.
00:18:02.28\00:18:05.42
this is those two groups of
people that we are talking about
00:18:05.46\00:18:08.57
the one from Bethany
00:18:08.60\00:18:09.57
and now the ones coming
out to meet Him from Jerusalem
00:18:09.58\00:18:12.96
verse 19:"So the
Pharisees said to one another
00:18:12.99\00:18:15.52
'See, this is getting us nowhere
00:18:15.55\00:18:18.77
Look how the whole
world has gone after Him!' "
00:18:18.81\00:18:22.19
The Pharisees
realized they had lost!
00:18:22.22\00:18:27.36
They figured the game was up
00:18:27.39\00:18:29.61
all of their
strategies in the backrooms
00:18:29.65\00:18:32.45
all of their secret maneuverings
00:18:32.48\00:18:34.30
even with Judas
paying him off a bribe
00:18:34.34\00:18:36.57
to deliver Jesus hadn't worked
00:18:36.60\00:18:38.87
Jesus now had a
mandate of the people
00:18:38.91\00:18:42.81
He was so popular
00:18:42.84\00:18:44.50
they knew they could
never break His power
00:18:44.54\00:18:46.75
if he keep going the way He was
00:18:46.78\00:18:49.02
but Jesus, even when He
had the perfect opportunity
00:18:49.06\00:18:55.65
did not form political alliances
00:18:55.68\00:18:58.29
instead His
followers were the poor
00:18:58.33\00:19:00.87
the common people, the
lame, the blind and the children
00:19:00.91\00:19:03.90
not the rich and powerful
00:19:03.93\00:19:05.60
to get another glimpse to
Jesus' attitude towards politics
00:19:05.64\00:19:09.61
we ca turn to Luke 13:31
00:19:09.64\00:19:12.30
" At that time some Pharisees
came to Jesus and said to Him
00:19:12.34\00:19:18.25
'Leave this place
and go somewhere else.
00:19:18.28\00:19:20.56
Herod wants to kill you'
00:19:20.59\00:19:22.07
in verse 32 Jesus
replied: " Go tell that fox
00:19:22.11\00:19:25.70
' I will drive out
demons and heal people today
00:19:25.74\00:19:29.26
and tomorrow, and on the
third day I will reach my goal'
00:19:29.30\00:19:33.55
In any case ( he says in verse
33) I must keep going today
00:19:33.59\00:19:37.81
and tomorrow and the
next day for surely no prophet
00:19:37.84\00:19:41.10
can die outside Jerusalem!"
00:19:41.13\00:19:43.58
even in the
face of certain death
00:19:43.62\00:19:47.11
Jesus was not
going to play politics
00:19:47.14\00:19:50.37
not with Herod,
that fox as he calls Him
00:19:50.40\00:19:53.60
not with anybody else
00:19:53.63\00:19:55.19
of course the
Pharisees themselves
00:19:55.23\00:19:57.31
were probably playing
their own little political game
00:19:57.35\00:19:59.38
trying to intimidate Jesus
00:19:59.41\00:20:00.91
by throwing Herod's name at Him
00:20:00.95\00:20:03.01
Jesus was not intimidated
by kings or by death.
00:20:03.05\00:20:07.23
Jesus had an authority
00:20:07.26\00:20:12.81
that was beyond all
notions of earthly power
00:20:12.85\00:20:18.01
as He exercised this authority
00:20:18.04\00:20:21.65
it was the weak, it was the poor
00:20:21.69\00:20:25.23
it was the crippled
and the the lame, the blind
00:20:25.27\00:20:29.41
who responded to Him. Why?
00:20:29.44\00:20:31.30
because they realized their need
00:20:31.34\00:20:33.83
they knew that they
needed what Jesus had
00:20:33.87\00:20:36.36
it was the rich,
it was the powerful
00:20:36.39\00:20:39.72
it was the self-sufficient,
it was the politically expedient
00:20:39.76\00:20:44.04
the politically wise and
powerful that didn't need Jesus
00:20:44.08\00:20:48.33
and Jesus would not
play games with them
00:20:48.36\00:20:51.23
What is the difference
between power and authority?
00:20:51.27\00:20:55.85
Have you ever
thought about that?
