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>>Eric Flickinger:
Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you by It Is Written.
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This week, lesson number 9,
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"Jerusalem Controversies."
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We are following
the life of Jesus
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through the book of Mark,
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and we're glad
that you could join us.
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Let's start with prayer.
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Father, we ask that
You'll bless us today
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as once again we open Your Word
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and You allow us to get
a clearer picture of Jesus
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and His
ministry, His love for us
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through the book of Mark.
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We ask that You'll
bless our time together
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and we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
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We're grateful
that you are here,
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but we are also
grateful that the author
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of this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson
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is also here.
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The author is Thomas Shepherd.
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He's the senior research
professor of New Testament
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at the Theological
Seminary, Andrews University.
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Tom, thanks for
joining us again today.
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>>Thomas Shepherd:
It's good to be here.
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>>Eric: So this
week, lesson number 9,
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"Jerusalem Controversies."
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We're moving our way rapidly now
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towards some of
the closing events
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in the story of
Jesus' earthly ministry here.
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And as we're getting into
chapter 10, chapter 11 now,
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we're looking at
the triumphal entry
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that Jesus has into Jerusalem.
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What's the significance
of His triumphal entry?
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>>Tom: Okay, so just
to give a setting to this,
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we noticed that we're
gonna talk about controversies.
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We noticed that there
was a series of controversies
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at the beginning of the Gospel.
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We already talked about those.
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Now we're coming to the
controversies with Jesus
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at the end of the Gospel.
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This section of the Gospel,
chapter 11, actually through
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the end of the book, only
covers a short period of time,
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maybe a couple
weeks, maybe less than that.
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And His whole ministry
is three and a half years,
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so this is--we call this
narrative time being stretched
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or slowed down so
that you really see that
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the Gospel writer or the
evangelist is telling us,
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"This is the
important part of the story.
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This is the big stuff that I
want you to really understand."
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And it begins with this
triumphal entry of Jesus.
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Well, you could even go before
that, but we didn't have time
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to talk about all of
those other characteristics.
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But this
important triumphal entry,
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he takes a long time, Mark does,
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to describe Jesus
getting a donkey to ride on.
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You know, He sends two guys,
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He tells them what to
look for, and they go.
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The people will say, "Why
are you taking the donkey?"
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And, you know,
you also explains it.
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But the emphasis of this
or the significance of this
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is that the
kings, the ancient kings,
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would ride on a donkey.
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You have the story of
the crowning of Solomon.
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You know, his brother is
trying to usurp the throne.
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And David calls for them
to bring the donkey, you know,
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and they say,
"Long live the king."
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And the other guy
eventually gets killed.
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But it's that riding of the
donkey, it's a humble beast,
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and yet it's--this
is what the king did.
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And so Jesus riding
this is like a pronouncement
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that He's the King,
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and He's coming into Jerusalem.
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Now, where He comes into
is probably the golden gate
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that leads
right into the temple.
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And He goes onto
the Temple Mount.
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And there He
sees-- He looks around,
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but it's late in the day,
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and so He goes out to
Bethany with the 12 disciples.
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>>Eric: As He's going
out, we see now a transition.
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Again, it's in a
short period of time.
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It's--He's hungry
as He's going out.
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And we see the
story of the fig tree.
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>>Tom: Yeah, it's
actually the following day,
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the following
morning, and He's coming back.
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And He sees this fig
tree, and He goes--He's hungry.
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Now again, we said before
it wasn't wrong for you to go
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into your neighbor's
field and pick some fruit
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or eat something. And
so He goes to the tree.
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He's hungry for some breakfast.
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He hasn't had
breakfast, evidently.
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And He looks on the
tree, and there's no fruit.
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And so He said, "'May no one
ever eat fruit from you again.'
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And His disciples
heard [Him say] it."
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Now, this is, like,
the strangest thing.
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Why did Jesus curse
a fig tree? [laughs]
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Like, the poor fig tree,
what did it do wrong, you know?
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Well, Jesus is actually
personifying the fig tree,
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and this is actually the start
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of one of those
sandwich stories.
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So this is going
to surround the story
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of the cleansing of the temple.
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So that's the
next part that comes,
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and so maybe we should
read that, verses 15 through 19.
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>>Eric: "So they
came to Jerusalem.
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"Then Jesus went into the temple
and began to drive out those
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"who bought and
sold in the temple,
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"and overturned the
tables of the money changers
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"and the seats of
those who sold doves.
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"And He would not
allow anyone to carry wares
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"through the temple.
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"Then He taught, saying
to them, 'Is it not written,
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"'"My house shall be
called a house of prayer
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"'for all nations"?
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"But you have made
it "a den of thieves."'
