Mary Anoints Jesus for His Burial
READ John 12:1-8 and Matthew 26:6-13
Why is Mary anointing Christ with
spikenard?
In a new
translation of the Testimony of St John (TSJ), the interchange is slightly
different.
READ TSJ 12: “Six
days before the Passover, Jesus returned to Bethany where he had raised Lazarus
from the dead. They made supper for him and Martha served. Lazarus was among
those who sat at the table with him. Many came to be there to see the man who
was raised from the dead and to hear Jesus who had raised him. And among those
who were present were his mother, and Mary, the Elect Lady who was companion
with Jesus. She cut off the seven locks of his hair that had not been cut
before because of the vow, which fell at her feet. This troubled his disciples
who feared his strength would depart from him but said nothing because Jesus
permitted it to be done. Jesus, seeing their concern, asked, is not a lamb
shorn before it is sacrificed? But they did not understand his meaning. And she
took royal oil used to coronate a king, containing spikenard, frankincense and
myrrh, and applied it to the head, arms and hands, legs and feet of Jesus. And
the house was filled with the smell of the royal anointing oil… My mother has safeguarded this gift from my birth
until now to be used for this moment. This anointing is required to be done to
establish me before I lay down my life. The poor are always in need in this
world, but I reign among you for only a short while and then am offered up as a
sacrifice on your behalf.”
Why might Mary be called “the Elect
Lady”?
What does it mean that Mary cut off the
seven locks of His hair?
What additional insight does this
translation give us regarding the anointing?
The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
READ Luke 19:28-38 and Matthew 21:8-9
Why did Christ ride into Jerusalem on a
donkey?
Why did the people put their coats in his
path and wave palm fronds and greenery branches?
Why did they cry “Hosanna to the Son of
David” and what did this signify?
Was this an orchestrated ceremony or did
it happen spontaneously as a celebration?
What is the outcome of the triumphal
entry into Jerusalem?
Christ Prophesies of His Atoning
Sacrifice
READ John 12:20-41
How did Christ react to the fact that the
time of His sacrifice had arrived?
The Jews did not understand that the
Messiah had to die – they thought that He would live forever; how did Christ
explain His death to them?
What does it mean to be willing to
sacrifice one’s life in this world to obtain endless lives, worlds without end?
When God speaks from heaven, what do
people hear?
What is Christ’s advice to the Jews?
Why did the Jews not take His advice?
The Parable of the Two Sons
Christ returns to Bethany for the night
and returns again the next day.
READ Matthew 21:23
Why are the Chief Priests so concerned
with authority?
READ Matthew 21:24-27
Jesus has proclaimed who His father is
before now, why does He decline to answer the Priests at this time?
Why is asking Him about His authority or Messiah-ship
the wrong way to get to the truth?
READ Matthew 21:28-32
Although the first son did the work of
his father, was there an issue?
Why did the first son then go and work?
Why might the second son commit to work
and then not do it?
The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen
READ Matthew 21:33-46 (also 47-56 in JST)
What is the husbandmen’s plan?
Who is the householder?
What is the fruit of the vineyard?
What is the vineyard?
Who are the husbandmen?
What mindset must the husbandmen have to
think they can get away with this crime?
How does the “stone which the builders
rejected” hinder those who rejected it?
Who is Christ referring to in this
parable?
Caesar’s Tribute
READ Matthew 22:15-22
What if “Caesar’s Tribute” conflicts with
God’s law?
What is it of Caesar’s that we must
render to him?
Resurrection and the “God of the
Living”
READ Matthew 22:23-33
What does it mean that “in the resurrection
they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are as the angels of God in
heaven”?
What does it mean that “God is not the
God of the dead, but of the living”?
The Great Commandment
READ Matthew 22:34-40
Christ seems to hedge a bit in His answer
to the question, so what is the great commandment (singular) in the Law?
What is the great sign of a true follower
of Christ?
Why do all of the Law and the Prophets
hang on these two commandments?
What Think Ye of Christ
READ Matthew 22:41-42
What must you know to answer this
question?
Why is the answer to this question so
important?
Scribes & Pharisees, Hypocrites
When did the Jewish leaders begin to plot
Christ’s death in earnest and why?
READ Matthew 23:1-6
Did Christ question their right to
preside?
What did He call into question?
Why would they impose burdens on others
that they were not willing to take on themselves?
READ Matthew 23:7-12
Why did they want to be called “Rabbi”?
What did they teach – what was their
doctrine?
What does the true teacher do?
What is the danger in aspiring to the
title of Rabbi (i.e. Master)?
How is true greatness achieved in this
life?
READ Matthew 23:13-14, 23-28
How do they shut up Heaven against men?
What is Christ doing by pronouncing these
“woes” upon the scribes and Pharisees?
What does it mean that they devour
widow’s houses but make long prayers for a pretense?
Why do they pay so much tithing but have
omitted the weightier matters?
What does it mean to strain at a gnat but
swallow a camel?
Why do they keep the outside of the
platter clean while the inside is filthy?
Why is calling the Pharisees “whited
sepulchers” such an insult?
READ Matthew 23:29-30, 34-35
What does it mean that the scribes build
the tombs of the prophets?
Why do they “garnish” the graves of the
righteous?
But what happens when the same God who
sent the dead prophets sends living prophets to the religious leaders?
Why do they reject living prophets?
READ Matthew 23:37-38
Why does the hen gather her chickens
under her wings?
Why did the Chief Priests have to act
immediately to have Christ killed?
