The End of an Era and the Beginning of the New

Man's Desperate Struggle for Power - 2

We continue the lesson from the previous episode as Jesus tells a parable that exposes the greed of man and the rebellion in the hearts of many who try desperately to take God's authority over their lives awa y from him. A power play against the Lord is an exercise in futility, and Jesus gives a wide-open look at the condition of man's wicked heart.

Man's Desperate Struggle for Power

The struggle for power and authority is as old as humanity itself. We like to be in control of not only ourselves, but in some instances we even want to be in control of God. This struggle took place when Jesus was alive on earth as religious officials were angry that He drove out the money changers from the temple. In this episode, we will take a look at the religious establishment's attempt to corner Jesus on the issue of authority and how Jesus masterfully exhibited that all power and authority belong to Him.

The End of an Era and the Beginning of the New

In this week's episode, Jesus curses a fig tree because it did not have any figs. The fig tree represented the nation of Israel, who was spiritually barren when Jesus came to her. Condemning the wicked men who used the temple as a hideout for their sinful practices, Jesus cleared the "robbers" from the temple and stopped their wicked agendas. Israel had great anticipation for her Messiah at this time, but He was quite displeased with what He saw going on in the temple. Instead of a house of prayer, the wicked had turned it into a den of thieves. The Lord of the temple had arrived, however, and He cleared house.

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ

It is a great thing to know that Jesus Christ defeated our worst enemy, which is sin. He rode into Jerusalem on an unbroken colt of a donkey, indicating peace. As the people celebrated Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, their expectations of Him were skewed. They wanted a messiah who would overthrow their Roman occupiers and establish the kingdom of God on earth. Jesus, however, came to do battle with sin, not Rome. In this episode, we will study Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as He prepared to conquer sin and the devil on our behalf.

The Man Who Could Not Be Shut Up

Have you ever felt like people do not want you to outwardly praise and worship the Lord? Even in church, many times "religious folks" do not want any type of outward expressions of praise and worship. They even get upset if someone comes forward at the end of the service for salvation or healing. If anyone has ever tried to silence you, then please take encouragement from a man by the name of Bartimaeus. He cried out for Jesus, and although the crowd tried to silence him, He could not be discouraged. In fact, he was the man who could not be shut up.