Section 117, The Passover and Last Supper

Section 117
PREPARATION FOR PASSOVER
DISCIPLES CONTEND FOR PRECEDENCE
(Bethany to Jerusalem. Thursday afternoon and, after sunset, beginning of Friday.)
MATT. 26:17-20
MARK 14:12-17
LUKE 22:7-18, 24- 30

The disciples were in Bethany at present but needed to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.  Jesus made arrangements (either supernaturally or humanly) that they could celebrate this meal corporately.

"He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” -Matthew 26:18

It's debatable as to whether Jesus' knowledge of this man with the water jar was supernatural or the result of pre-arrangement:

"There can be little doubt that Jesus was acquainted with this man, and that he was a disciple. The direction which he gave his disciples most clearly proves that he was omniscient. Amid so great a multitude going at that time into the city, it was impossible to know that “a particular man would be met” - a man bearing a pitcher of water - unless Jesus had all knowledge, and was therefore divine." -Albert Barnes

Man Bearing the Pitcher, Leon Davey

"A man carrying a jar of water would meet the two disciples, presumably near the eastern gate. This unusual, eye-catching sight suggests that it was a prearranged signal because normally only women carried water jars (men carried wineskins). They were to follow this man, apparently a servant, who would lead them to the right house. They were to tell the owner… The Teacher (cf. Mar_4:38) asks: Where is My guest room. . . ? The single self-designation “Teacher” implies Jesus was well known to the owner and the possessive pronoun “My” implies His prior arrangement to use the room."-BKC

"Luke brings out the parallelism between the Passover and the Lord's supper. Each consisted in eating followed by drinking, and the closeness of the parallel is emphasized by the use of almost the same words with regard to the cup." -Fourfold Gospel

"Mark and Luke add that he would show them “a large upper room, furnished and prepared.” Ancient writers remark that, at the time of the great feasts, the houses in Jerusalem were all open to receive guests - that they were in a manner common to the people of Judea; and there is no doubt, therefore, that the master of a house would have it ready on such occasions for company." -Barnes

"In sending to secure the room in which the paschal supper was being eaten, Jesus had said, "My time is at hand." Such expressions were falsely construed by the apostles. They thought that Jesus was about to set up his kingdom, and began at once to contend for the chief places. Jesus rebukes this false ambition in much the same manner as he had previously." -Fourfold Gospel

"And there arose also a contention among them, which of them was accounted to be greatest. " Luke 22:24

A lesson---during Christ's last moments with his disciples, one friend was busy betraying him and others were quarreling over their positions.  If the greatest teacher who ever lived struggled in this regard, then we will too. Characteristically, Christ used the moment to teach and clarify:

Barnes points out that the disciples exhibit their innocence when they inquire if one of them will betray them.  They are willing to examine and question their hearts whereas Judas is not.  A willingness to examine oneself is a key virtue.  We seem to have a innate desire to examine others critically but be blind to our own defects.

"For which is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am in the midst of you as he that serveth." Luke 22:27

Section 116, Judas

Section 116
JESUS PREDICTS, THE RULERS PLOT FOR, AND JUDAS BARGAINS FOR HIS DEATH.
(Mount of Olives, Bethany, and Jerusalem. Tuesday after sunset, which Jews regarded as the beginning of Wednesday.)
MATT. 26:1-5, 14-16
MARK 14:1, 2, 10, 11
LUKE 22:1-6

Summary:

The chief priests and elders gather in the high priest's palace (Caiaphas) with the initial plan of killing Jesus but waiting until after the Passover to avoid reaction from the crowds.  Judas went to the chief priests with the intent of bargaining over Jesus.

The words, When Jesus had finished saying all these things, are the last of five such turning points in the book (cf. Mat_7:28; Mat_11:1; Mat_13:53; Mat_19:1). -BKC

"Thirty silver coins were the redemption price paid for a slave (Exo_21:32)."-BKC

"Judas" means "praise." It's a beautiful name, but Judas wasted it and ruined it for future generations. How many parents name their kids Judas today? "Isacariot" most likely means he was from the town of Carioth. Judas of Carioth was the only one of all the disciples from the southern region of Israel—the educated, wealthy region of the country. So impressive was Judas that the disciples appointed him treasurer." -Courson

"And when they heard it, they were glad,.... That such an opportunity offered, and from such a quarter, by one of his own disciples; so that it might be done more secretly and effectually, and with less blame to themselves."  -Gill

Luke makes the most caustic observation: "Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve." Luke 22:3  John also makes this statement but sets it during the last supper.