00:20:55.88\00:20:57.75
power is the ability to
make others do your will
00:20:57.79\00:21:03.98
whether they want to or not
00:21:04.01\00:21:05.91
authority, on the other hand is
the ability to influence others
00:21:05.95\00:21:12.11
because they recognize that what
you say is legitimate and right
00:21:12.15\00:21:18.28
authority means
you have credibility
00:21:18.31\00:21:21.08
and the ability
to influence action
00:21:21.12\00:21:23.86
because of that credibility
00:21:23.89\00:21:25.60
Jesus had all the power in the
universe that at his disposal
00:21:25.64\00:21:31.34
He was after all the Son of God
00:21:31.37\00:21:33.22
but He chose to have authority
rather than earthly power
00:21:33.26\00:21:37.67
that is in fact what one of
His temptations is all about
00:21:37.71\00:21:42.09
when Satan took Him to
a high mountain and said
00:21:42.12\00:21:43.97
"I will give you all
the kingdoms of the earth
00:21:44.01\00:21:45.83
just bow down to me"
00:21:45.86\00:21:47.72
but Jesus refused to
make political compromises
00:21:47.76\00:21:51.94
with the rulers
and the Pharisees
00:21:51.97\00:21:54.70
or with the devil
00:21:54.73\00:21:56.46
you see,Jesus'kingdom
is the kingdom of the heart
00:21:56.50\00:22:00.96
He told the people:" The
kingdom of God is within you"
00:22:01.00\00:22:04.36
it's not a political power
00:22:04.39\00:22:06.35
the politics of Jesus
is all about influence
00:22:06.39\00:22:10.01
not coercion or power
00:22:10.04\00:22:12.41
the result of that
influence in our lives
00:22:12.45\00:22:15.57
is called conversion.
00:22:15.60\00:22:18.00
the heart can not be forced
00:22:18.04\00:22:21.08
it can only be won
00:22:21.11\00:22:24.07
and that is the
key to Jesus' politics
00:22:24.11\00:22:28.57
the next day was Monday
00:22:28.60\00:22:31.68
four days before the Passover
00:22:31.72\00:22:33.72
Jesus again leaves
Bethany an returns to Jerusalem
00:22:33.76\00:22:37.36
on the way He did
a very strange thing
00:22:37.39\00:22:39.37
He cursed a fig tree
00:22:39.40\00:22:40.80
Why did He curse the fig tree?
00:22:40.84\00:22:42.63
the fig tree was supposed
to have fruit but it didn't
00:22:42.67\00:22:47.29
Jesus went to get a
snack on the way to Jerusalem
00:22:47.33\00:22:51.92
and expecting to find figs
00:22:51.95\00:22:53.41
He found a perfectly
healthy fig tree but no figs
00:22:53.45\00:22:56.12
and He cursed it
00:22:56.15\00:22:57.81
and it died later
00:22:57.85\00:22:59.44
what He was doing
was acting out a parable
00:22:59.48\00:23:06.25
People who are supposed to
have the fruit of righteousness
00:23:06.29\00:23:10.27
and don't were
like this fig tree
00:23:10.30\00:23:12.82
and that's up the
stage for His entrance
00:23:12.86\00:23:17.63
His second
entrance into the temple
00:23:17.66\00:23:22.26
let's turn to Mark 11:15-19
00:23:22.29\00:23:27.77
Mark 11 talks about Jesus'
second visit to the temple
00:23:27.81\00:23:41.13
and beginning with verse 15
00:23:41.16\00:23:44.57
it says:" On reaching Jerusalem
00:23:44.61\00:23:47.26
Jesus entered the temple area
00:23:47.29\00:23:49.87
and began driving out those who
were buying and selling there.
00:23:49.91\00:23:53.61
He overturned the
tables of the money changers
00:23:53.64\00:23:55.81
and the benches of
those selling doves,
00:23:55.84\00:23:57.89
and would not allow
anyone to carry merchandise
00:23:57.93\00:24:00.50
through the temple courts
00:24:00.53\00:24:02.25
And as He taught them He said
00:24:02.28\00:24:03.93
'Is it not written 'My house
will be called a house of prayer
00:24:03.97\00:24:08.40
for all nations? But you
have made it a den of robbers''
00:24:08.43\00:24:12.39
the chief priests and the
teachers of the law heard this
00:24:12.43\00:24:16.36
and began looking
for a way to kill Him
00:24:16.39\00:24:17.94
for they feared Him,
00:24:17.97\00:24:19.39
because the whole crowd
was amazed at His teaching.
00:24:19.43\00:24:22.92
When evening came
00:24:22.95\00:24:26.54
they went out of the city."
00:24:26.58\00:24:28.33
Once again we have a picture
of Jesus exercising authority.
00:24:28.37\00:24:35.18
Now there is a little
physical power going on here too
00:24:35.21\00:24:38.36
after all He tipped
those tables over Himself,
00:24:38.39\00:24:41.19
He drove the animals out
00:24:41.22\00:24:43.29
but why did He do that?
