Is your world falling apart?

 Maybe Jesus' followers felt like the world was falling apart too...

(97) Love and Betrayal

The week is passing fast, even if it’s taking us weeks of Bible studies. Read Matthew 26:1-5, Mark 14:1-2, Luke 22:1-2.

1.       What would the atmosphere in Jerusalem be like at this point?

2.       Why would the authorities be particularly nervous? What kind of uproar did they dread?

3.       Read John 12:10-11 What would the atmosphere at Martha and Mary’s house in Bethany be like, if Jesus and the disciples are staying there, and the authorities are planning to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus?

Read Exodus 12:1-6. Remember… John 12:1-3 Jesus was anointed six days before Passover, like a lamb passing inspection and having its feet cleaned. Two days before (given our different measures of days and nights) might be the point where the lamb is brought out and fully anointed for sacrifice. So now… Read Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9

1.       Simon the leper clearly isn’t a leper at this point, but he may have been healed by Jesus in the past. Who do you think the woman with the perfume is? And do we really know?

2.       Alabaster flasks were translucent, sealed containers, used for expensive perfumes, and opened by breaking them. Why might the woman anoint Jesus’ head instead of his feet? Was that normal?

3.       Do you think she knew she was anointing him for death, given what he’s been saying (see Matthew 26:1)?

4.       How emotional do we get about knowing Jesus died for us? Is emotion a good thing?

5.       How practical do we get about knowing we have to work for Jesus? Is being practical a good thing?

6.       What else is needed, besides emotion and common sense? What will Judas do wrong?

7.       How do we show love to people who offend our emotional or our practical sensibilities?

Jesus tells us we will always have the poor with us. So, historically, we’ve built gorgeous cathedrals with special benches for the rich, and kept the riffraff corralled at the back. What’s wrong with that?

Did you notice, what the woman did has been remembered but her name really hasn’t? Do we want our names to be remembered by people, or are we content to know they’re written on God’s hands? Read Isaiah 49:16

Matthew and Mark record this story as if it was the final straw for Judas. Read Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14: 10-11, Luke 22:3-6

1.       Are there times when you’ve felt so angry or betrayed you’ve just gone out and done something foolish?

a.       Did you try to justify yourself afterward?

b.       Did you succeed in convincing yourself you’d done the right thing?

c.       How might Judas have tried to justify his actions to himself?

2.       Luke “justifies” Judas’ action by saying Satan entered into him. How do we balance that with free will?

3.       How might Satan enter into Christians today?

4.       How might Christians today betray Jesus?

5.       Are you more emotional or more practical?

a.       How might Satan prey on your emotions?

b.       How might Satan prey on your practical instincts?

c.       How do we protect ourselves?

d.       How does God protect us?

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