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"And the scribes and [the] chief
priests heard it and sought
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"how they might destroy
Him; for they feared Him,
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"because all the people
were astonished at His teaching.
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When evening had come,
He went out of the city."
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>>Tom: Okay, well, this
is a dramatic experience.
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It's one of those unforgettable
church kind of experiences.
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He goes to the temple. Now,
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the temple was
an amazing building.
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It covered--I think
it's something like 15%
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of the entire city
was the temple complex.
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And it was
embellished; it was beautiful.
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I mean, you can go there
today and see the remains
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of some of the walls that
were used as retaining walls
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that Herod the Great had put up.
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And those retaining walls
are, I mean, just huge stones,
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some of them like 100 tons.
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And even today you
can't put a piece of paper
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in between these stones.
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So it's really an amazing--
we're going to come back
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to describing the
temple and everything.
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But when He goes in
there, they were selling animals
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for sacrifice.
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Now, where they were probably
selling these is in the,
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what's called the Royal Stoa,
which was on the south side,
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beautiful big
area with huge pillars.
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They would take--if you took
three men and joined their hands
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together, that's how much space
it took to be the circumference
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of one of these pillars.
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And there was, like, 120
of these different pillars.
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So it was really an
amazing place, but they were
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selling cattle there and
different animals for sacrifice.
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Now, the temple was
set up in such a way
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that the Gentiles could
only come in to a certain point.
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They couldn't go all
the way in, and of course,
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further and further go,
the fewer and fewer people
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can go in until you
get to the Most Holy Place.
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Only the high priest can
go there once a year, right?
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So there was this kind of sense
of holiness and of protection.
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There was a barrier the Gentiles
were not supposed to go past,
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and they had signs there
written in different languages
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that said, "The Gentile who goes
past this barrier will only have
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himself to blame for his death,
which will shortly follow."
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Welcome to church.
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So, you know, we have a very
different sense of church today
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than what they had. So the
Gentiles couldn't go in there.
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And so they were selling--the
Gentiles could worship there,
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but only up till that barrier.
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So the Royal Stoa
was nearby there and so,
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selling cattle
in there, you know,
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and money, changing
the money and everything,
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it really disrupted the
worship for the Gentiles.
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So Jesus goes in
there, and He is incensed
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that they're doing this.
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He starts
throwing over the tables,
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driving out the
animals, you know,
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and everybody is
shocked, you know.
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John tells this
cleansing of the temple,
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he tells of the cleansing
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at the beginning
of Jesus' ministry,
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and the
disciples are like, "Whoa,"
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and they remember a text, that
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"zeal for your
house has consumed me."
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So, Jesus really
felt strongly about this:
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"My house shall be called a
house of prayer for all nations,
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but you have made
it a den of robbers."
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Now, it's interesting
He says "for all nations."
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That includes the Gentiles.
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There's a little, you
know, knowledge there again
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about the Gentiles
to be included, see?
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And the chief priests and
the scribes, you know, they--
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this was their
area of authority.
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And so He was directly
challenging their authority,
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and they just
couldn't accept it.
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>>Eric: So what did they do?
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What was their--you
said they couldn't accept it.
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This challenge
to their authority,
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surely it made
them incensed as well.
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But what did Jesus do when they
attacked Him or to their attack?
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What did that look like?
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>>Tom: Yeah, so first of all,
when they go out of the city
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and they come
back the next morning,
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the fig tree is withered.
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Peter notes this, and he says,
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"Rabbi, look, the
fig tree that You cursed
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is withered."
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And so then Jesus says
to them, "Have faith in God.
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"Truly, I say to you,
whoever says to this mountain,
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"'Be taken up and
thrown into the sea,'
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"and does not
doubt in his heart,
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"but believes that what
he says will come to pass,
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it will be done for him."
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So the cursing of the
fig tree actually parallels
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the cleansing of the temple.
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Now, what happened is
the cleansing of the temple
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was meant to
restore it to holiness,
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but because the
religious leaders rejected it,
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rejected what Jesus
was doing, rejected Him,
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that cleansing
actually became a curse
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because they
wouldn't accept the cleansing.
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And so the temple is eventually
going to be destroyed.
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They've rejected
what God is trying to do
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to make it a holy place.
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And they just
can't understand it.
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So they come at Him, you
know, strong on, and they say,
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"By what authority are
you doing these things,
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or who gave you this
authority to do them?"
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So they wanted to get Him with
this tails-I-win-heads-you-lose
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type of thing.
00:10:26.52\00:10:27.66
And so they say, you know,
if He claims that authority
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is from heaven,
they'll scoff at Him, you know,
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and if He says it's from
men, they'll just reject Him.
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So He says, "I will ask
you one question; answer me,
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"and I will tell you by what
authority I do these things.