00:24:43.33\00:24:45.33
was He in fact trying
to establish His kingdom
00:24:45.37\00:24:50.89
finally by the exercise of
physical power and position
00:24:50.93\00:24:54.82
No! not at all!
00:24:54.85\00:24:56.92
In fact He would willingly
end his career and His life
00:24:56.96\00:25:00.34
for the sake of the truth
00:25:00.37\00:25:02.08
Rather than protect the temple
00:25:02.12\00:25:04.74
and make it richer
and more prosperous
00:25:04.78\00:25:07.71
He ended the
profit making system
00:25:07.74\00:25:10.39
and gave away the
benefits to all nations.
00:25:10.43\00:25:13.29
Human politics, especially
Machiavellian politics
00:25:13.33\00:25:18.72
is usually, I should
say always self-serving
00:25:18.75\00:25:22.50
and self protecting.
00:25:22.53\00:25:24.15
and yet Jesus said: "My
house should be house of prayer
00:25:24.19\00:25:29.21
for all nations."
00:25:29.24\00:25:30.66
Cleaning the temple was
not Jesus way of taking over
00:25:30.70\00:25:35.05
Had He wanted to He could have
00:25:35.08\00:25:37.01
in fact as the
priests and the rulers
00:25:37.05\00:25:39.25
ventured back into the temple
00:25:39.28\00:25:40.58
they expected to see
Jesus setting up His Kingdom
00:25:40.62\00:25:46.47
This was His big chance
00:25:46.50\00:25:48.13
and instead they
found the sick healed
00:25:48.17\00:25:53.21
the blind restored to sight,
the deaf receiving their hearing
00:25:53.25\00:25:56.24
and the crippled leaping for joy
00:25:56.27\00:25:59.68
this was the
essence of Jesus kingdom
00:25:59.72\00:26:02.44
His actions were
incomprehensible to the
00:26:02.47\00:26:05.16
priests and rulers. why?
00:26:05.19\00:26:06.41
because they knew of only
00:26:06.44\00:26:07.59
one way of acting-
Machiavellian self-interest
00:26:07.63\00:26:12.33
as we look at Jesus
who He was and what He did
00:26:12.37\00:26:16.96
we realized how
corrupt our bodies often are
00:26:16.99\00:26:21.63
our self-protectionism,
our pride, our ambition
00:26:21.66\00:26:26.27
fade into
nothingness as we look at Christ
00:26:26.30\00:26:30.03
He leads us to glory
00:26:30.06\00:26:33.66
by the road of suffering
00:26:33.70\00:26:37.23
that's not the Machiavellian way
00:26:37.27\00:26:39.75
it's not the road of popularity
00:26:39.79\00:26:42.20
it's not the road
of worldly success
00:26:42.24\00:26:44.67
it's not the road of power
00:26:44.70\00:26:47.36
it is however the way of hope
00:26:47.40\00:26:50.03
of peace and of love
00:26:50.06\00:26:51.89
this is the politics of Jesus
00:26:51.93\00:26:54.33
He called Himself the
way, the truth and the life
00:26:54.37\00:26:58.05
the way of Jesus makes no sense
00:26:58.08\00:27:01.40
unless you know Jesus
00:27:01.43\00:27:03.89
who is this Jesus?
00:27:03.93\00:27:06.69
Is the Son of God
00:27:06.73\00:27:09.42
His disciples declared:"
This is Jesus, the Messiah
00:27:09.46\00:27:14.12
the prince of life,
the redeemer of the world "
00:27:14.16\00:27:18.86
and even the prince
of the powers of darkness
00:27:18.89\00:27:23.56
Satan himself had to admit
00:27:23.59\00:27:25.54
and acknowledge Him saying
00:27:25.58\00:27:27.46
" I know thee who thou
art, the holy One of God "
00:27:27.50\00:27:32.25
The politics of Jesus is
not about grasping for power
00:27:32.29\00:27:37.01
the politics of Jesus
00:27:37.04\00:27:39.19
is about influence,
the authority of Christ
00:27:39.23\00:27:42.21
to win our hearts to Him
00:27:42.24\00:27:43.84
and giving the
benefits of the kingdom
00:27:43.88\00:27:46.67
to everyone, to all nations
00:27:46.70\00:27:49.01
Who do you say Jesus is?
00:27:49.04\00:27:51.32
Is He your savior?
00:27:51.35\00:27:53.78
Will you accept His
promise of salvation today?
00:27:53.82\00:27:58.72