THE EXAMINATION OF THE LAMB OF GOD IN THE TEMPLE

Return to Syllabus

LUKE 20:20-47
Lesson #54
THE EXAMINATION OF THE LAMB OF GOD IN THE TEMPLE

• Memory verse: Rev 6:16
• The religious leaders and enemies of Christ were still looking for a way to discredit Jesus.
  • They had tried to get Him to speak against the Law of Moses, or to speak blasphemy against God, so they could discredit Him with the Jewish people.
  • Now they will try to get Him to speak against the Roman authority that ruled Israel at that time.
• Remember that this all takes place in the four days of the week before the crucifixion when the Passover lamb was being examined to be a perfect lamb in the temple. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is being examined in the temple on the same four days.
• Read Luk 20:20-26 The examination by the Herodians:
  • “Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:” (21)
    • In verse 21 the Herodians flatter Jesus with hypocritical words of praise.
    • How do we know they were hypocritical words?
    • We know because the leaders did not do anything Jesus told them to do to get right with God.
  • “Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?” (22)
    • A person from the group called the Herodians asked this question. (Mat 22:16) Who were the Herodians?
      • The Herodians were a political group that wanted to replace Roman rule over Israel with kings from the family of Herod.
      • At this time the Herod family of puppet Kings ruled over limited territory in Israel appointed by Rome and under the authority of Rome.
    • What is “tribute”?
      • Tribute is extortion money or valuable goods paid to a stronger power.
      • The purpose of tribute was to keep the stronger power from attacking and thus maintaining peace.
    • Jesus’ response:
      • Jesus knew their crafty motive. (23)
        • If Jesus had said, “yes, pay tribute to Caesar, He would put Caesar ahead of Moses and the Messiah.
        • If Jesus had said, “no, don’t pay tribute to Rome,” He would be arrested for rebellion against Rome.
      • Jesus asked for a coin that was the legal monetary unit coined by Rome that aided business and trade throughout the Roman Empire including the maintenance of the road system used by everyone. Israel benefited from this universal business.
      • “Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s.” (24)
        • The coin Jesus asked to see had the image of Caesar on it who claimed to be God.
        • The coin also had an inscription on it that said, ”The worship of a son of a worshipped God.”
      • “…Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.” (25)
        • On one side of the coin was the image of Caesar. He was the power that controlled everything in the Roman Empire including the money and all business.
        • Therefore, they should pay Caesar what they owed him.
        • But on the other side of the coin, the inscription said that Caesar was God. Was he God? No.
        • Therefore, they should give honor to the one true God and that was not Caesar.
      • The Christian lives in two worlds, the earthly world of daily living and the heavenly world that is our eternal home.
        • While on this earth the Christian is subject to the laws of the land where he lives.
        • However, the Christian should store up wealth in his heavenly home by using his earthly wealth wisely to benefit the kingdom of God.
• Read Luk 20:27-38 The Examination by the Sadducees
  • The Sadducees were a religious party, smaller in number than the Pharisees, but wealthy and powerful. With the Pharisees, the Sadducees were part of the ruling religious authority in Jerusalem called the Sanhedrin.
  • The Pharisees were the conservative, letter of the Law, who believed in the supernatural work of God, while the Sadducees were the liberals, who did not believe in anything supernatural.
  • The Sadducees were Christ’s greatest enemies especially in the early church in the book of Acts where they instigated the first persecution of the church. (Act 3-4)
  • The Sadducees disagreed with the Pharisees over the concept of resurrection from the dead. The Sadducees believed that this life on earth was all that there was to life. After death there was annihilation.
    • “…in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.” (33)
      • The law that the Sadducees quote is in Deu 25:5-6. It is called the Levirate marriage law.
      • We see it in operation in the book of Ruth.
    • Jesus’ answer, “, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:  But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:” (34-35)
      • Jesus clearly tells them there is a resurrection from the dead, but not all are resurrected to an eternal life with God.
      • Their question is ridiculous because there is no marriage relationship in life after death.
    • Other important points in Jesus’ answer:
      • Believers do not become angels after death as angels are a separately created being. However, believers and angels are equal in God’s eternal kingdom. (36)
      • Moses demonstrated that there is a supernatural resurrection in the story of the burning bush where God is the God of the living. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob though they had died were still living. (37-38)
• Read Luk 20:39-47 The Examination by the Scribes:
  • The scribes were professional lawyers but not in the sense of a lawyer today. They were experts in the Law of Moses. If there was a dispute over the interpretation of the Law, they could determine the correct interpretation.
  • The scribes were also responsible for keeping and copying accurately the scriptures.
  • The scribes were happy with Jesus’ answer to the Sadducees, however, Jesus knew their hypocritical hearts, so Jesus asks the Scribes a question they could not answer:
    • How say they that Christ is David’s son?  And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,  Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.  David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?” (41-44)
    • The prophecies said that the Messiah would come through the lineage of David. In that aspect Jesus is called the son of David. (In Jewish genealogies a person was considered a son of a particular family lineage even if there were several generations in between David and Jesus.)
    • “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” (Psa 110:1)
      • Unfortunately in English we do not see the meaning or significance of this verse especially if you use modern versions of the Bible.
      • In the King James Bible you have a clue but you need to know what to look for and what it means.
        • You will notice that the first word “LORD” is in all capital letters while the second “Lord” is capitalized in only the first letter.
        • The first word “LORD” means Jehovah God, the Father who is speaking to His Son, “Lord”, the Messiah.
    • David, who wrote this Psalm” calls his great, great, great grandson Lord, the Messiah.
      • The only way David could do that was if Jesus was in fact the Messiah by means of a virgin birth.
      • Therefore, the names “Lord”, Messiah (Christ), Son of David, Son of God, Jesus all refer to the same person standing before the scribes in the temple.
  • Jesus’ warning and curse on the Scribes: (46-47)
    • When the Scribes would not answer Him Jesus warned the disciples against the Scribes because He knew that after the crucifixion, the Pharisees would drop their opposition, but the Sadducees and Scribes would not.
    • Jesus listed their sins and said they would receive a greater damnation. In other words, there are levels of punishment in hell, some greater and some lesser. (47)
• Summary:
  • None of these leaders and enemies could find any fault in Jesus’ answers as they examined Him in the temple.
    • What He said was truth that did not contradict anything in the Scriptures.
    • Jesus Christ confirmed that He was the perfect Passover Lamb.
  • For four days the leaders of the Jews examined Jesus in the temple and found Him perfect. They judged Him not realizing that one day He will judge them. (See your memory verse.)

Homework
Luke 21

• Application of Luke 20:20-47
  • As you think about your own model of belief about what you have decided about Jesus Christ, answer the following questions:
    • =1= Do you really believe that everything Jesus said is the absolute truth?
    • =2= Do you sometimes adjust your belief to accommodate what other people say is true?
    • =3= Do you sometimes rationalize human behavior because you cannot believe that a loving God will punish severely people like the Scribes, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees as Jesus said?
  • If you answered “yes” to question #1 and question #3, you have a big problem in your belief system.
  • If you answered “yes” to question #1 and question #2, you don’t really know what Jesus said.
  • If you answered “no” to question #1 you don’t really know who Jesus is.
  • If you answered “yes to question #1 and “no” to questions #2 and #3, you have a good understanding of the Bible and a good understanding of who Jesus is.
• Preparation for Luke 21
  • Read Luk 21:1-38
    • From this chapter, how close are we to the second coming of Christ?
    • What one thing tells you this?
    • What did Jesus mean by verse 32?
• Memory Verse: Luk 21:33