22:3 Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples. In Joh_13:27, this action is said to have taken place after Jesus had handed him the piece of bread during the Passover meal. We conclude either that this took place in successive stages, or that Luke is emphasizing the fact rather than the exact time when it took place.

"Satan - This word properly means an adversary or an accuser. It is the name which in the Scriptures is commonly given to the prince or leader of evil spirits, and is given to him because he is the “accuser or calumniator” of the righteous (see Rev_12:10; compare Job_1:6-9), as well as because he is the “adversary” of God."

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 

Job 1:6  Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 

The label, "the Accuser" makes sense to me.  Satan messes with ours minds, ushering in doubt and shame.  He seeks to undermine our trust in God.  Both John and Luke directly point to Satan when explaining Judas' decision. I don't believe Judas' intent was to prompt Jesus to assume his Kingship on earth as a few commentaries suggest.  I think it was the culmination of a seed of wickedness and greed.

"Progressive wickedness
Men do not become great villains at once.
Souls are not like meteoric bodies, that are blazing amongst the stars at one moment, and the next in some dark pit on earth, wrapped in a noxious and sulphurous smoke. They are rather like trees, they fall by degrees. " -BI

"We may learn, also, that when Satan “tempts” people, he commonly does it by exciting and raising to the highest pitch their native passions. He does not make them act contrary to their nature, but leads them on to “act out” their proper disposition." -Albert Barnes

Section 115, Two End Time Parables

Section 115
CONCLUSION OF OUR LORD'S DISCOURSE. PARABLES OF VIRGINS AND TALENTS.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT.
(Mount of Olives. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.)
MATT. 25:1-46

Jesus relates two parables regarding the end times.  The first, the Parable of the Ten Virgins, is a warning to be watchful and prepared.  The second is another parable of talents, conveying the truth that we should be diligent while we wait and look to Him in faith.

My Thoughts on the End Times...

End times are some of my least favorite parts of the gospels.  Yes, I look forward to His return, and Briggs pointed that out immediately. the overwhelming thought of stars falling from the sky, people caught off guard, and judgments being cast--

From the last section, I agree with the comments of the Fourfold Commentary in this regard:

25 And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows [We can conceive of nothing which would produce greater mental distress or perplexity than changes in the position or condition of the heavenly bodies. Such changes will be followed by corresponding commotions on our planet, as, for instance, great tidal waves and vast agitation in the ocean.]-Fourfold Gospel

And I also appreciate their nudge to refocus here too:

 c 28 But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh. [The preliminary death-throes of this present physical universe, which will strike terror to the souls of those who have limited themselves to material hopes, will be to the Christian a reassuring sign, since he looks for a new heaven and a new earth.]-Fourfold

It is our positional difference---it will be our positional difference--that impacts our feeling about this chaos.
If it is the beginning of a new birth, then all is well.

"The words the nations (ta ethnē) should be translated “the Gentiles.” These are all people, other than Jews, who have lived through the Tribulation period (cf. Joe_3:2, Joe_3:12). They will be judged individually, not as national groups. They are described as a mingling of sheep and goats, which the Lord will separate." BKC

"The expression “these brothers” must refer to a third group that is neither sheep nor goats. The only possible group would be Jews, physical brothers of the Lord. In view of the distress in the Tribulation period, it is clear that any believing Jew will have a difficult time surviving (cf. Mat_24:15-21). The forces of the world dictator will be doing everything possible to exterminate all Jews (cf. Rev_12:17). A Gentile going out of his way to assist a Jew in the Tribulation will mean that Gentile has become a believer in Jesus Christ during the Tribulation. By such a stand and action, a believing Gentile will put his life in jeopardy. His works will not save him; but his works will reveal that he is redeemed."BKC