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"Was the baptism of
John from heaven or from man?
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Answer me." Suddenly they
realize that they're not dealing
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with a country bumpkin,
00:10:49.78\00:10:51.75
but with Somebody who's
got a real wit. [laughs]
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And they see--it says, "They
discussed...with one another,
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"...'If we say,
"From heaven," He will say,
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"'"Why then did
you not believe him?"
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"'But if we say, "From man"?'--
they were afraid of the people,
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"for they all held that
John really was a prophet.
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"So they answered
Jesus, 'We do not know.'
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"And Jesus said to
them, 'Neither will I tell you
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by what authority
I do these things.'"
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So they have attacked Him.
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He just comes right back at them
and tells them that, you know,
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He's not going
to explain to them
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if they can't say
to Him what it is.
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And He goes on to tell
the story of a vineyard,
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with the strangest story,
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where the vineyard keepers--
the guy makes a vineyard,
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he rents it out, and
then when he sends people
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to get, you know,
his due part of the crop,
00:11:39.43\00:11:43.13
they beat the guy;
they beat another one;
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they mistreat another one.
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Finally, the man
says, "I'll send my son;
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they'll respect my son."
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And they kill his son,
saying, "Oh, we're gonna--
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we'll inherit it."
00:11:51.97\00:11:53.27
I mean, it's like, what in
the world are you thinking?
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And they recognize
what He's talking about.
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He is forecasting what
they will do in killing Him.
00:11:59.78\00:12:05.15
And He says, "The
stone... the builders rejected
00:12:05.19\00:12:08.06
has become the cornerstone."
00:12:08.09\00:12:10.39
And they're just taken aback
to see that He's described--
00:12:10.43\00:12:15.13
now, He's actually
linking into the same story
00:12:15.16\00:12:18.03
that's described
in Isaiah, chapter 5.
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Everybody knew what
this story was about,
00:12:20.57\00:12:22.60
this vineyard story.
00:12:22.64\00:12:24.11
And so Jesus is really strong.
00:12:24.14\00:12:26.64
It's a controversy story.
00:12:26.68\00:12:28.51
And He's really--it's
mercy that He's showing to them
00:12:28.54\00:12:31.75
where their steps are
leading, but they won't listen.
00:12:31.78\00:12:35.05
>>Eric: Unfortunately, sometimes
that happens today as well.
00:12:35.08\00:12:37.39
>>Tom: Oh my.
00:12:37.42\00:12:38.52
>>Eric: We're gonna come
back and look at some more
00:12:38.55\00:12:39.72
of the Jerusalem
controversies in just a moment.
00:12:39.75\00:12:41.52
But we have that companion book
00:12:41.56\00:12:44.96
to this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson.
00:12:44.99\00:12:46.53
Tell us a little bit about
chapter 9, lesson number 9.
00:12:46.56\00:12:48.73
>>Tom: Right, this
companion book goes with
00:12:48.76\00:12:50.60
the lesson quarterly, and
for teachers or for students,
00:12:50.63\00:12:54.30
it gives you more information.
00:12:54.34\00:12:55.67
In this particular
chapter, I take some time
00:12:55.70\00:12:57.77
to describe the
Temple Mount itself.
00:12:57.81\00:13:00.34
What was the Temple Mount like?
00:13:00.38\00:13:01.81
What was it like to be there?
00:13:01.84\00:13:03.98
And so you get, you
know, some of the extra flavor.
00:13:04.01\00:13:07.42
>>Eric: So you'll get a deeper
appreciation for this story
00:13:07.45\00:13:10.52
when you
understand a little bit more
00:13:10.55\00:13:11.92
about what that
temple was actually like.
00:13:11.95\00:13:14.19
We're going to come
back and continue looking
00:13:14.22\00:13:15.89
at these Jerusalem
controversies in just a moment.
00:13:15.92\00:13:18.73
But if you do want to
pick up that companion book,
00:13:18.76\00:13:20.80
you can find it
at itiswritten.shop,
00:13:20.83\00:13:23.40
again, itiswritten.shop.
00:13:23.43\00:13:25.20
We'll be back in just a
moment, continuing our look
00:13:25.23\00:13:27.47
at the
"Jerusalem Controversies."
00:13:27.50\00:13:29.27
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00:13:29.30\00:13:31.97
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00:13:33.88\00:13:35.28
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00:13:35.31\00:13:37.65
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00:13:37.68\00:13:40.45
Well, here's what
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00:13:40.48\00:13:42.12
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00:13:42.15\00:13:43.69
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Go further: itiswritten.study.
