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Holy Week Bible Study : at the Temple and the Cursed Fig Tree After , Jesus returned with his disciples to Jerusalem. Along the way, he cursed a fig tree because it had failed to bear fruit. Some scholars consider this cursing of the fig tree symbolized God's judgment on the spiritually dead religious leaders of Israel. Others believe the analogy reached to all believers, explaining that true faith is more than just outward religiosity; true, living faith must bear spiritual fruit in a person's life.

When Jesus appeared at the Temple, he discovered the courts full of corrupt money changers. He overturned their tables and cleared the Temple, saying;

Luke 19:46. The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves. On Monday evening Jesus stayed in again, likely in the home of his friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The Bible account of Holy Monday is found in: Matthew 21:12-22, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-17. Read the Bible Story of the Cursed Fig Tree : Jesus Goes to the Mount of Olives On Tuesday morning, Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. At the Temple, Jewish religious leaders were enraged at Jesus for establishing himself as a spiritual authority. They arranged an ambush with the intent to put him under arrest. But Jesus eluded their traps and declared severe judgments on them, saying:

Matthew 23:24-33. "Blind guides! For you are like whitewashed tombs —beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness...Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?" 2

Later that day, Jesus left Jerusalem and went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, which overlooks the city. There Jesus delivered the Olivet Discourse, an extensive revelation about the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age. He speaks, as usual, in parables, using symbolic language about the end times events, including His Second Coming and the final judgment. The Olivet discourse: John 12:20-38. Holy Although scripture doesn't affirm what the Lord did on Holy Wednesday, theologians consider that after two days in Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples used this day to rest in Bethany in expectation of . Two events happened on this Wednesday

I. Spy Wednesday Wednesday is sometimes called Spy Wednesday. On this day, Judas betrayed Jesus and because of the sneakiness of Judas, the image of a spy has been advocated by his action. So this jealous group of people got together with , a disciple of Jesus who too was jealous of all the love Jesus was receiving. The Sanhedrin plotted to kill Jesus, while Judas the Iscariot agreed to betray Jesus and hand him over to the Sanhedrin for some money (30 pieces of silver.

Matthew 26:14-16. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, what will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And the covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. II. Jesus Gets Anointed at Bethany. Another important event of Holy Wednesday is the anointment of Jesus at Bethany. In Christian scriptures, it is mentioned that while Jesus was in Bethany, he reclined at the table in the home of . Meanwhile, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure Spikenard (a flowering plant). She opened the jar and blessed Jesus with this expensive perfume. Regarding this incident the scripture says; 3

Matthew 26:6-13 says: While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Holy : Passover and the On the Thursday of Holy Week, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as they prepared to share in the Passover. By doing this humble act of service, Jesus showed by example how His followers should love one another. Today, many churches follow foot-washing commemorations as a component of their Maundy Thursday worship services.

What does maundy mean? On its own, the word maundy means “the ceremony of washing the feet of the poor, especially commemorating Jesus’ washing of His disciples’ feet on Maundy Thursday.” Recorded around 1250–1300, the word maundy comes from the Old French mande, in turn from the mandātum, which means “mandate or command.” As you may have guessed, this Latin word is the source of the English mandate.

The specific mandate or command at hand refers to the words Jesus is believed to have spoken after washing the feet of his disciples during the Last Supper. In the New King James Version of the Gospel of John, chapter 13, verse 34, Jesus said: “A new commandment I give you that you love one another; even as I have loved you that you also love one another. The mandate or command was for the Lord’s Supper and not foot washing. 4

Luke 22:15-16, ESV. Then, Jesus bestowed the feast of Passover, also known as the Last Supper, with his disciples, stating: "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

As the Lamb of God, Jesus was fulfilling the purpose of Passover by giving his body to be broken and his blood to be shed in sacrifice, saving us from sin and death. During this Last Supper, Jesus established the Lord's Supper, or Communion, teaching his disciples to continuously recognize his sacrifice by sharing in the bread and wine.

Luke 22:19-20. And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." Luke 22:44, ESV. After the meal, Jesus and the disciples left the Upper Room and went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in anguish to God the Father. The book of Luke states that "his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" Late that night in Gethsemane, Jesus was betrayed with a kiss by Judas Iscariot and arrested by the Sanhedrin. He was taken to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the full council had assembled to make their claim against Jesus. In the early morning, as Jesus' trial was beginning, Peter denied knowing his Master three times before the rooster crowed. The Bible account of Maundy Thursday is found in Matthew 26:17-75, :12-72, Luke 22:7-62, and John 13:1-38.