Synoptic Gospels Bible Study Lesson 9

Synoptic Gospels Bible Study Lesson 9 Questions

1.Read Mt 20:18-19.

Jesus would be betrayed by Jewish authorities. Rejection by religious leadership of Israel is a central theme in Matthew. It is clear that Jesus took this course willingly. Jesus did not want this to be a surprise to the twelve.

Jewish leaders handed Jesus over for crucifixion because it was not legal for them to execute the death penalty (Jn 18:31). This is the first time Jesus referred to His death as crucifixion. Crucifixion was capital punishment. God by capital punishment on the cross provided sacrifice for man’s sin. Jesus was the ultimate Passover Lamb.

2.read Mt 20:28. What was Jesus' purpose in coming? How does this relate to His statement "seek and save the lost"?

Mt20:28:just as [Jesus is the ultimate example of leadership] the Son of Man [it was the humanity of Christ that paid for our sins] did not come to be served [although He deserved it],

Jesus is the outstanding example of service to others (Ph 2:7). We are to follow His example “just as” He served.

but to serve, and to give His life a ransom [payment] for many.”

Jesus gave Himself as a “ransom.” He gave Himself as a sacrifice for sin. A ransom is the price paid to redeem a slave. The price here is Christ’s own life. He paid with His life as a blood sacrifice.

The word “for” means in the place of. Jesus took our place. He took our hell that we might have His heaven. He personally paid for the penalty of our sins.

 Jesus paid the ransom to the Father so that He would satisfy payment for sin.

The doctrine of propitiation is the doctrine that God is satisfied with our sin issue because Christ fully paid the price for sin. That ransom is valid only for those who rest in Jesus’ cross to forgive and pay for their sins.

1 Co 6: 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Ga 3: 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us

Jesus didn't come to please the religious crowd. Jesus didn't come to pander to the social crowd. Jesus didn't come to hang out with the wild bunch. Instead, Jesus entered the world to save sinners. When we look back over the Gospel of Luke, we see Jesus reach out to men and women, young and old, powerful and forgotten, demon possessed, and the politically connected. He came to save sinners of all shapes, sizes, and stripes. He came to save you and me.

3.Did Jesus foreknow of His crucifixion? Who decided this and when was it decided?

We know from Scripture that God is omniscient, which literally means “all-knowing. Leave no doubt that God’s knowledge is infinite and that He knows everything that has happened in the past, is happening now, and will happen in the future. The crucifixion of Christ, as atonement for God’s people, was foreknown and foreordained by God. Luke 17:22 "And he said unto the disciples, The days will come,

when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye

shall not see [it]."

    Jesus is telling these disciples. I am with you now, but there

will come a time when I will not be with you. You will long to see me,

but I won't be there.

    Luke 17:23 "And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go

not after [them], nor follow [them]."

     In verse 22 above, we see that this message is to all followers

of Jesus for all time, because it said those who have disciplined

themselves to follow Jesus (the disciples). Throughout the ages every

Christian has longed to see Jesus. Verse 23 above is looking to our

time. Everyone is looking for Jesus. We must be careful not to look in

the wrong places. We are warned not to go looking for Jesus in any out

of the way places. We will see in the next verse where we will find

Him.

Jesus foreknew all the things that would happen at crucifixion and at His second coming.

4.As Jesus passed through Jericho He encountered Zaccheaus and Bartimeaus. What was common about these two encounters? Lu19:1-10 Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like Zaccheus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see him. Christ invited himself to Zaccheus' house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart, and inclines it to receive him. He that has a mind to know Christ, shall be known of him. Those whom Christ calls, must humble themselves, and come down. We may well receive him joyfully, who brings all good with him. Zaccheus gave proofs publicly that he was become a true convert. He does not look to be justified by his works, as the Pharisee; but by his good works he will, through the grace of God, show the sincerity of his faith and repentance. Zaccheus is declared to be a happy man, now he is turned from sin to God. Now that he is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power of them, all the benefits of salvation are his. Christ is come to his house, and where Christ comes he brings salvation with him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. His design was to save, when there was no salvation in any other. He seeks those that sought him not, and asked not for him.

