Holy Week 2023 - The Teacher
Christ Seen as The Teacher
Posted by: CDFWarrington on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at 8:06PM
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During the final week of Jesus' life here on Earth, He continued His ministry and teachings, even though His authority continued to be questioned by the chief priests and elders [a]. During a walk in the temple, Jesus was confronted by the chief priests and elders who asked Him how He had the right to do things, but Jesus countered by questioning the source of John's baptism. The priests and elders were afraid to answer, so Jesus declined to answer their questions and disclose the source of His power. Jesus' response left the chief priests, scribes, and elders apprehensive about His authority and growing popularity with the crowds.
The final teachings of Jesus to the crowd focused primarily on the end times and being ready for what is to come [b]. These teachings included parables predicting His death [c], warning against being fickle in your faith [d], and rewards for those that are steadfast [e]. Jesus also spoke on the Second Coming without the use of parables. He emphasized the need to be prepared for His return as its timing is unknown [f]. Jesus warned his followers about the signs that would precede His arrival. These include chaos among nations and people fainting from fear [g]. He also cautioned about false prophets [h] and the importance of being prepared for persecution [i].
Jesus also taught the crowds about the rewards for using their gifts wisely [j] and not holding back from giving to the Lord and His Church [k]. Overall, Jesus' teachings on using our gifts wisely and giving generously remind us that everything we have comes from God, and we are called to be good stewards of His blessings. By investing our time, talents, and resources in ways that honor Him and bless others, we can experience the joy of sharing in His kingdom work and the rewards that come from faithful service.
Though all the teachings Jesus gave throughout His time on Earth are essential, it is interesting to examine what He chose to teach His final week before He died. Being God, He knew what would happen that Passover, so He decided to have His last words be of what is to come. These are words often read with a newspaper in hand, pointing to how the end times are now. That may be the case, but that may not be. As Jesus said, the time and day of His return is unknown; we must live our lives to their fullest, ensuring we honor God with our actions and share Christ's love with those we meet.
References
Below is a list of referenced biblical passages:
- [a] - Matthew 21:23-27, Mark 11:27–33
- [b] - Matthew 24:32-41
- [c] - Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:12
- [d] - Matthew 21:28-32, Matthew 22:1-14, Matthew 25:1-13
- [e] - Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 21:1-9
- [f] - Matthew 24:42
- [g] - Luke 21:24-25;
- [h] - Matthew 24:11,24; Mark 13:22
- [i] - Luke 21:14
- [j] - Matthew 25:14-30
- [k] - Luke 21:1-9