Tuesday – Confrontation with Religious Leaders
March 30, 2010 (Tuesday)
Tuesday of Holy Week was a very busy day for Jesus. When they reached the fig tree that Jesus had cursed, the tree was dead. Jesus took advantage of the shock felt by the disciples to teach them the power of prayer, urging them to believe that they, too, could see great things happen if they truly believed.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they went to the Temple, where Jesus was approached by the religious leaders. Their first question to Him was, “By what authority do you do these things?” Jesus asked them whether John the Baptist’s work was by God’s authority or simply human? The opponents of Jesus reasoned that if they said,“of God” then Jesus would ask them why they did not believe him? If they said, “of men” they knew the crowd would turn on them, so they answered, “We don’t know.” Jesus then said, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The next group to challenge him was the Pharisees with a question of tribute to Caesar, then the Sadducees with one about Resurrection. Each group thought up the trickiest question possible, to make Jesus look foolish, but Jesus’ answers put them to shame, and they looked ridiculous to the people in the crowd. Oh, they were angry! They had already been plotting to kill Jesus before that week, but now it was firmly settled in their minds that Jesus must die.
Then followed a scathing denunciation of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, face to face, in the hearing of the common people gathered in the Temple. It was all the leaders could do, to keep from stoning Jesus on the spot. But they feared the people.
Jesus then spoke compassionately to all, “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem. how often I have wanted to put my arms around you like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not have it.” He knew their destruction was coming and it broke His heart. (More about Tuesday tomorrow).