CH 21
What kind of tree did Jesus cause to die?
Fig Tree (it had no fruit)
There must be Resurrection of the dead because we know that God is not the God of the dead but...
the God of the living!!
7 woes
What will rise and deceive many?
Many false prophets.
Who came up to Jesus asking Him for her sons to be at his right and left hand? (Ch 20)
James of John (Sons of Zebedee)
Who did the people say Jesus was the Son of on Palm Sunday?
The people called Him the Son of David.
(Saying Son of God does not count because even though He is the Son of God, that is not what the people call Him)
What did the Saudducees believe?
They did not believe in the Resurrection of the dead. They did not believe in angels or heaven and they chose certain parts of the law that they like and left what they did not like.
Explain the first woe to the Scribes and Pharisees given?
They shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. They bring false teachings to the world, meaning they are inhibiting people from going into the kingdom of heaven and giving them false information. Not only are they going down, but they are bringing people down with them.
What will all the tribes of the earth see?
The Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with Power
How will God reward those who made sacrifices? (Ch 19)
Will receive a hundred fold and eternal life
What are some of the main ideas of the parable of the two sons?
A good explanation of just one of these will be enough
Actions speak louder than words. Saying that you do something is not enough, so we have to truly work and practice what we preach.
The pharisees claimed to be doing the work of God, but they went after the praise of people instead
If we say we are going to do something, we need to stick to our word and do it. It is a lie when you tell someone you will do something and then back out.
What are the two greatest commandments according to Christ, and how are these commandments similar?
1. The first is you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second is you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
2. They are similar because if you truly love God, then you will love all His people. And if you love all His people, that means you love how God has made them.
What are the intentions of the Scribes and Pharisees?
For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
What will the false christ and false prophets show? How does Jesus tell us to react?
Jesus told us to ignore such wonders for they are false, if they say he is in the desert do not go, if they say look there or he is in a room do not go.
You have to be pure of heart and you should not be too quick to judge.
What can we learn from both the story of Jesus cleansing the temple and cursing the fig tree?
These two stories both show the authority of Christ. In the temple, Jesus reminds the people how they should respect His house and what they should be doing in the temple instead of selling. With the fig tree, He showed His power over nature and His judgement. This is what encourages the people to ask him in the next few verses "By what authority do you do these things?"
What do we learn from the conversation that Jesus has with the pharisees when He says "Render therefore to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God the things that are God's"?
Any one of these explanations will be sufficient
1. Separation of church and state. God tells us that Christianity is not a religion meant to serve as what dictates the government as well. We vote based on the morals that we learn from our religion, but the church itself should not have direct dealing with government.
2. Don't let the praise of people lead you to say or do something that is wrong. The pharisees tried to praise Jesus by telling Him "Teacher, we know you are true ..." Jesus recognized their trap and never answered based on pride but instead based on truth.
-Exalting yourself and being prideful will result in you being humbled, for Jesus wasn't prideful. Those who walk humbly will be exalted in the Kingdom of Heaven.
What will happen when the Son of Man comes?
-For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west.
-the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
-And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Steps to Take when a brother sins against you (Ch 18)
1. Try to work it out among the two of you. Consider that you might be wrong (don't be stubborn).
2. Bring someone else to help, preferably someone older.
3. Bring in the church (Abouna) to help settle the situation
Tell and explain the parable of the tenants.
There was a landowner that gave his land to some tenants, so that they could take care of his land while he was gone. The landowner sent several servants to check on the land and bring back some of the crops. But the tenants took these servants and abused them. Then the landowner sent his son, in hopes that he would be respected. However, the tenants made sure to kill the son. Therefore, the landowner will bring those tenants to an end, and then give the land to someone more worthy.
In this parable, the landowner represents God. We can understand the parable in two ways. The tenants might represent the Jews, who killed and ignored the prophets who God sent to them. Then when Christ was sent, they killed Him. Therefore, God began to give the blessings to gentiles and people that were not jewish.
It could also be understood that we in the church are tenants, since it is our job to take care of the church and everyone in it. God is watching us, and if we take this blessing and fail to use it in the right way, it will be taken away from us.
Tell and Explain the parable of the King and his son's wedding.
Christ calls all of us to salvation. God has sent prophets. preachers, apostles, priests, and many others so that we can follow Him. In the beginning, God only called on His people, Israel. Then it was spread throughout the world. Therefore, we should take this opportunity and be ready, instead of being like the man who did not dress for the occasion.
"For many are called but few are chosen."
Name two things wrong with the Pharisees
-There insides are dirty but their outside are clean
- They use their position to judge people
-They are blind guides and they don't understand what they are saying
- They care more about the money they give rather than the important parts of the law
How can we prepare for the second coming?
-We need to learn the true words of God, not words from false prophets and teachers. We shouldn't be swayed easily, for it is easy to talk about God but very hard to get his words accurately and true to his nature.
-There will always be tough times that we have to endure through our lives, but Jesus promises us in Matthew 24:13 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Don't give up when things get rough, instead use the opportunity to get closer to your religion.
Tell and explain the parable of the vineyard from chapter 20.
There was a farmer and his workers. The farmer went to the marketplace to find more workers. He found the people idling and gave them work in the vineyard.
At the end of the day, the farmer gave everyone the same wage, regardless of how long they worked.
We should not idle, but instead seek out God and do good works, just like Jesus sought out us. God gives us what we deserve, not man.