Tuesday of Holy Week

Tuesday

On Palm Sunday, Jesus made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem with throngs of people cheering and praising His coming.

On Monday, Jesus publicly declared the Temple to be a den of thieves rather than a house of prayer.

The religious leaders in Jerusalem understood that they were quickly losing their place.
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How would they respond? What sort of strategy would they come up with to regain their footing and drive a wedge between Jesus and His growing crowd of followers?

On Tuesday, they confronted Jesus with questions they believed would catch Him and cause Him to misspeak. 

They ask Him about authority (11:27-28), taxes (12:13-15), the resurrection (12:18-23) and the greatest commandment (12:28).
Read some or all those questions with your family and then Jesus’ answers (11:29-30; 12:16-17; 12:24-27; 12:29-34). 
I’ll work through Mark 11:27-12:12 for today’s devotion.  
1. Why do you think the religious leaders asked Jesus those questions? Not to find the truth of Jesus’ identity, but to trip Him up. 
2. Why did Jesus answer the way He did in Mark 11:29-30? He knew their true intentions and put them into a similar box that they tried to put Him in. 
3. Why are the religious leaders unsure about how to answer Jesus and what was at stake? If they were to answer, “from heaven” then they would face the greater dilemma as to why they did not believe that Jesus is who He says He and why they are not among His followers. If they were to answer, “from man” they risk the outrage of the many who believed John the Baptist to be a prophet. They’re only choice was to say they didn’t know.
4. What lessons can we learn from this interaction? Not every question regarding our beliefs in Jesus or God or our world view or Christianity are genuine searches for truth. Many today are like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day and hope only to trip us up. We can avoid their disingenuous traps and fruitless debates but still share the gospel and trust God with the results. If their trickery continues, we can shake the dust from our feet and seek more genuine audiences.  

In Mark 12:1-12, Jesus tells the Parable of the Tenants. 

5.    Who is the owner of the Vineyard? God 

6.    What is the Vineyard? Nation of Israel 

7.     Who are the Tenants? Leaders of Israel 

8.    What fruit was the owner expecting? Faith in God, faithfulness to the Covenant, love, and repentance  

9.    Who are the servants? Prophets 

10.    Who is the Son? Jesus

11. To whom was the Vineyard given? The church

12. What lessons can we learn? 

A) God blesses His covenant people : Salvation is complete in Christ (Rom. 3:21-26, Romans 8:1-4); Holy Spirit dwells within every believer (Rom. 8:9-11); We have fellowship with the saints (I John 1:7); Spiritual gifts (I Cor. 12:1-4)

B) God is patient with us when we sin (Psalm 86:15) 

C) God will judge. Israel would see God’s judgment in 70 AD, when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and her temple (Mark 13). Likewise, unbelievers who reject His Son will see God’s judgment. 

D) What fruit does God look for? Gal. 5:22-23

E) How can we be different than the tenants? Be thankful (I Thess. 5:18); be good stewards of the gifts God has given you; make use of the means of grace (II Peter 1:3); treat everything as though it were God’s (Rom. 11:36)