* The Events of The Passion Week. Not all activities are listed.
Friday (Six days before Passover meal.)
-Jesus arrives in Bethany, just east of Jerusalem (John 11:54-12:1).
-Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, anoints Jesus' feet at a banquet (John 12:2-11).
Saturday (Sabbath. Started at dusk on Friday.)
-Though it is not recorded, Jesus left Bethany and returned to Ephraim near the Jordan River. (John 11:54-57)
Sunday (Now called Palm Sunday. 1st day of the Passion Week.)
-Jesus heals blind men while approaching Jericho (Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:34-43).
-Jesus eats at Zacchaeus house in Jericho (Luke 19:1-10).
-Jesus continues onto Jerusalem (Mark 10:52; Luke 19:28).
-Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19).
-Jesus's weeps for Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44).
-Jesus looked at the Temple at dusk. Then, left to spend the night at Bethany (Mark 11:11).
Monday (10th day of the Hebrew month Abib ends at dusk.)
-Jesus curses the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-19; Mark 11:12-14).
-Jesus cleanses the Temple courts (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17).
-Jesus healed and taught until dusk. Then, left to spend the night at Bethany (Matthew 21:14-17; Mark 11:18-19).
Tuesday (11th day of the Hebrew month Abib ends at dusk.)
-Jesus explains the withered fig tree to his disciples (Matthew 21:20-22; Mark 11:20-26).
-Jesus's authority questioned (Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8).
-Jesus teaches in the temple (Matthew 21:28-22:46; Mark 12:1-44; Luke 20:9-21:4; John 12:20-50).
-Jesus wept over Jerusalem's leader's unbelief and rejecting him as their King (Matthew 23:1-39).
-Jesus anointed at Bethany (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 13:3-9; John 12:2-11).
Wednesday (12th day of the Hebrew month Abib ends at dusk.)
-No details about what Jesus did except Luke 21:37-38 which says he taught every day in the Temple.
-The Jews plot to kill Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6).
Thursday (13th day of the Hebrew month Abib ends at dusk.)
-The Passover meal begins at dusk, the start of the 14th of the month Abib (see below notes).
-Jesus and the disciples eat Passover meal, now known as the Last Supper. (Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-20; John 13:1-18).
-Jesus comforts the disciples and prays in the upper room. Then they leave Jerusalem (John 14:1-16:33).
-Jesus prays at Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:26-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46).
Friday (14th day of the Hebrew month Abib ends at dusk. Now known as Good Friday.)
-According Hebrew time Jesus is arrested and tried during the night to daylight. (Matthew 26:47-27:26; Mark 14:43-15:15; Luke 22:47-23:25; John 18:2-19:16)
-The Jewish leaders turn Jesus over to Pilate at dawn. Pilate questions Jesus then sends him to Herod, who sends Jesus back to Pilate (Matthew 27:11-31; Mark 15:1-20; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:28-19:15).
-Jesus's crucifixion starts at 3:00pm. He dies just before sunset. (Matthew 27:27-56; Mark 15:16-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30)
-Jesus is quickly buried at dusk just before Hebrew day end. (Matthew 27:57-66; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:31-42)
Saturday (Sabbath. 15th day of the Hebrew month Abib ends at dusk. The seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread begins).
-Jesus' body is in the tomb. He appears in Sheol and accompanies the saints previously dead to heaven.
Sunday (Abib 16; day of First Fruits Sheaf Wave) See Resurrection chart below.
-Jesus's morning resurrection and appearing to the women. (Mark 16:9-11; John 20:11-18)
-Jesus appeared to the two on the road. (Mark 16:12-13; Luke 24:13-35)
-Jesus appeared to ten apostles (no Thomas or Judas) in the evening. (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25)
Saturday (Sabbath)
-Jesus appears to Thomas and the rest of the apostles. (John 20:26-31)
A week later
-Jesus talks and eats with seven disciples by the Sea of Galilee. (John 21:1-25)
Forty days since his resurrection.
-Jesus ascends to his Father in heaven from the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 28:15-20; Mark 18:19-20; Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11)
* Hebrew days start at sunset/twilight and goes thru the night till the next day's sunset.