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>>male announcer:
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00:14:08.24\00:14:12.75
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00:14:12.78\00:14:17.29
Send me across the
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00:14:17.32\00:14:21.32
Work in me to impact
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00:14:21.36\00:14:25.96
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00:14:40.21\00:14:44.28
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Let God use you to
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00:14:47.75\00:14:52.02
To learn more,
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00:14:52.05\00:14:54.99
That's hislegacy.com.
00:14:55.02\00:14:57.49
[soft music]
00:14:57.53\00:15:01.50
[upbeat music]
00:15:04.80\00:15:08.44
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:15:08.47\00:15:10.11
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:15:10.14\00:15:11.87
We're looking at
lesson number 9 in our study
00:15:11.91\00:15:14.54
of the book of Mark,
"Jerusalem Controversies."
00:15:14.58\00:15:17.85
Tom, we were in the middle of
chapter 12 of the book of Mark,
00:15:17.88\00:15:21.88
and we see this
teaching about taxes in here.
00:15:21.92\00:15:25.25
What was Jesus'
position on taxes,
00:15:25.29\00:15:28.19
and why did He
have that position?
00:15:28.22\00:15:31.39
>>Tom: Okay, so what
happens is these controversies--
00:15:31.43\00:15:34.36
the religious leaders
are trying to trap Jesus
00:15:34.36\00:15:38.17
by something He says so that
00:15:38.20\00:15:40.07
they can either
discredit Him to the people
00:15:40.10\00:15:44.74
or they can get Him in trouble
with the Roman government.
00:15:44.77\00:15:47.88
And so they ask Him one
of these questions again
00:15:47.91\00:15:50.41
where they think it's a
00:15:50.45\00:15:52.08
heads-I-win-tails-you-lose
kind of a deal.
00:15:52.11\00:15:56.15
In verse 14 of Mark, chapter 12,
00:15:56.18\00:16:00.42
it's very
interesting in this regard.
00:16:00.46\00:16:03.02
"They came to him and
said to Him, 'Teacher, we know
00:16:03.06\00:16:07.50
"'that You are true and do
not care about anyone's opinion.
00:16:07.56\00:16:12.40
"'For You are not
swayed by appearances,
00:16:12.43\00:16:15.14
"'but truly
teach the way of God.
00:16:15.17\00:16:18.11
"'Is it lawful to pay
taxes to Caesar, or not?
00:16:18.14\00:16:20.31
Should we pay
them, or should we not?'"
00:16:20.34\00:16:23.28
That's a pretty tricky question.
00:16:23.31\00:16:25.48
First they butter Him
up, you know. [laughs]
00:16:25.51\00:16:28.25
Now, if they really
believed what they had said,
00:16:28.28\00:16:30.29
it would've been wonderful.
00:16:30.32\00:16:31.62
"Teacher, we know
that You are true"--
00:16:31.65\00:16:35.42
you know, there's something
about somebody who's true,
00:16:35.46\00:16:38.83
who will tell you
straight, you know--
00:16:38.86\00:16:41.86
"and do not care about anyone's
opinion"--not swayed by,
00:16:41.90\00:16:45.83
you know, "Well,
what do you think?
00:16:45.87\00:16:47.27
Well, then I'll mold
my statement to you."
00:16:47.30\00:16:50.91
"For You are not
swayed by appearances,
00:16:50.94\00:16:53.74
but truly teach the way of God."
00:16:53.78\00:16:55.54
Why, that's a
beautiful statement.
00:16:55.58\00:16:58.58
And then they slip in this
question at the end real fast.
00:16:58.61\00:17:01.22
"Is it lawful to pay taxes
to Caesar, or not?" You know,
00:17:01.25\00:17:04.82
should we pay
them or should we not?
00:17:04.85\00:17:06.39
Now, if He
said, "Pay the taxes,"
00:17:06.42\00:17:09.39
they could
discredit Him to the people
00:17:09.42\00:17:10.93
because people
hated the Roman taxes;
00:17:10.96\00:17:13.03
they hated the Romans.
00:17:13.06\00:17:14.46
If He said, "No, don't pay
the taxes," then they'd just go
00:17:14.50\00:17:17.23
to the governor and say,
"This man's telling people
00:17:17.27\00:17:18.90
not to pay taxes to Rome."
00:17:18.93\00:17:21.00
So they think they got Him
either way He answers, you see.
00:17:21.04\00:17:24.64
So now we should
see how He responds.
00:17:24.67\00:17:28.74
And let's read
verses 15 through 17.
00:17:28.78\00:17:33.92
>>Eric: "'Shall we
pay, or shall we not pay?'
00:17:33.95\00:17:35.78
But He"--Jesus--"knowing
their hypocrisy, said to them,
00:17:35.82\00:17:39.25
"'Why do you test me? Bring me
a denarius that I may see it.'
