Examining the lamb

(One Perfect Life Chapters 153-158) The Passover lamb was brought into the home and inspected for four days prior to being sacrificed. Consistent with this pattern, Jesus enters Jerusalem on the 10th day of Nissan and is “inspected” by the people through the 14th of Nissan. Jesus is crucified on Passover and rises on the Feast of First Fruits. The religious leaders’ questions were meant to alienate Jesus from the people or get Him in trouble with the Roman authorities.

First the Pharisees and Herodians ask if it is lawful to pay taxes (Matthew 22:15-22). Jesus say that because Caesar’s image is on the coins, they are to pay him what is owed in taxes. But, because we were created in the image of God we are to pay Him what is owed – our unfailing obedience and faithfulness.

Next the Sadducees (who did not believe in the resurrection) ask a question about a woman who on earth was married consecutively to seven brothers (Matthew 22:23-33). Whose wife will she be in the resurrection? Jesus rebukes then and tells them the premise of the question is wrong because “You do not know the scriptures or the power of God.” There is a resurrection because Yehovah is the God of the living and not of the dead. But there is no marriage in eternity.

Next a religious lawyer ask which is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34-40). Jesus replies, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind’….’you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”” This is the most sincere question asked. Jesus says of His questioner that, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34).

Jesus now asks a question of the Pharisees – how can David be the “father” of the Messiah if David calls Him Lord? A king would never refer to an offspring as “lord” even if they took over the kingdom because the father stepped down. Jesus uses Psalm 110:1 to show that the Messiah is the begotten son of Yehovah and not of David. After this they asked Him no more questions.

Jesus next proclaims a number of woes on the Pharisees (Matthew 23:1-36) because they distorted of the Word of God. They promote the oral laws and traditions of men over compliance with God’s written commandments. They mislead and enslave the people to false religious practices. They keep people from realizing the truth by promoting their falsehoods. Jesus then laments for the judgement that is about to come on Jerusalem for rejecting Him and following after the teachings of men (Matthew 23:37-39).

This section closes with contrasting the hypocrisy of the Pharisees with the devotion of a widow (Luke 21:1-4). The widow gave her whole livelihood – two of the lowest value coins was all she had to give. We are to give our entire lives and resources to the Kingdom of God. He deserves our full devotion.