* Passover always starts at twilight on the 14th day of the month (Leviticus 23:5), not the same day of the week every year. Therefore, Passover starting on Thursday is rare. Passover usually starts on another day of the week. Passover starting on a Thursday the year Jesus was crucified. This timing made it possible for Jesus to fulfill the feasts associated with the Passover.
1st) Jesus was crucified on Friday (still Passover).
2nd) Jesus was in the tomb during the Sabbath (Saturday) rest. The Sabbath that Jesus was buried was also the beginning of the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15-20, 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:16). The Feast of Unleavened Bread is always on the first Sabbath after Passover.
3rd) Jesus rose on Sunday, the third day since his death. That Sunday was also the day of the First Fruit Sheaf Wave (Leviticus 23:9-15; Exodus 23:16, 19, 34:22). The first fruit (barley harvest) of the land was waved before the Lord. Jesus' resurrected as the first fruit (Acts 26:23; 1 Corinthians 15:4, 20, 23).
All three feasts were thus fulfilled by Jesus and this could have only happened that particular year, the year Passover started Thursday night.
* The Hebrew calendar considered an event lasting for an entire day even though it was only a few hours or even minutes long. Therefore, Jesus died and was buried at the end of the Hebrew day (twilight) on Friday and he is considered to have been buried that day too. The same can be stated for Sunday, the day he rose from the dead. Even though he was in the grave for a few moments after dawn before he rose, he is considered to be in grave Sunday and rise from it on Sunday.
I. The Authority of Jesus Questioned (1-8)
* A stone block found at the temple mount that was part of Herod's Temple rebuilding period.
>1. What was Jesus mainly doing after he entered Jerusalem, and what was he doing now?
* Luke 20:1 "One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him."
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>Why did the chief priests and the other Jewish leaders question Jesus about his authority?
* Luke 20:2 "'Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,'" they said. "'Who gave you this authority?'"
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* authority challenges ATHORITY
Men's and women's authority tends to lie and subvert to keep it. We will do these and worse while opposing God's authority. Jesus had overturned the money exchange tables and driven out those who were selling sacrificial animals in the temple area (19:45-48). This challenged the Jewish religious authority and subverted their money flow. Their addiction to authorities' power sent them on a revenge binge. The chief priests, teachers of the law, together with the elders, had to reassert their power over Jesus (1).
They publicly confronted Jesus while he was teaching. They were direct: "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things. Who gave you this authority?" (2) If Jesus had given them a direct answer, they would have either asked him for proof, arrested him, or stoned him. Rather, he let them answer their own questions. John the Baptist had stated many times Jesus' authority. The religious leaders rejected John because he was not one of them. The people knew John was a prophet. Jesus asked them where John's baptism was from: heaven or man (4).
They feared the people's opinion of them, John, and Jesus. So they did not answer Jesus. Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. (8.)"
How do I respond to Jesus' authority? Do I challenge it? What do I do to subvert Jesus' authority over me? How do I justify to myself keeping control of my destiny? Do I call Jesus "Lord, Lord," but do not do what he directs (6:46)? Do I live by faith in Jesus or in myself?
Listen to the above comments on Luke 20:1-8.
>2. Where did Jesus' authority come from?
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>3. How did Jesus respond to them?
* Luke 20:3-4 "He replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me, John's baptism--was it from heaven, or from men?"
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>Why did Jesus ask them about John's authority?
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>4. What was the discussion among themselves?
* Luke 20:5-6 "They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?'
6 But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet."
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>What was their conclusion?
* Luke 20:7-8 "So they answered, "We don't know where it was from."
8 Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."
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>What does their discussion and conclusion show about them?
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II. The Parable of the Tenants (9-19)
>5. What did the man who planted the vineyards do with it when he went away on a journey?
* Luke 20:9 9"He went on to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time."
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>What did he expect at harvest time?
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>Why?
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* After the religious elite challenged Jesus' authority, he began teaching them in parables. One is recorded in all three Synoptic gospels: "The Parable of the Tenants" (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12). They record that Jesus spoke this parable against them (19).