00:17:39.29\00:17:43.22
"So they brought
it. And He said to them,
00:17:43.26\00:17:45.89
"'Whose image and
inscription is this?'
00:17:45.93\00:17:48.33
"They said to Him, 'Caesar's.'
00:17:48.36\00:17:50.33
"And Jesus
answered and said to them,
00:17:50.37\00:17:52.63
"'Render to Caesar the
things that are Caesar's,
00:17:52.67\00:17:55.00
"and to God the
things that are God's.'
00:17:55.04\00:17:57.24
And they marveled at Him."
00:17:57.27\00:17:59.01
>>Tom: Okay, so they think
they've trapped Him. [laughs]
00:17:59.04\00:18:02.18
And so He knows what's going on.
00:18:02.21\00:18:05.95
"Why put me to the test?"
00:18:05.98\00:18:08.12
And He does a
little illustration thing.
00:18:08.15\00:18:11.09
He says, "Bring me a
denarius and let me look at it."
00:18:11.12\00:18:15.06
So it kind of slows things
down, you know, and everybody's,
00:18:15.09\00:18:18.73
you know, wants to see what's
going to go on now, you know.
00:18:18.76\00:18:22.36
So He's a good
teacher, you know;
00:18:22.40\00:18:24.27
He's going to use a
physical illustration.
00:18:24.30\00:18:26.60
They bring Him a denarius.
00:18:26.63\00:18:28.24
Now, the denarius was a
common laborer's daily wage.
00:18:28.27\00:18:32.94
We see that in some of
Jesus' parables; you know,
00:18:32.97\00:18:34.94
you get a denarius
for your daily wage.
00:18:34.98\00:18:36.95
It was not the smallest coin,
00:18:36.98\00:18:39.31
but it was the
typical day's wage.
00:18:39.35\00:18:41.32
I think these were
typically made of silver.
00:18:41.35\00:18:42.98
I've seen denarius.
00:18:43.02\00:18:44.59
I do not have a
denarius, but I've seen them.
00:18:44.62\00:18:47.09
And so, of
course, they were stamped.
00:18:47.12\00:18:50.23
The Romans had a thing
about how they made their coins.
00:18:50.26\00:18:53.90
They would make
them so that they would--
00:18:53.93\00:18:57.00
they were kind of
advertisements in a way.
00:18:57.03\00:18:58.90
And of course,
our coins are today,
00:18:58.93\00:19:00.37
but we have so
much other kinds of ways
00:19:00.40\00:19:03.87
of advertising and
letting people know that coins
00:19:03.91\00:19:07.11
don't carry as much
weight for us in that sense.
00:19:07.14\00:19:09.71
But they would put on
there pictures of the Caesar
00:19:09.74\00:19:12.91
and pictures of different people
and different events and things.
00:19:12.95\00:19:16.55
And so He asked them,
00:19:16.58\00:19:18.59
"Whose likeness and
inscription is this?"
00:19:18.62\00:19:21.36
And said to Him, "Caesar's."
00:19:21.39\00:19:23.16
So then He draws His
lesson: "Render"--or pay back--
00:19:23.19\00:19:26.53
"to Caesar the
things that are Caesar's,
00:19:26.56\00:19:28.56
and to God the
things that are God's."
00:19:28.60\00:19:30.30
Now, they marvel at Him because
they haven't trapped Him.
00:19:30.33\00:19:33.57
They couldn't go and say,
"Oh, He says not to pay taxes,"
00:19:33.60\00:19:38.21
and yet He says, "Render to
God the things that are God's."
00:19:38.24\00:19:41.48
So He hasn't, you know,
broken the law and has responded
00:19:41.51\00:19:46.65
with them in a way that
they can't trap Him. [laughs]
00:19:46.68\00:19:49.55
So it's wonderful.
00:19:49.58\00:19:51.42
>>Eric: So He
managed to find a way
00:19:51.45\00:19:54.06
out of what looked
like a certain trap.
00:19:54.09\00:19:56.12
>>Tom: Yes, and He
also laid down a principle
00:19:56.16\00:19:58.63
that's true for
Christians today.
00:19:58.66\00:20:00.80
We are supposed
to pay our taxes.
00:20:00.83\00:20:02.13
Paul tells us
this, too, in Romans 13.
00:20:02.16\00:20:03.97
We are to pay our taxes.
00:20:04.00\00:20:06.17
As long as the government
is not doing something
00:20:06.20\00:20:08.50
that's opposed
to the will of God,
00:20:08.54\00:20:09.84
we're supposed to be supportive.
00:20:09.87\00:20:11.11
When they go
against what God has said,
00:20:11.14\00:20:13.11
we have to speak up.
00:20:13.14\00:20:14.78
>>Eric: Very good.
A lesson for today.
