18. Flashpoint!

8/12/2019 18. Flashpoint!

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Lesson #18Flashpoint!

(Matthew 22: 1 23: 39)


2/18

In Lesson #17 Jesus and his disciples entered Jerusalem

to the cheers of thousands: Hosanna to the Son ofDavid, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;

hosanna in the highest! (21: 9).

Following the journey of the hero motif, Jesus entered

enemy territory where he will engage the enemy in

his final test, the defeat of Satan and death, enabling

the redemption of all of humanity.


3/18

With each passing day of Holy Week Jesus escalates hisencounters with the religious leaders, culminating in seven

scathing denouncements, calling them hypocrites, blind

guides, a brood of vipers and murdersall this, as he whips

the ever-growing crowd into a frenzy.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman Prefect, along with a contingent

of up to 3,000 Roman legionnaires, has moved up from

their headquarters at Caesarea Maritima on the

Mediterranean coast to the Antonia Fortress in Jerusalem,where they monitor closely Jesus activitiesand go on

high alert, fearing a revolt and the inevitable blood bath

that would result.


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The religious leaders, too, fear that if Jesus continues down

this path he will put Jewish religious freedom and the very

survival of the nation at risk.

As the physicist Carl Sagan once said of the 20th-century

nuclear arms race: the United States and the Soviet Unionare like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in

gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.

So it is with Jesus and the authorities.

As we move into Lesson #18, Matthew 22 completes the Cunit of our overall structure and Matthew 23 begins the B

unit, Great Discourse #5, the Olivet Discourse.


5/18

The Gospel according to Matthews overall

mirrored chiastic structure

A Narrative: Jesus as Messiah, Son of God (1-4)

Minor discourse: John the Baptist identifies the authority of Jesus (3:7-12)

B Great Discourse #1: Demands of true discipleship (5-7)

C Narrative: The supernatural authority of Jesus (8-9)

D Great Discourse #2: Charge and authority of disciples (10)E Narrative: Jews reject Jesus (11-12)

F Great Discourse #3: Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven (13)

E Narrative: Disciples accept Jesus (14-17)

D Great Discourse #4: Charge and authority of church (18)

C Narrative: Authority and invitation (19-22)

B Great Discourse #5: Judgment on false discipleship (23-25)A Narrative: Jesus as Messiah, suffering and vindicated (26-28)

Minor discourse: Jesus identifies the authority of the church (28:18-20)


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The Temple in Jesus day.(1.50 scale model of 1st-century Jerusalem, Israel Museum.)

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Antonia Fortress

TempleSouthern Steps

Golden GateEastern Wall

Royal Portico


7/18

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Southern steps of the Temple where the religious leaders confront Jesus.

Notice the close proximity of the Antonia Fortress and the Roman officials.

Southern Steps

Antonia Fortress


8/18

After Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem the chief priests

and the elders of the people (21: 23) confront him,

demanding to know who he is and who gave him theauthority to do what he is doing.

Jesus replies with a stinging indictment of the religious

leaders, followed by three scathing parables:

1. The Parable of the Two Sons (21: 28-32)

Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.

2. The Parable of the Tenants (21: 33-46)

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was

speaking about them.

3. The Parable of the Wedding Feast (22: 1-13)

Many are invited, but few are chosen.


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Pieter Aertsen. The Parable of the Wedding Feast (oil on panel), 1550-1554.

The Cummer Museum, Jacksonville, Florida.


10/18

Following Jesus three blistering indictments of the

religious leaders, the religious leaders seek to

discredit Jesus in the eyes of the crowd with three

tests:

Test #1: Paying Taxes to Caesar (22: 15-22)

Test #2: Question about the Resurrection (22: 23-33)

Test #3: What is the Greatest Commandment? (22: 34-40)


11/18

Following Jesus three scathing indictments of the

religious leaders, they seek to discredit Jesus in the

eyes of the crowds with three tests:





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Silver denarius with the Emperor Tiberias (reign, A.D. 14-37).

The inscription reads: Caesar Augustus Tiberias, son of the Divine Augustus.

The reverse features Livia, wife of Augustus and mother of Tiberias, as Pax (Peace).


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15/18

After thoroughly discrediting the religious leaders,

Jesus drives the final nail into the coffin by asking:

What is your opinion about the Messiah?

(22: 41-46)

And he follows it up with seven blistering attacks

on the religious leaders that leave his audience

and his disciplesspeechless!


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17/18

1. The religious leaders sought to discredit Jesus inthe eyes of the crowds by a series of very shrewdquestions, and Jesus counters by discreditingthem. How does he do so in the paying taxes toCaesar episode?

2. If you were a Sadducee, how would you supportyour position on resurrection?

3. Why does Jesus call the religious leadershypocrites?

4. How do the religious leaders lock the kingdom of

heaven before human beings (23: 13)?5. What do you think Jesus hoped to accomplish

with his scathing indictment and publichumiliation of the religious leaders?


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Copyright 2014 by William C. Creasy

All rights reserved. No part of this courseaudio, video,

photography, maps, timelines or other mediamay be

reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic

or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any

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18. Flashpoint!

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