"In this parable, Jesus refers to the judgment of nations that will take place at the end of the Tribulation. According to Zec_14:4, when Jesus comes back to earth, the Mount of Olives will split in half the moment His feet touch down upon it. I found it interesting that contractors were denied a permit to build a hotel on the Mount of Olives because seismological studies indicated a major fault running through it. When Jesus comes, that fault will split the mountain in half, a great valley will open up, and a new stream will begin to flow from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean. Joel refers to this valley as the valley of decision (Joe_3:14) because those who survive the Tribulation will be brought there to stand before the Lord at the judgment of the nations. The sheep will be allowed to enter into the millennium. The goats will be sent away to destruction. Who are the sheep? "The ones who clothed Me; fed Me; and cared about Me," answers Jesus.

"When did we do that, Lord?" the sheep ask.
"When you did it to the least of My brethren—the Jews," Jesus answers.

You see, midway through the Tribulation, Antichrist's determination to destroy the Jews will come to light. All over the world, anti-Semitism will run rampant. At that time, however, many will refuse to take the mark of the beast and will help the Jews, even as some did in Nazi Germany. They will visit those in prison. They will hide those in need of protection. They will reach out to those who are hurting. They will go on record, saying, "We will not take the mark of the beast. We will stand with these persecuted people." Jesus said in so doing, they will demonstrate outwardly their faith in Him." -Jon Courson

Section 114, The Second Coming

Section 114

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

MATT. 24:29-51 

MARK 13:24-37

LUKE 21:25-36

Detail from the Arch of Titus, Rome

What does Jesus mean by "this generation will not pass away until....?"

"Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." Matthew 24:34

Adam Clarke sees this comment as being true of the current generation, but more specifically, of the Jewish race:

"This generation shall not pass - Η γενεα αυτη, this race; i.e. the Jews shall not cease from being a distinct people, till all the counsels of God relative to them and the Gentiles be fulfilled."

"One should keep in mind that the primary application of this section is directed toward the future generation that will experience the days of the Tribulation and will be looking forward to the immediate coming of the King in glory. A secondary application of this passage, as with much of Scripture, is to believers living today who comprise the body of Christ, the church. The church is not in view in these verses. But just as God’s people in a future time are told to be prepared, watchful, and faithful, so too believers today should also be faithful and alert." -BKC

"But I think there is an added thought. In Jesus' day, “this generation” was a race that steadfastly refused to acknowledge Him as Messiah. I think He was predicting that national Israel would continue in its Christ-rejecting condition till His Second Coming. Then all rebellion will be crushed, and only those who willingly submit to His rule will be spared to enter the Millennium." -Believer's Bible

Who is the "one left?"

"...and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left." Matthew 24:39-40

All sides agree this is speaking about a division between those who know the Lord and those who don't--no debate in that sense.  However, the question of which group is "the one left" has various factions.
Matthew Henry and Jon Courson side with the perspective that the Christians will be taken/protected and the ungodly left to face judgement.  The Believer's Bible and the BKC view this as the beginning of Christ's judgement but not the rapture with the wicked swept away and Christians remaining.

"This is a controversial passage. Many say Jesus is speaking of the judgment that will take place when He comes back to rule and reign in Jerusalem. However, I join those who believe Jesus is speaking not of judgment but of the Rapture. You see, the Greek word translated "took" in verse Mat_24:39 is airo. But in verses Mat_24:40 and Mat_24:41, the word translated "taken" is paralombano. Why? Looking through my concordance, I find three other times paralombano is used. In Mat_1:20, the angel told Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his bride: In Mat_17:1, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up the Mount of Transfiguration. In Joh_14:3, Jesus said, "I will come again and take you unto Myself, that where I am there ye may be also." And I begin to see a pattern. Using paralombano, Jesus is not talking about judgment, punishment, and damnation. He's talking about a bride, glory, and Heaven. In other words, He's talking about the Rapture." -Jon Courson