00:20:14.81\00:20:17.28
We go straight from that story
into a story with the Sadducees.
00:20:17.31\00:20:21.45
What did the--what
story did the Sadducees tell?
00:20:21.48\00:20:24.25
And then Jesus, He
shifted things, corrected them,
00:20:24.29\00:20:28.76
if you will.
What was that about?
00:20:28.79\00:20:30.33
>>Tom: Yeah, so the Sadducees
were people who--they were
00:20:30.36\00:20:33.40
aristocratic group,
largely linked up with priests
00:20:33.43\00:20:37.70
in the temple area,
00:20:37.73\00:20:39.03
and they did not
believe in the resurrection.
00:20:39.07\00:20:41.90
So, I mean, you think about
that--you have religious leaders
00:20:41.94\00:20:44.84
who don't believe
in the resurrection.
00:20:44.87\00:20:46.57
And they think that
they're going to trap Him.
00:20:46.61\00:20:49.61
Again, this is a
controversy story.
00:20:49.64\00:20:51.28
So they're going to trap Him.
00:20:51.31\00:20:52.81
And so they say to Him--
they tell Him this little story.
00:20:52.85\00:20:57.39
They say, "Moses wrote for
us that if a man's brother dies
00:20:57.42\00:21:01.62
"and leaves a wife,
but leaves no child,
00:21:01.66\00:21:03.32
"the man must take the widow
00:21:03.36\00:21:04.69
and raise up
offspring for his brother."
00:21:04.73\00:21:06.93
This was called
levirate marriage,
00:21:06.96\00:21:08.36
and it was according to the law,
00:21:08.40\00:21:09.96
and it was to keep a man's
goods to stay with his family
00:21:10.00\00:21:13.27
and not be lost or he
lost his inheritance, his land,
00:21:13.30\00:21:16.77
and his linkage with Israel.
00:21:16.81\00:21:18.34
So the man would
have to marry the widow--
00:21:18.37\00:21:20.81
his brother would marry
the widow, and then the child
00:21:20.84\00:21:23.01
that they would have
would be the dead man's son.
00:21:23.04\00:21:25.81
And we get the
inheritance of the dead man.
00:21:25.85\00:21:27.75
So, you know, we don't do that
today, but that's what they did.
00:21:27.78\00:21:31.42
So, they little--probably
a suppositional,
00:21:31.45\00:21:35.79
not a real, fictional story
that they bring to Him, it says:
00:21:35.82\00:21:38.83
There were seven brothers.
00:21:38.86\00:21:40.43
So the first takes a wife,
00:21:40.46\00:21:41.93
he dies, leaves no offspring,
00:21:41.96\00:21:43.47
the second takes
her, third, fourth, fifth,
00:21:43.50\00:21:45.57
all of them have her as wife,
00:21:45.60\00:21:47.74
and finally, the woman dies.
00:21:47.77\00:21:50.21
So then their question
at the end to discredit
00:21:50.24\00:21:53.54
the resurrection is, "In
the resurrection when they rise
00:21:53.58\00:21:56.04
again, whose wife will she be,
for the seven had her as wife?"
00:21:56.08\00:21:59.91
Kind of giving the idea
that this idea of resurrection
00:21:59.95\00:22:02.95
is immoral because
it would be one woman
00:22:02.98\00:22:06.42
with seven husbands,
and that's just wrong.
00:22:06.45\00:22:09.22
So that resurrection
can't be correct, okay?
00:22:09.26\00:22:12.66
So let's see how Jesus responds,
00:22:12.69\00:22:14.96
verses 24 through 27.
00:22:15.00\00:22:18.13
>>Eric: "Jesus answered and said
to them, 'Are you not therefore
00:22:18.17\00:22:21.20
"'mistaken, because you
do not know the Scriptures
00:22:21.24\00:22:23.97
"'nor the power of God?
00:22:24.01\00:22:25.54
"'For when they rise from
the dead, they neither marry
00:22:25.57\00:22:28.18
"'nor are given in marriage,
but are like angels in heaven.
00:22:28.21\00:22:32.11
"'But concerning the dead, that
they rise, have you not read
00:22:32.15\00:22:35.18
"'in the book of Moses,
in the burning bush passage,
00:22:35.22\00:22:37.92
"'how God spoke to him, saying,
"I am the God of Abraham,
00:22:37.95\00:22:41.62
"'the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob"?
00:22:41.66\00:22:44.13
"'He is not the God of the dead,
00:22:44.16\00:22:45.93
"'but the God of the living.
00:22:45.96\00:22:47.36
You are therefore
greatly mistaken.'"
00:22:47.40\00:22:49.83
>>Tom: Okay, so
it's very interesting.
