BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

The disciples marvel at the bright, smooth stones and glistening gold adorning Jerusalem’s temple—Israel’s proof that God was on their side. But while they’re busy admiring, Jesus hits them with the hard truth: The temple will soon be utterly destroyed.

The disciples freak out, so Jesus gives some practical teaching for how to live in the time between the temple’s destruction and his return. The disciples need to be alert. They’re not to worry about all the doom and gloom people will be spreading—that’s all a distraction. They need to stay focused on living in the way of Jesus.

Yesterday’s reading included the widow giving her last resources to the temple, revealing the corruption in the religious system. In today’s reading, a woman pours out expensive perfume on the figurative “temple” of Jesus’ body, preparing him for burial. Both temples will be destroyed, but God’s goodness and life will not be harmed. The temple of stone may remain in ruin, but a grave won’t hold Jesus down.

Jesus eats a final Passover meal with his disciples, and his words to the group are filled with Hebrew Bible hyperlinks. Read slowly and carefully. Jesus infuses this ancient feast with new meaning, inaugurating a new covenant of love between God and humanity. Soon after, men with swords and clubs arrest Jesus, and the irony compounds. Religious leaders use false testimony to convict Jesus, but they end up accidentally prophesying as they claim Jesus said he will destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days.

During their accusations, Jesus remains silent, recalling the suffering servant of Isaiah who would be “led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isa. 53:7). Then they ask if Jesus is or is not the Messiah, the “Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus answers with echoes from Yahweh at the burning bush in Exodus 3: “I Am.”

Reflection Questions

• In the Hebrew Bible, the Passover is a feast remembering God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt (cf. Deuteronomy 16:1-8). How does this backstory deepen our understanding of the Last Supper?
• When Jesus prays in Gethsemane, he doesn’t face his suffering with stoicism or defiance. He engages in lament and cries out to God in distress. What does this suggest about Jesus’ experience of emotion? How might this inform our own experiences with difficult emotions?