24:40, 41 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken away in judgment, the other will be left to enter the Millennium. Two women will be grinding at the mill; they will be instantly separated. One will be swept away by the flood of judgment; the other left to enjoy the blessings of Christ's reign. (Vv. 40 and 41 are often used as a warning to the unsaved, in reference to the Rapture—the first phase of Christ's coming when He takes all believers to heaven and leaves all unbelievers behind for judgment. While that might be a valid application of the passage, the context makes it clear that the interpretation has to do with Christ's coming to reign.)-Believer's Bible

"As it was in Noah’s day, so it will be before the glorious coming of the Lord. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Analogous to Noah’s day, the individuals who will be “taken” are the wicked whom the Lord will take away in judgment (cf. Luk_17:37). The individuals “left” are believers who will be privileged to be on the earth to populate the kingdom of Jesus Christ in physical bodies. As the wicked were taken away in judgment and Noah was left on the earth, so the wicked will be judged and removed when Christ returns and the righteous will be left behind to become His subjects in the kingdom.

Clearly the church, the body of Christ, cannot be in view in these statements. The Lord was not describing the Rapture, for the removal of the church will not be a judgment on the church. If this were the Rapture, as some commentators affirm, the Rapture would have to be posttribulational, for this event occurs immediately before the Lord’s return in glory. But that would conflict with a number of Scriptures and present other problems that cannot be elaborated on here (cf., e.g., comments on 1 Thes. 4:13-18 and Rev. 3:10). The Lord’s warning emphasized the need to be prepared, for judgment will come at a time when people will least expect it.-BKC

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Take heed that no man deceive you;
Jesus does not answer the disciples’ question as to the time when "these things" shall occur; that is purposely left uncertain. He proceeds to warn them against the dangers which would beset them in the coming crisis. He withdraws them from the speculative to the practical (see Mat_24:23-25).-Gill?

"Watchfulness is keeping awake! We are beset by temptations to sleep. Bunyan said that we are traveling over the Enchanted Ground, the air of which is very heavy and sleep-producing. How dull we are to perceive the unseen, or to meet the great opportunities of life! Broken up alludes to the mud or clay house which could not keep off the thief. Death breaks in and carries us away from all of our treasures. See 1Th_5:2; 1Th_5:4. We had best wait for our Lord while engaged in carefully discharging our appointed tasks. The Church is a big household in which each has his niche. “To labor is to pray;” to serve is to be ready." FB Meyer

"And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." v37 [This warning message was not for the apostles alone, but for all disciples.] -Fourfold

Section 113, Destruction of Jerusalem Predicted

Section 113
DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM FORETOLD.
MATT. 24:1-28
MARK 13:1-23
LUKE 21:5-2

Summary:  The disciples comment on the impressive nature of the temple, and Jesus responds by predicting its complete demise.  This leads into Andrew, James, John, and Peter approaching him privately and asking when this will occur and what will be the sign.

Jesus says they should watch for the following:
1. False Christs
2. Wars and rumors of wars
3. Great natural disturbances--earthquakes, famines, disease
4. Outbreak of persecution

Jesus elaborates on some aspects of this persecution---that there would be false prophets, they will be hated by all men, love of many would grow cold, it would separate families, etc.

"In your patience ye shall win your souls." v 19 [The Christian's battle is won by endurance and not by violence, and he that can patiently hold out unto the end can, by the grace of God, save his soul.]  -Fourfold

5. Jerusalem encompassed by armies, abomination of desolation (last sign)

He says when you see these signs, then flee as this is a season of judgement.

"and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. [By comparing this passage with Romans 11., we find that the times of the Gentiles signify that period wherein the church is made up of Gentiles to the almost exclusion of the Jews. The same chapter shows that this period is to be followed by one wherein the Jew and the Gentile unite together in proclaiming the gospel. This prophecy, therefore, declares that until this union of the Jew and the Gentile takes place, the city of Jerusalem shall not only be controlled by the Gentiles, [625] but shall be trodden under foot--i. e., oppressed--by them. The history of Jerusalem, to this day, is a striking fulfillment of this prophecy.]-BKC

The Fourfold Commentary asserts that these events had their immediate fulfillment in the seige by Rome.

Section 112

Section 112
GREEKS SEEK JESUS. HE FORETELLS THAT HE SHALL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO HIM.
 (In the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.)
 JOHN 12:20-50

Summary:  Jesus speaks to some Greeks and reflects upon his current role on earth and His Father's larger will.