The object is a man who planted a vineyard. The subject is the world's most common occupation, ordinary farmers. The Lord God is the man who owns the vineyard. The vineyard is his people with whom he established a covenant with and gave a good set of standards to live by. The ordinary farmers are religious leaders.
The owner expected some of the harvest. The ordinary farmers knew this. However, somewhere along their way, they began thinking higher of themselves. The subjects began thinking they were the objects, and the Lord God was to be ignored. They instituted a covenant and imposed their standards upon those they were entrusted to. They portrayed that they were acting in the interest of God. However, they were thieves, selfish, and greedy. They became richer than the field could endure.
When the man who owned the field sent people to collect some of the fruit of his field, they persecuted them and sent them away empty-handed. Finally, he sent his son, Jesus, whom he loved. My generation has far too many very wealthy religious elite who do not preach the gospel. Is the same ills in my heart?
Listen to the above comments on Luke 20:9-13.
>Who does the owner of the vineyard represent?
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>The tenants?
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>6. When the owner of the vineyard sent for some of the fruit, how did the tenants respond?
* Luke 20:10-12 "At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.
12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out."
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>What does this show about them?
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>What happened to the three successive servants?
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>7. What did the owner finally decide to do?
* Luke 20:13 "Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.'"
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>Why?
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>What happened to his son?
* Luke 20:14-15 "But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. 'This is the heir,' they said. 'Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?"
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>What event does this predict?
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* Jesus's "Parable of the Tenants" has the vineyard's owner sending his son to collect his share of the harvest. The tenants recognize he is the heir and devised a plan to kill him and take the inheritance as their own.
Greed and an evil sense of self-importance ruled their decision and the following action. Foolishness also prevailed because they were never in the chain of ownership. The only way they could legally receive it was for the owner to sell it, something he never intended. They would always be simple farmers and he would always be the owner.
When the simple farmers killed the son, the owner came and killed the tenants and gave his vineyard to others. The people who heard this parable understood the meaning (16b). The Jewish leadership would kill Jesus, the Son of God. God would destroy the nation and give the care of the kingdom over to the Gentiles.
How has the world responded to the duty of caring for God's people? How have I? Jesus gave the church the great commission. "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8) Have I been participating in the kingdom's growth? Or in the vineyard in need of watering and cultivating? Am I, a simple farmer, overvaluing my assigned place? Will he not do the same to the church if we are just like the Jewish leadership?
Listen to the above comments on Luke 20:14-16.
>8. What will the owner of the vineyard do?
* Luke 20:16 "He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "May this never be!"
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>Who are the "others"?
* Gentiles.
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>9. When the people refuse to accept this teaching, suggesting that God would never do such a thing, what Bible teaching did Jesus give them?
* Luke 20:17 "Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone'?"
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>What does verse 17 mean?
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* The people were startled at the conclusion of Jesus' parable. They did not want to believe that God would allow his son to be killed by selfish and corrupt tenants and that, in response, he would kill the tenants and give the vineyard to someone else. The prophets often used a vineyard to represent Israel. So they understood Jesus well.
They believed that God loved Israel. So they could not believe God would do such a thing as this. They accepted that he punished their ancestors by sending them into captivity in Babylon. But they believed that they were not like their ancestors. They were good. Besides, what Jesus was saying was worse than the Babylonian experience. They shouted, "May this never be!" (16b)
Jesus wanted to help them accept that if they do not repent, they would perish. So he quoted Psalm 118:22. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone." (17a) Luke and Matthew 21:44 add Jesus' commentary on that verse. "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed." This is an allusion to execution by stoning according to the Mosaic law.
The place of stoning was twice as high as a man. While standing on a scaffold (platform), one of the witnesses struck the culprit on the loins, so that he fell off the scaffold. If he died by the stroke and fall, all is done. If not, the other witness threw a stone upon his heart and finished him. That stone thrown on the culprit was in some cases as much as two men could lift up.
Listen to the above comments on Luke 20:17-19.
>10. What does it mean that, "whoever falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed"?
* Luke 20:18-19 "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."
19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people."
