The Kingdom of God in a Rejection Context. Temple Scroll.

The Kingdom of God in a Rejection Context

Temple Scroll

Blocks from Herodian Temple

Kingdom of God


Jesus Awareness of Rejection

Mark 10:38: Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." 38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?“

Jesus’ Cup and Baptism

What do James and John want from Jesus? What do they not understand? What does Jesus say about his death in this passage? What are the two metaphors that he uses to describe his impending suffering?



Mark 12:10-11: Have you not you read this scripture: "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” (Psalm 118:22-23)?

Rejected Stone

Luke 20:18: He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and he on whom it falls will be crushed. How does Jesus use the Old Testament to interpret his imminent death? Which related saying does Luke append to the first saying?



Luke 5:39: And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, “The old is better.”

Preference for Old Wine

How does Jesus use the metaphor of old and new wine to explain the rejection of the Kingdom of God?


Luke 12:49-50: I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled. But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed.

To Bring Fire and to Have a Baptism to Undergo


What does Jesus say about his purpose in coming in this passage? Why does this belong in a rejection context?


Luke 12:51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

No Peace on Earth


What does Jesus say about the effect he will have on Jewish society?

What are the ways in which Jesus expresses his awareness of the rejection of him and his message of the Kingdom of God?

Question


Jesus’ Condemnation of his Generation

Luke 7:31-35: To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one other: "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.” 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, “He has a demon.” 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children.

Uncooperative Children

What is Jesus’ generation’s evaluation of John the Baptist and him? What is Jesus' assessment of his generation? What is the simile that he uses?


Matt 23:34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.

Guilty of Righteous Blood


What does Jesus say about his generation? Why is his generation responsible for all the righteous blood shed?


Luke 12:54 He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?

Missing the Significance of the Present

Matt 16:2 He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' 3 and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.


What is the nature of Jesus' criticism of his generation in these sayings? What type of argument does he use?


Luke 11:31 The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Greater Than Jonah


In these sayings how does Jesus use Old Testament history criticize his generation?


Matt 7:13 Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Few Will Enter

Luke 13: 22 And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to Him, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?" And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”


What does Jesus says about who will find life and will be saved? Why are there so few?

In what ways does Jesus criticize his generation for its rejection of him and his message of the Kingdom of God?

Question

Figs

Sea of Galilee


The Destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem

Fig Tree Cut Down

Luke 13:6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' 8 "'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'" What do the various elements in the story represent: fig tree, owner and gardener? What is Jesus’ point in this allegory?


House Abandoned

Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it. 35 Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”


What is the regret that Jesus expresses in this saying? What is the metaphor that he uses to express what he wanted to happen?


Not Recognizing the Time of Visitation

Luke 19:41: When he approached Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things that make for peace. But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will lay siege to you, and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will raze you to the ground, you and the children within you. They will not leave one stone on another because you did not recognize the time of your visitation


What does Jesus say will be the result of his generation’s rejection of “the things that make for peace”? What are “the things that make for peace”?


No Stone upon Another (Mark 13:1-2, 14-20)

1 As he was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!" 2 "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down….14 "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers. 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.”


What does Jesus predict will occur as the result of the rejection of the Kingdom of God?


When the Tree Is Dry

Luke 23:28 Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed‘. 30 Then "'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"' [Hosea 10:8] 31 For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"


Why does Jesus warn will happen because of the rejection of the Kingdom of God? What does he mean by his “tree is green” saying?

Question

According to Jesus what will the consequences be of his generation’s rejection of him and the Kingdom of God?


Offer of the Kingdom of God Extended to OthersGiving the Vineyard to Others

Mark 12 1 He then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. 6 "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7 "But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. What is the central point about the Kingdom of God made in this parable? How do the individual elements of the allegory make this central point? Who are the replacements of the tenant farmers?


A People who Produces Fruits of the Kingdom

Matt 21:42: I say to you that the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who produce its fruits.

Offer of the Kingdom of God Extended to Others

To whom does Jesus say that that Kingdom of God will be given in the saying that Matthew attaches to the Parable of the Vineyard?


Banquet Still Held

Matt 22:1-10

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 "Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."' 5 "But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 "But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 "Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 'Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.' 10 "Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.



Banquet Still Held

Luke14:16 But He said to him, "A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; 17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' 18 "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.' 19 "Another one said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.' 20 "Another one said, 'I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.' 21 "And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.'


What do the banquet and the two classes of guests represent in both parables? What is Jesus’ central point in the parable?

Question

What happens to the offer of the Kingdom of God when it is rejected by Jesus’ generation?


Jesus’ Community

Simon the Rock

Matt 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. What does Jesus say about the “church” in this passage? What is the relationship between the church and the Kingdom of Heaven?


New Covenant (Luke 22:20)

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Jesus’ Community

Jer 31:31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah….34 I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

How does Jesus interpret Jeremiah’s “new covenant”? How does its realization differ from expectation?


To All Nations

Matt 28:19: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Jesus’ Community

To whom does Jesus now send his disciples? How does this new directive differ from his previous one?


Giving of the Spirit

Luke 24:29: "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of my Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Jesus’ Community

What does Jesus say about the giving of the Spirit? How does this relate to what John the Baptist said about the one who would come after him?

Question

What is Jesus’ community and how does it relate to the Kingdom of God?


Jesus and the Future

Israel’s Future Hope

Luke 22:14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the Kingdom of God….18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes."

What is Jesus’ view of Israel’s future hope? How does this relate to what he says about Israel’s rejection?

Mark 13:24: But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' 26 At that time men will see the son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory.


Events at the End


What does Jesus foresee as happening in the future?

Mark 13:27: And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.


Events at the End


What does Jesus foresee as happening in the future? Who are the elect and from where and to where are they gathered?

Luke 17:34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. 36 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.”


Events at the End


What does Jesus say will occur at the appearance of the son of man?

Luke 12:35: Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.


Being Prepared for Jesus' Return


What does Jesus tell his disciples about being prepared for for his appearance?

Matt 24:45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


Being Prepared for Jesus' Return


What metaphor does Jesus use to exhort his disciples to be prepared for his appearance?

Matt 25:31: When the son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”…Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”


Judgment of the Nations


What does Jesus say about the judgment of gentiles?

What does Jesus foresee with respect to the future?

Question

Kingdom of God

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The Kingdom of God in a Rejection Context. Temple Scroll.

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