"The mention of Greeks is significant. They were the wanderers of the ancient world and the seekers of truth. These Greeks were probably God-fearers who attended Jewish synagogues and feasts. Their coming was symbolic of the coming of Gentiles to worship God through Christ (cf. Joh_10:16)."-Barnes?

 John from the beginning of his Gospel (Joh_1:11) had sounded the theme of national unbelief. John now explained that in spite of all Jesus’ miraculous signs (sēmeia), they still would not believe in Him. Their unbelief was irrational, as sin always is. -BKC

"He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." John 1:11

"The purpose of God’s revelation in Jesus is positive: He came to save, not to judge (Joh_12:47; cf. Joh_3:17 and comments on Joh_9:39). But rejection of God’s Revelation inevitably brings a hardening in sin and ultimately God’s judgment.-BKC

In speaking of Jewish national unbelief John balanced his theological explanation with Jesus’ serious exhortation to the nation to repent. In the words of Moses, these “are not just idle words for you - they are your life” (Deu_32:47). -BKC

He says the word he spake will judge them in the last day.  v.47----logos, the word is powerful and John conveys this repeatedly.

"Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him." John 12:41

"In Isaiah 6 the prophet was described as seeing the glory of God. John now added the explanation that it was Christ's glory which Isaiah saw, and it was of Christ that he spoke. Thus, this verse is another important link in the chain of evidence that proves Jesus Christ to be God." -Believer's Bible

And he refers to these as commands that come from the Father, "He hath given me a commandment, what I should say, what I should speak." v. 49

And he "knows this commandment is life eternal." John 12:50

How is the word commandment being used in this passage? 
entole, "Injunction" "authoritative prescripton" (Strong's)

He remarks that the Father "hath said" these things "unto me."  v 50  Also interesting....that this is not an internal understanding but represented as a spoken passing on, oral conversation between them.

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I find it interesting that Jesus skirted his opposition until toward the end.  Then he set himself up in the temple in Jerusalem, giving all wide access to him for good or evil.  He played by His rules alone, determined by the will of His Father and their eternal perspective. As we draw near to the end of his earthly life, his words feel weightier and weightier.

"Verily, verily, [with these emphatic words Jesus prepares for a hard saying], I say unto you, Except a grain of  wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. [As the germ of life in the grain of wheat can only pass into other grains by departing from the original grain and leaving it dead, so the life which was in Christ Jesus could only pass into his disciples by his death.] -Fourfold and John 12:24

Verily, verily....

But if it die.....
I don't like the inherent cost and seeming finality of this statement and necessary process.

The seed not only perpetuates the life of the plant, but multiples it.  It's a birth process that brings life over and over again:

"If a grain of wheat saves itself, it remains but one grain until it rots; but if it yields up its life-germ as a sacrifice to the law of growth, it multiplies itself thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold and continues its multiplication through an innumerable posterity." -Fourfold

"All the beauty and richness of the harvest results from the fact that the grain had died. If it had not died it would never have germinated or produced the glory of the yellow harvest. So with him. By this he still keeps before them the truth that he was to be glorified, but he delicately and beautifully introduces the idea still that he must die." -Barnes

"And die - The whole body or substance of the grain, except the germ, dies in the earth or is decomposed, and this decomposed substance constitutes the first nourishment of the tender germ a nutriment wonderfully adapted to it, and fitted to nourish it until it becomes vigorous enough to derive its support entirely from the ground. In this God has shown his wisdom and goodness. No one thing could be more evidently fitted for another than this provision made in the grain itself for the future wants of the tender germ." -Barnes

"If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will the Father honor." -John 12:26

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"The joy of being with Christ is the chief expectation of the Christian--II. Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; Rev. 21:3; 22:20."-Fourfold

"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."-2 Corinthians 5:8

"For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better." Philippians 1:23

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."Revelation 21:3

"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
Revelation 22:20

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"Father, save me from this hour. But for this cause [for this purpose of imparting life through a sacrificial death] came I unto this hour. [Thus Jesus proposes a prayer for deliverance, but repudiates it as contrary to the very purpose of his life.]" -John 12:27 plus Forefold comments

"Father, glorify thy name." -John 12:28

"Having refused to ask for deliverance, Jesus prays that he may glorify the Father by suffering according to his original statement contained in verses 23 and 24."  -Fourfold Gospel

When my father died in a hospital room in Charlotte in 1999, I was holding his hand and singing the only Christian song that came to my mind at the time...a bit of it is,

"Father, we love you
we praise you and adore you,
glorify your name in all the earth.
glorify your name,
glorify your name,
glorify your name in all the earth."