00:22:49.86\00:22:52.63
He says, this is not
the reason you're wrong.
00:22:52.67\00:22:54.54
"You know neither the Scriptures
nor the power of God."
00:22:54.57\00:22:57.31
Well, that's
pretty strong language:
00:22:57.34\00:22:58.64
You don't know
your Bible. [laughs]
00:22:58.67\00:23:00.64
Now, the Sadducees only believed
00:23:00.68\00:23:02.14
in the five
books of Moses, okay?
00:23:02.18\00:23:04.75
So actually, His response
to them comes from Moses,
00:23:04.78\00:23:08.85
all right? But He says,
"You don't know the Scriptures
00:23:08.88\00:23:11.79
nor the power of
God." Then He describes them
00:23:11.82\00:23:13.66
in opposite order. First He
talks about the power of God,
00:23:13.69\00:23:17.83
the power of God
to raise the dead.
00:23:17.86\00:23:20.16
"For when the dead
rise from the dead,
00:23:20.20\00:23:21.76
"they neither marry
nor are given in marriage,
00:23:21.80\00:23:23.57
but are like angels in heaven."
00:23:23.60\00:23:24.90
Now, some people get
worried about this and say,
00:23:24.93\00:23:27.00
"What, we're not
gonna be married in heaven?"
00:23:27.04\00:23:29.47
Well, let's leave that to God
to determine what that will be.
00:23:29.50\00:23:33.78
But it seems that what
Jesus says, "neither marry"--
00:23:33.81\00:23:37.25
that's what the man would do--
"nor are given in marriage"--
00:23:37.28\00:23:41.08
in that culture that's what
would be done with the woman--
00:23:41.12\00:23:43.72
"They neither marry
nor are given in marriage."
00:23:43.75\00:23:46.05
Although it
doesn't say that people
00:23:46.09\00:23:47.56
who are already
married won't be married there,
00:23:47.59\00:23:49.69
but He seems to be suggesting
00:23:49.72\00:23:51.59
that there won't be
marriage there in heaven.
00:23:51.63\00:23:54.93
Somebody says, "Well, how
can that be anything good?"
00:23:54.96\00:23:57.07
You know what, God is so good
that whatever He's got in store
00:23:57.10\00:24:00.24
for us is gonna be
better than what we have here.
00:24:00.27\00:24:02.84
We don't have to worry.
00:24:02.87\00:24:04.37
But then about
the dead being raised,
00:24:04.41\00:24:06.44
He actually uses a
passage from the book of Exodus,
00:24:06.47\00:24:10.75
where Moses, at
the bush, hears God:
00:24:10.78\00:24:14.28
"I am the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac,
00:24:14.32\00:24:17.05
and the God of Jacob."
00:24:17.09\00:24:18.49
Well, that's not
like they're dead.
00:24:18.52\00:24:20.52
It's like they're still alive,
like they're alive to God.
00:24:20.56\00:24:22.69
Now, they're not
alive now. [laughs]
00:24:22.72\00:24:24.96
They're dead,
sleeping in the grave.
00:24:24.99\00:24:26.96
But God is not going to
leave them in the grave.
00:24:27.00\00:24:29.90
He's going to raise them up.
00:24:29.93\00:24:31.67
And so, "He is not the God
of the dead, but of the living.
00:24:31.70\00:24:35.17
You are quite wrong."
00:24:35.20\00:24:36.17
So they're dead now,
but for them to be--for Him
00:24:36.20\00:24:39.41
to be their God, He has
to raise them up, you see?
00:24:39.44\00:24:42.54
So He will raise them up.
00:24:42.58\00:24:44.28
>>Eric: Like you mentioned,
this--it moves quickly.
00:24:44.31\00:24:47.15
And we're down in
around verse number 28 now.
00:24:47.18\00:24:51.09
And one of the
scribes comes and says,
00:24:51.12\00:24:53.92
"Which is the first
commandment of all?"
00:24:53.96\00:24:55.92
So they're talking about
these two great commandments.
00:24:55.96\00:24:58.26
What do we learn
from this passage?
00:24:58.29\00:24:59.66
>>Tom: Yeah, this is
really a interesting story,
00:24:59.69\00:25:01.96
'cause most of the
time in the Gospels,
00:25:02.00\00:25:06.07
the religious
leaders are Jesus' enemies.
00:25:06.10\00:25:08.17
Scribes, the
Pharisees, the priests,
00:25:08.20\00:25:09.97
they're all against
Him. Not this guy, you know.
00:25:10.01\00:25:13.84
This guy hears that
He's making a good answer,
00:25:13.88\00:25:16.08
and he asks an honest question:
00:25:16.11\00:25:17.88
"Which commandment is
the most important of all?"