Mark 10:46-52: Bartimeus had heard of Jesus and his miracles, and learning that he was passing by, hoped to recover his eyesight. In coming to Christ for help and healing, we should look to him as the promised Messiah. The gracious calls Christ gives us to come to him, encourage our hope, that if we come to him we shall have what we come for. Those who would come to Jesus, must cast away the garment of their own sufficiency, must free themselves from every weight, and the sin that, like long garments, most easily besets them, Hebrews 12:1. He begged that his eyes might be opened. It is very desirable to be able to earn our bread; and where God has given men limbs and senses, it is a shame, by foolishness and slothfulness, to make themselves, in effect, blind and lame. His eyes were opened. Thy faith has made thee whole: faith in Christ as the Son of David, and in his pity and power; not thy repeated words, but thy faith; Christ setting thy faith to work. Let sinners be exhorted to imitate blind Bartimeus. Where the gospel is preached, or the written words of truth circulated, Jesus is passing by, and this is the opportunity. It is not enough to come to Christ for spiritual healing, but, when we are healed, we must continue to follow him; that we may honour him, and receive instruction from him. Those who have spiritual eyesight, see that beauty in Christ which will draw them to run after him.

5. Read Mt 23:37039; Luke 19:41; and 2 Peter 3:9. What are the common elements of these verses?

It is evident that our blessed Lord seriously and earnestly wished the salvation of the Jews. But let every one remember, that though Jesus wept over Jerusalem, he executed awful vengeance upon it. Though he delights not in the death of a sinner, yet he will surely bring to pass his awful threatenings on those who neglect his salvation. A reason why the last day does not come too soon, because God patiently waits until all the elect are brought to repentance, that none of them may perish.

6.Do these three verses imply that the people of Jerusalem had the freedom and ability to come to Jesus? Do they imply that this was His desire?

Christ wished that salvation of Jerusalem; his will was for them to be saved: he sought to influence their wills to make a choice of salvation, but they would not. So God still is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2Pe 3:9), but there are many who will not come to Christ that they might have life .While God wills the salvation of men, he does not destroy free agency by coercing the human will, but says: Whosoever will, let him come.

7.Read the parable of the two sons, wicked tenants, and wedding feast. What in each parable could represent Israel? In each case did the individual have the freedom to decide? Jesus’ parable of the vineyard ((Matthew 21:33-41; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-18), along with many of His prophecies, warns Israel that it is about to carry out the most decisive act of rebellion. In spite of its rebellion, the vineyard had been plundered but never taken from Israel.

In the Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32), The basic story is of a man with two sons who told them to go work in the vineyard. The first son refused, but later obeyed and went. The second son initially expressed obedience, but actually disobeyed and refused to work in the vineyard. The son who ultimately did the will of his father was the first son because he eventually obeyed. Jesus then likens the first son to tax collectors and prostitutes—the outcasts of Jewish society—because they believed John the Baptist and accepted “the way of righteousness” (v. 32), in spite of their initial disobedience to the Law. It is in this context that Jesus tells three parables—the Two Sons, the Tenants, and the Wedding Feast. Each of these parables is told to the Jewish religious leaders, each illustrates their rejection of Jesus, and each pronounces judgment on Israel for their rejection of their Messiah. In the Parable of the Two Sons, the leaders of Israel are the second son who claimed obedience, but did not do the will of the father.

8.How could you relate these three parables to Hebrews 8 where Israel broke the covenant with God?

Heb 8:10 This is the covenant I will make after those days - After the Mosaic dispensation is abolished. I will put my laws in their minds - I will open their eyes, and enlighten their understanding, to see the true, full, spiritual meaning thereof. And write them on their hearts - So that they shall inwardly experience whatever I have commanded. And I will be to them a God - Their all - sufficient portion, and exceeding great reward. And they shall be to me a people - My treasure, my beloved, loving, and obedient children.

Even in 3 parables ,they forgot, or rejected their covenant .

9.Read parables of talents, bridesmaids, and sheep & goats. What are these parables about? How do they relate to rev 20:11-15?

10.In Mt 20-25 are not all the people in these parables represented a shaving the ability to choose and are they not held accountable for their choices?

Mt 20-25 :Pagan rulers relish power. They relish greatness and dominance. They exercise dictatorship as their style of leadership.

as Mark expresses it, "they which are accounted", or "seem to rule over the Gentiles": who know not God, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who neither serve and obey him, or have any dependence on him, but assume a power of governing others, take upon them to rule the nations of the world, and are acknowledged as such by them: these claim a superiority over others, and exercise lordly power over them; and they that are their great ones, their lords, and nobles under them; these also assert a preeminence, and exercise authority on those that are below them; which they have received from those that are above them: this is the usual way and method of the governments of the kingdoms of this world: wherefore, for the apostles to affect and desire a superiority to each other, in the kingdom of Christ, was to imitate the Gentiles, and to act according to worldly forms of government; which is very unsuitable to the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus, whose kingdom is spiritual, and not of this world.