It seemed like an odd choice then--the thought that my father's earthly suffering and death would somehow glorify God.  Also, it didn't feel like a particularly comforting song to sing to him.  Over the years though, I've been thankful for the choice.  It's solid.  It's true.  God used Jesus' death before my father's and

The mysterious dividing power of Christ:

"Jesus so came, so loved, and so taught that those who hunger for godliness are drawn to him and enlightened by him, while those who despise the grace and love of God are repelled and blinded."-Fourfold

"Walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not: and he that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.  While ye have the light, believe on the light, that ye may become sons of light." -John 12:35-36

"These things spake Jesus, and he departed and hid himself from them." John 12:36

"Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:  for they loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God."  John 12:42-43

These members of the Sanhedrin believed with the head rather than with the heart (Rom. 10:10); their hearts already being occupied with the love of praise or man-glory. Their disbelief accorded with the words of Jesus (John 5:44). As to expulsion from the synagogue, see John 9:22. -Fourfold

"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans." 10:10

"How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" John 5:44

"This was his last public appeal to the people. He now retired, probably to Bethany, and they saw him no more until he was a prisoner in the hands of his enemies." -Fourfold

Catechism Q#1

Hello,

The catechism came to my mind this morning. I never learned it as a child----it's a very old school concept, and, like many things, can be just a mindless activity that does not touch your spirit. BUT, I think of it also as touchstones--these are the things that most Christians believe about God, based on the Bible. It's good to have these kind of touchstones in our minds and hearts--that we can articulate what we believe and base this on scripture, not our present feelings, the trends of the present cultures (secular or church) or what we've heard from others. 

The first one below is seems overly simple, but it's incredibly foundational. Your purpose in life is not to glorify yourself or others. It's not to be happy necessarily or have a good job. It's to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. Don't breeze over that---ponder it. It's a huge concept. What does it really mean to glorify God? To enjoy Him? What does that look like in practical ways?
I am reading John 12 right now, and Jesus makes some interesting remarks in his last public speech:

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” -John 12: 27-28

When my father died in a hospital room in Charlotte in 1999, I was holding his hand and singing the only Christian song that came to my mind at the time...a bit of it is,

"Father, we love you

we praise you and adore you,

glorify your name in all the earth.

glorify your name,

glorify your name,

glorify your name in all the earth."

It seemed like an odd choice then--the thought that my father's earthly suffering and death would somehow glorify God.  Also, it didn't feel like a particularly comforting song to sing to him.  Over the years though, I've been thankful for the choice.  It's solid.  It's true.  God used Jesus' death before my father's, and if our chief purpose is to glorify and enjoy God forever, then that was an excellent and appropriate prayer for my father too.

Heavy I know, but true and important.

xoxo 

Mom

Westminster Shorter Catechism 
Question 1

Q: What is the chief end of man? 
A: Man's chief end is to glorify God,1 and to enjoy him forever.2

related scriptures:
1 Corinthians 10:31. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

 Romans 11:36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Psalm 73:24-26. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.