00:25:17.91\00:25:19.95
Jesus then refers to the
two greatest commandments.
00:25:19.98\00:25:24.52
He says the most important is--
00:25:24.55\00:25:26.45
now here comes
what's called the "Shema,"
00:25:26.49\00:25:28.89
the confession
of faith of Israel.
00:25:28.92\00:25:30.76
"'Hear, O Israel: The
Lord our God, the Lord is one.
00:25:30.79\00:25:34.30
"'And you shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart...
00:25:34.36\00:25:37.07
"'with all your
soul... with all your mind...
00:25:37.10\00:25:39.40
"with all your strength.'
00:25:39.43\00:25:40.67
"The second is this: 'You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.'
00:25:40.70\00:25:43.91
There is no other
commandment greater than these."
00:25:43.94\00:25:46.81
The Ten Commandments
are based on these two.
00:25:46.84\00:25:50.31
The first commandment--the
first four commandments
00:25:50.35\00:25:52.98
are focused around
loving God with all your heart.
00:25:53.01\00:25:55.58
The last six
commandments are an expression
00:25:55.62\00:25:57.95
of loving your
neighbor as yourself.
00:25:57.99\00:26:00.06
You need more than these two
because, you know, we don't--
00:26:00.09\00:26:02.79
we can so
misunderstand the word "love."
00:26:02.82\00:26:05.33
We need the
commands that are given to us
00:26:05.36\00:26:07.50
in the Ten Commandments.
00:26:07.50\00:26:08.96
But the scribe then
likes this, and he says,
00:26:09.00\00:26:12.23
"'You are right, Teacher.
00:26:12.27\00:26:13.60
"'You have truly said...He
is one, and there is no other
00:26:13.64\00:26:15.84
"'besides Him.... To
love Him with all the heart
00:26:15.87\00:26:18.27
"'and with all the understanding
...with all the strength,
00:26:18.31\00:26:20.34
"'and to love one's
neighbor as oneself,
00:26:20.38\00:26:22.01
"is much more than all...burnt
offerings and sacrifices.'
00:26:22.04\00:26:25.58
"...When Jesus saw that he
answered wisely, He said to him,
00:26:25.61\00:26:27.98
"'You are not far from the
kingdom of God.' ...After that,
00:26:28.02\00:26:30.92
no one dared to ask Him
any more questions." [laughs]
00:26:30.95\00:26:34.09
So He says, "You're not
far from the kingdom of God."
00:26:34.12\00:26:36.93
He doesn't say he's
in the kingdom of God.
00:26:36.96\00:26:39.13
What was missing
is, well, of course,
00:26:39.16\00:26:41.10
he would have to
believe in Jesus.
00:26:41.13\00:26:43.00
Now, did that guy become
a believer? We sure hope so.
00:26:43.03\00:26:46.17
We don't know, but he
was sure on the right track.
00:26:46.20\00:26:49.20
And he, affirming Jesus
in what He had answered,
00:26:49.24\00:26:54.28
places Jesus on vantage ground.
00:26:54.31\00:26:57.15
And so no one dares to
ask Him any more questions
00:26:57.18\00:26:59.61
because they can't beat Jesus.
00:26:59.65\00:27:02.42
If you come to argue with
Him, you're not gonna win.
00:27:02.45\00:27:04.42
>>Eric: Yeah. But everybody
who does come in faith,
00:27:04.45\00:27:07.19
He doesn't turn
away. >>Tom: Yep,
00:27:07.22\00:27:08.69
when you come for His
help, you'll get help.
00:27:08.72\00:27:11.76
>>Eric: Beautiful picture of how
Jesus was able to come through
00:27:11.79\00:27:15.90
victorious over and
over again in these stories.
00:27:15.93\00:27:18.93
The truth is, you
can be ready as well.
00:27:18.97\00:27:22.30
This scribe's story was
a little bit unfinished.
00:27:22.34\00:27:25.47
Yours doesn't have to be.
00:27:25.51\00:27:27.48
You can be ready
for Jesus when He comes.
00:27:27.51\00:27:29.51
You can make that decision.
00:27:29.54\00:27:31.18
And your name can be inscribed
in the courts of heaven
00:27:31.21\00:27:35.32
on the list of those who are
going to be saved, if you make
00:27:35.35\00:27:38.19
that decision that you
want to follow Him completely.
00:27:38.22\00:27:41.36
Well, our journey
is not quite over.
00:27:41.39\00:27:42.72
We have lesson number
10 next week as we continue
00:27:42.76\00:27:45.56
our journey
through the book of Mark.
00:27:45.59\00:27:47.03
And we look forward to
seeing you again that time
00:27:47.10\00:27:49.93
here on "Sabbath School,"
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:27:49.96\00:27:52.87
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