Devotion / Family Worship Guides

Wednesday: Jesus Continues Teaching & The Religious Leaders Plot His Death

by Michael Johnson

Directions: Tailor this guide to fit your personal or family devotions. The goal is not to get through all of the passages and questions!  The goal is to spend time in God’s Word and in worshiping Him.  Choose from the passages and questions below.  Add your own questions.  Have fun!!  If you are leading others, you will want to read through the worship guide in advance to prepare. 

Wednesday: Jesus Continues Teaching & The Religious Leaders Plot His Death

A. Read Scripture:  Read one or more of the following passages and discuss the questions below

Possible Passages:  Luke 21:37 – 22:6; Mark 14:1-11; Matthew 26:1-16

Discussion Questions:

1. The people were “hanging on His words” and coming “early in the morning” to hear Jesus teach (Luke 19:48 and 21:37-38).  How eager are you to hear from Jesus through His word, the Bible? 

2. Jesus spends time in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper where He is anointed by a woman with “an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment.” (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9).  It was worth about a years wages (300 denarii, John 12:5).  Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were also there to honor Jesus.  Martha serves and Mary anoints Jesus (John 12:1-8).  How did Judas and the other disciples respond?  What they say is a “waste,” Jesus says is “a beautiful thing” (Matt 26:8,10).  What is significant about this anointing? 

Jesus deserves this lavish expression of costly love and devotion. Before writing “Amazing Grace,” John Newton wrote this in his journal: “So much forgiven, so little, little love.  …  So many mercies, so few returns.  Such great privileges, and a life so sadly below them.”  We can all see how far short we fall of loving Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  We feel like John Newton, we feel our love is shallow and cold.  We’ve made so few returns on the debt of love we owe.  If we love Jesus little it is only because we have little grasp of how much we’ve been forgiven, little grasp of God’s grace toward us in Jesus Christ.  If you want to grow in love for Jesus, then you must grasp the full measure of your own sin and the full measure of God’s grace and forgiveness.  Every single sin. Paid in full. Then in awe, overwhelmed by God’s love – You will love Jesus.

3. Wednesday seems to pass quietly compared to all the drama of the past three days with Sunday’s triumphal entry, Monday’s cleansing of the temple, and Tuesday’s conflict in the temple. Perhaps too quietly!  For behind the scenes the religious leaders are plotting Jesus’ demise.  They find help in the betrayer, Judas Iscariot.  How is Judas’ betrayal connected to the dinner at Bethany?  What does John tell us about him (John 12:5-6)?  Did Judas really care about the poor? 

4. Judas went to visit the chief priests.  What did he ask?  What was the price for Jesus’ head? 

Tragically, Judas saw the value of the ointment but not the value of Jesus.  His betrayal is an illustration of 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.  It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” This is why Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.”  (Luke 16:13).  Now, Jesus doesn’t say you should not serve God and money.  He says you CANNOT serve God and money.  So there is a choice that must be made, we will either love & serve money or we will love and serve Christ.  But we cannot love both.

Make Christ your master and money your servant for God’s glory and other’s good.  Use the money God has entrusted to you to advance the cause of Christ in the lives of others.  Use it for others good and God’s glory.  For, if you are not faithful with worldly wealth you will not be entrusted with true riches (Luke 16:11).

5. The way we use our money in this life reveals what we trust, love, and worship.  If someone were to look at your bank statements, would they see your love of Christ reflected there?  How we use money is an excellent test of our godliness.  It reveals our heart and spirituality. Do we use what we have only for ourselves?  Or do we generously give to help others?

John D. Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest men in history.  When he died, someone asked his accountant, “How much did he leave behind?” His response was classic, “He left all of it.”  We all do!!  Graveyards and junkyards!  That’s where all people and possessions end up.  Remember your life and your money are fleeting away. Let this change how you think about and use your money.  You cannot take your wealth with you.  But you can invest it now to “provide for yourselves,… a treasure in heaven that does not fail…” Luke 6:33.  You can use it to impact eternity for yourself and others.

Summary:  Like David, Jesus knew what it was to be betrayed by a friend (Ps. 41:9; Mark 14:18-21).  In fact, all his disciples would abandon him.  Yet, what is so remarkable is the depth of love that Jesus will show.  “For greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” John 15:13.  “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8. 

B. Singing:  Consider one or more of the following songs

C. Prayer:  Use the Scriptures to guide your prayers of praise and petition. 

Lord Jesus, thank you for demonstrating your love for us by dying for us while we were yet sinners.  Thank you for suffering on our behalf.  Jesus, give us a heart that “hangs on your words” and is eager to hear from you “early in the morning.” Give us hearts that gladly worship you with costly love and devotion.  Enable us to serve you alone as our Master.  Make us good stewards of the blessings you’ve given to us.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.