As we walk the path of Holy Week, today's episode invites you into the contemplative spaces of Mark 11, uncovering the profound moments of Jesus's ministry on Holy Tuesday. We unravel the mysteries of faith with the lessons of the withered fig tree, dissect the challenging questions posed to Jesus in the temple, and marvel at His unmatched wisdom. Join us as we seek to align our hearts with the transformative teachings of Christ, preparing for the spiritual awakening that Resurrection Sunday promises.
Amidst the turmoil of our times, the teachings of Jesus stand as a beacon of enduring truth. We reflect on the humble offering of the poor widow and draw strength from Jesus's chilling prophecies about the end times, understanding the gravity of remaining spiritually vigilant. Our discussion transcends mere scriptural study, as we embrace the call to guard our faith and stand ready for the return of Christ. Allow the power of Holy Tuesday's lessons to resonate within you as we, together, anticipate the fulfillment of His eternal promises.
As we walk the path of Holy Week, today's episode invites you into the contemplative spaces of Mark 11, uncovering the profound moments of Jesus's ministry on Holy Tuesday. We unravel the mysteries of faith with the lessons of the withered fig tree, dissect the challenging questions posed to Jesus in the temple, and marvel at His unmatched wisdom. Join us as we seek to align our hearts with the transformative teachings of Christ, preparing for the spiritual awakening that Resurrection Sunday promises.
Amidst the turmoil of our times, the teachings of Jesus stand as a beacon of enduring truth. We reflect on the humble offering of the poor widow and draw strength from Jesus's chilling prophecies about the end times, understanding the gravity of remaining spiritually vigilant. Our discussion transcends mere scriptural study, as we embrace the call to guard our faith and stand ready for the return of Christ. Allow the power of Holy Tuesday's lessons to resonate within you as we, together, anticipate the fulfillment of His eternal promises.
Now get out into the world and be a woman who intentionally encourages another!
#women #podcast
Speaker 1:
Good morning Encouragers. It's Jo from Encourage Her Community Podcast. Welcome back to our Holy Week series. I want to take just a moment to remind us of the purpose of this week. We're getting into scripture and focusing on prayer to center our hearts around truth as we enter Holy Week and remain throughout the week in his spirit, preparing our hearts, our minds, for Resurrection Sunday, just a few days away. Now we're on Tuesday and I'm so glad you're listening If you've listened in. We've done an episode on Friday and Saturday, sunday as well as Monday yesterday. A few brief reminders so we can begin to imagine ourselves in this time with Jesus. A few steps he's taken already. A few steps he's taken already. We can be reminded that on Friday and Saturday he arrived in Bethany, was anointed by Mary and a crowd began to arrive. He had a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He wept over Jerusalem. He enters the temple and then he returns to Bethany. We saw yesterday that he cursed a fig tree. He cleared the temple and he returned to Bethany once again with the 12 disciples. And now here we are on Tuesday.
Speaker 1:
Let me help set the scene for Tuesday and then I'll open us up in prayer. Today I'll be reading a little bit more of a lengthy scripture. So just a little heads up there. I will stay for the most part in my scripture in Mark 11. And I'll be beginning in Mark 11 on verse 20, if you want to turn there. Today, this Holy Tuesday, we will see the disciples see the withered fig tree on their return to Jerusalem, the same fig tree that Jesus had cursed. We'll hear about the temple controversies in Jerusalem and then we'll hear the Olivet Discourse on the return to Bethany.
Speaker 1:
Here we go on Holy Tuesday. Let me open us up in prayer. Dear Lord, thank you again for this time. Thank you for sisters in Christ who have the desire in their hearts to align under your truth to prepare our hearts for Resurrection Sunday. We know you're always working, we know you haven't left us and we know this is also a part of our story. Help us to remember the incredible sacrifice that was given for each of us. Speak to our hearts today through your word. Let something special stand out. Maybe it's a reigniting of our faith or a reminder of an aspect of you. Lord, I'm grateful for our Encourage Her Community podcast series and I'm grateful for our community of women who choose you over the world and then desire to turn around and get out into the world and show them your light. Be with us today, lord, and thank you again for this holy week In your name, amen. Mark, chapter 11, 20-21.
Speaker 1:
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots, and Peter remembered and he said to him Rabbi, look, the fig tree that you cursed has withered. Mark 11, 27-12, 44. And they came again to Jerusalem and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him and they said to him by what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them? Jesus said to them I will ask you one question Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me. And they discussed it with one another, saying If we say from heaven, he will say why then did you not believe him? But shall we say from man? They were afraid of the people who they held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, we do not know. And Jesus said to them Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things and they began to speak to them in parables. A man and he rather, began to speak to them in parables A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the wine press and built a tower and leased it to the tenants and went into another country.
Speaker 1:
When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed and again sent to them another servant, he they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. And he sent another and they killed him. And so with many others, some they beat and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them saying they will respect my son. But those tenants said to one another this this is the heir. Come, let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours. And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyards to others.
Speaker 1:
Have you not read this scripture? The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away and they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinions, for you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or should we not? But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it. And they brought him one and he said to them Whose likeness and inscription is this? They said to him Caesar's? Jesus said to them Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. And they marveled at him.
Speaker 1:
The Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they said to him a question, saying Teacher, moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up the offspring for his brother. There were seven brothers. The first took a wife and when he died he left no offspring. The second took her and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise, and the seven left no offspring. Last of all, the woman died In the resurrection. When they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as a wife, jesus said to them. Is this not the reason? You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God, for when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.
Speaker 1:
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another and, seeing that he answered them well, asked him which commandment is the most important of all. Jesus answered the most important of all is Hear, o Israel, the Lord, our God. The Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said to him you are right, teacher. You have truly said that he is one and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself is much more than all who burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Speaker 1:
And when Jesus saw that, he answered wisely. He said to him you are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one dared ask him any more questions. And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said how can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son? And the great throng heard him gladly. And in his teaching he said Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in their long robes and like greetings in the marketplace and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor. At feasts, who devour widows' houses and, for a pretense, make long prayers, they will receive the greater condemnation.
Speaker 1:
And he sat opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums and a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box, for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, has put everything she had, all she had, to live on. Mark 13, verses 1 through 37. As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him Look, teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings. And Jesus said to him Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately Tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished, and Jesus began to say to them and when you hear of wars and rumors of war, do not be alarmed.
Speaker 1:
This must take place, but the end is not yet, for nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. Be famines, these are but the beginning of the birth pains. But be on your guard, for they will deliver you over to councils and you will be beaten in synagogues and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.
Speaker 1:
And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand before what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death and the father, his child and the children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all, for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let the one who was on the housetop not go down nor enter his house or take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.
Speaker 1:
And, alas, for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in these days, pray that it may not happen in winter, for in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he shortened the days. And then if anyone says to you, look here is the Christ or look there he is, do not believe it, for false Christs and false prophets will arise and they will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard.
Speaker 1:
I have told you all these things beforehand. But in those days after the tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light and the stars will be falling from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken, and then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven, from the fig tree, learn its lesson. As soon as its branches become tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So, also, when you see these things take place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in hour. No one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Speaker 1:
Be on guard, keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come.
Speaker 1:
It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.
Speaker 1:
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.
Speaker 1:
And what I say to you, I say to all Stay awake, lord. Thank you for your word, this reminder today, on Holy Tuesday, for us to stay awake, be on guard. I pray that my sisters in Christ and I can stay awake, lord, as we wait in the not yet for you to come back or for us to join you, lord, that we stand firm in our faith, that we trust the truth, that we seek the truth, lord, that we stand firm in our faith, that we trust the truth, that we seek the truth, lord, and that we keep you in mind. We consider you, Lord, we consider your son, we rely upon the helper, day by day, until you once return. Thank you again, lord, on this Holy Tuesday, for all that you've done ahead of time, all that you've told us in your word ahead of time. These words to the disciples are also for us in this day. Thank you for your word and thank you for how you're working today in the hearts of the listeners, in your name, amen. Thanks for watching.