John 17:22, 24. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one... Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Section 111, The Widow's Mites

Section 111 
OBSERVING THE OFFERINGS AND WIDOW'S MITES
(In the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.)
MARK 12:41-44; LUKE 21:1-4

"We are disposed to measure the value of actions quantitatively rather than qualitatively. Moreover, we are better judges of actions than of motives, and can see the outward conduct much clearer than the inward character. God, therefore, in his word, constantly teaches us that he looks rather upon the inward than the outward. In this case, the value of the woman's gift was measured, not by quantity, but its quality; in quantity it was two mites, in quality it was the gift of all she had. From considering the corrupt character of the Pharisees, Jesus must have turned with pleasure to look upon the beautiful heart of this devout widow." -Fourfold

Section 110 Jesus Takes Down the Scribes and Pharisees

Section 110 
JESUS' LAST PUBLIC DISCOURSE. DENUNCIATION OF SCRIBES AND PHARISEES
(In the court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.) 
MATT. 23:1-39
MARK 12:38-40
LUKE 20:45-47

One principle Jesus taught through this indictment is that the moral acts are greater than the observances. The second is the idea that the Pharisees and scribes were guilty of acts of omission rather than commission.

Charles Gilbert Weston (1924-1974) views the passage as a declaration of the proper relationship between man and God:

"It is a declaration of the essential relations of man to God. Three things constitute a Christian—what he is, what he believes, what he does; doctrine, experience, practice. Man needs for his spiritual being three things—life, instruction, guidance; just what our Lord declares in the ten words of the Gospel—“I am the way, and the truth, and the life”... . Acknowledge no man as Father, for no man can impart or sustain spiritual life; install no man as an infallible teacher; allow no one to assume the office of spiritual director; your relation to God and to Christ is as close as that of any other person."

Jesus also clarifies the proper relationship between believers:

“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father." -Matthews 23:8-9

"Leadership positions should never be a goal in and of themselves, but should always be viewed as opportunities to serve others." -BKC

On the concept of Christian brother and sisterhood: "If God be the Father of all beings, they are all, in some way, related to us." -J. Jortin

The Pharisees are guilty of placing undue emphasis on the details of ritualism while neglecting the more important moral obligations:

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things
Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!  -Matt 23:23

The fifth woe is against ritualism without reality. The scribes and Pharisees were meticulous in giving the Lord a tenth of the most insignificant herbs they raised. Jesus did not condemn them for this care about small details of obedience, but He excoriated them for being utterly unscrupulous when it came to showing justice, mercy, and faithfulness to others. Using a figure of speech unsurpassed for expressiveness, Jesus described them as straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel. The gnat, a tiny insect that often fell into a cup of sweet wine, was strained out by sucking the wine through the teeth. How ludicrous to take such care with the insignificant, then bolt down the largest unclean animal in Palestine! -Believer's Bible

"There is a spice of hypocrisy in us all." S. Rutherford

"The hypocrite-the man that stole the livery of heaven to serve the devil in." R. Pollok

Jesus asserts that physical details of faith (tithing for instance) should not be neglected but that we sin if we use outward observances to cloak inner motives that are impure. The physical observances can honored without touching a person's spirit. Christ teaches that we should first consider the intent of our own hearts, our motives, why we do what we do, and what we may be neglecting but should do.

Does all sin originate with acts of omission?

Vaughan believes this is the case:

"It scarcely admits of a question, but that every sin which was ever committed upon the earth, is traceable, in the first instance, to a sin of omission. At a certain point of the genealogy of that sin, there was something of which it is not too much to say that if it had been done that sin would have been cut short. And the very earliest cause of that sin (whether you are able to discover a root or not) lay, not in anything we did, or said, or thought, but in that which we might have done, and did not do; or, might have said, and did not say; or, might have thought, and did not think. Every sin lies in a chain, and the first link is fastened to another link. For instance, that first sin committed after the Fall-Cain’s fratricide-was the result of anger; that anger was the result of jealousy; that jealousy was the result of an unaccepted sacrifice; that unaccepted sacrifice was the result of the absence of faith; and that absence of faith was the result of an inattentive ear, or a heart which had grown silent towards God …As you uncoil a sin, you have been surprised to find what a compound thing that is which, at first sight, appeared single. You have gone on, finding the germ of one sin in the seed of another sin, till you could scarcely pursue the process because it stretched so far; but, if you went far enough, you found at last that some neglect was the beginning of it all." J. Vaughan, M. A.

"Sinners always are the troublers of the world." N. Emmons 

So simply put but accurate--our sin creates many of the troubles of this world.  We are always trying to climb out from underneath the sins of ourselves and others.  Only Christ holds the key.

An additionally  compelling analogy by Vaughan:

Sins of omission the most heinous

"By which are we most pained-the omissions, or the commissions, of life? Say you have two persons whom you love. I will suppose a father with two sons. The one often offends him by direct and open disobedience; and your heart is made to ache, again and again, by his frequent and flagrant transgressions of your law. The other does nothing which is outwardly and palpably bad. His life is moral, and his course correct. But he shows no sign whatsoever of any personal regard for you. You long to catch some indication of affection; but there is none. Day after day you have watched for it; but still there is none! You are plainly indifferent to him. He does not injure you. But in no thought, or word, or deed, does he ever show you that he has you in his heart, to care for you and love you. Now, which of those two sons will pain you most? The disobedient, or the cold one? The one who often transgresses, or the one who never loves? The one who commits, or the one who omits? Is there a doubt that, however much the committee may the more injure himself, or society, the omitter most wounds the parent’s heart? And is it not so with the great Father of us all?" J. Vaughan

And a further argument:

"The gospel precept-unlike the law-is direct and absolute, not negative: “Thou shalt love God, and thy neighbour.” And therefore the transgression must consist in an omission. It is only by not loving, that you can be brought in guilty, under the code of the gospel of Jesus Christ. -J. Vaughan

Charles John Vaughan, 1895

Section 109, What do you think about the Christ?

Section 109
JEWISH RULERS SEEK TO ENSNARE JESUS
(Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.)
Subdivision D. JESUS' QUESTION WHICH NONE COULD ANSWER
MATT. 22:41-46
MARK 12:35-37
LUKE 20:41-44

Summary:  After being asked many questions, Jesus asks them one of his own. The Fourfold Gospel asserts this was not in a malicious spirit but to provoke thought.  He asks,  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” Matthew 22:42  This led into an inquiry of Psalm 110.

"The complexities of this theological discussion were too much for the Pharisees who were not ready to acknowledge the deity of this Son of David. No one… dared answer His question or debate points of practice or theology with Jesus. All His opponents had been silenced, including the chief priests and elders (Mat_21:23-27), the Pharisees and the Herodians together (Mat_22:15-22), the Sadducees (Mat_22:23-33), and the Pharisees (Mat_22:34-36)."-BKC

"Now Jesus posed the question, “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” The answer is that the Messiah is both David's Lord and David's Son—both God and Man. As God, He is David's Lord; as Man, He is David's Son." -Believer's Bible

Section 109--The Scribe's Question

Section 109
JEWISH RULERS SEEK TO ENSNARE JESUS
 (Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.)
Subdivision C
A LAWYER ASKS ABOUT THE GREAT COMMANDMENT
MATT. 22:34-40
MARK 12:28-34
LUKE 20:40

"Jesus answered, “The most important 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.’"  -Mark 12:29-30

It's easy to think I understand this concept--"loving God with all parts of me."  But I can't say I fully understand any of these pieces or how they differentiate/blend.  Here are some of the nuances from Vincent's Word Studies

Comments on "heart"
With all thy heart (ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου)
Lit., out of thy whole heart. The heart, not only as the seat of the affections, but as the centre of our complex being - physical, moral, spiritual, and intellectual.

Comments on "soul" 
Soul (ψυχῆς)
The word is often used in the New Testament in its original meaning of life. See Mat_2:20; Mat_20:28; Act_20:10; Rom_11:3; Joh_10:11. Hence, as an emphatic designation of the man himself. See Mat_12:18; Heb_10:38; Luk_21:19. So that the word denotes “life in the distinctness of individual existence” (Cremer). See further on ψυχικός, spiritual, 1Co_15:44.

Comments on "mind"
Mind (διανοίας)
The faculty of thought: understanding, especially the moral understanding.

"And the second a like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Love is the cure for sin, for we can not sin against those whom we truly love. Where we love, we desire to bless. But sin always carries with it a willingness to injure or to curse." -Fourfold

"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Romans 13:8-10

"The generic nature of the law of love is also noted by Paul (Rom. 13:8-10); but love without law is not sufficient. Love begets a desire to bless, but the law guides to the accomplishment of that desire. