Sabbath: Jerusalem Controversies
Daily Lesson for Sabbath Afternoon 24th of August 2024
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study
Mark 11:1-33; 1 Kings 1:32-48; Zechariah 9:9-10; Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11; Mark 12:1-34.
Memory Text:
“ ‘And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses’ ” (Mark 11:25, NKJV).
A series of five controversies between Jesus and the religious leaders are recorded in Mark 2:1-28 and 3 (see lesson 3). In this week’s lesson, when Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, He has a series of six controversies with the religious leaders. The two sets of controversies are like bookends of His earthly ministry. Each set deals with important issues in the Christian life. Jesus’ instructions, even in these polemical situations, help guide believers both in fundamental issues of faith and in practical issues of everyday experience.
The religious leaders come to confront, confound, and defeat Jesus, but they never succeed. Part of this week’s lesson will include analyzing just what it is that brings people into opposition to God and considering what Christians can do to break through prejudice and speak to the hearts of those resisting the Spirit’s call.
In Mark 11:1-33, Jesus’ ministry will be in Jerusalem for Passover (March to April). Mark 11:1-33; Mark 12:1-44; Mark 13:1-37; Mark 14:1-72; Mark 15:1-47; Mark 16:1-20 covers little more than one week; the narrative time has slowed down markedly. The first 10 chapters cover approximately three and a half years. This slowdown points to the importance of these closing scenes.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 31.
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I love to go out on the headlands near where we live and watch the breakers roll in from the Pacific Ocean. The wavelets move in the sunlight, creating an ocean of sparkling diamonds. Closer to the shore, gradually at first there is a subtle shift in the intensity as a wave starts to form. As it moves closer it forms a great hill in the water until it crests and breaks on the shore sending foam and spray up the beach. That wave had probably started its life several days earlier thousands of kilometers away and travelled unseen for most of its life until it unleashed its energy on our Australian shore. But in a moment it had changed from a subliminal energy pulse into a roaring foaming mountainous wave.
This week's study is the beginning of the study of the breaking wave of the Messianic message. No longer represented by the symbols of limited human understanding, we are being led to the cusp of the breaking wave of the Kingdom of Heaven.
God bless you, wishing you a speedily and uneventful recovery. Thanks for all your explanations and comments to the sabbath school lessons.
How do you remove Limited Human Understanding. It's Limited Human Understanding that Has Interpreted Holy Scriptures/Bible through the Eyes of Sinning Natural Man Forming and Consolidating Traditions of Men.
Sorry Robert, I think you have misninterpreted what I was saying and I take the blame for that entirely.
The idea that I wanted to express was that the sybolism of the sanctuary service, which was essentially a teaching tool for our limited understaning, was no longer necessary because the "Real Thing" and arrived.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Hi Maurice,
Yet still the Gospel is hid to those that are lost. The Natural Man receiveth Not the things of the Spirit of Elohim/God.
What a beautiful analogy. Thank you for sharing that vision. I am from Maine and I’ve been to the coast many times in my lifetime. I can see clearly what you are sharing.
Happy new week
'And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:25, NKJV
I do believe the verse says whenever we are praying in private to our Heavenly Father, and have in our hearts a thought of someone who offended against us, don't complain to God the offense, forgive that person during your prayer, even if the person has not asked for pardon. Then finish your communion with God. Walk away rejoicing claiming the promise and condition of Isaiah 26:3.
after forgiving the person on prayer we need to forgive them also physically. failing to extend that means you have not whole heartedly forgiven the person
Jesus’ responses in these controversies did not seem to break through prejudice or speak to their hearts except for the scribe who seemed to be sincere with his question. The fact that Jesus still gave responses that could open their eyes to truth if they would open their hearts are the lessons I want to learn.
1. Be respectful
a. But what if I see nothing to respect?
2. Still be polite
3. Speak truth
4. Don’t try so much to judge how they will respond.
a. Only God truly knows what is in the heart.
b. By grace we can be seed planters.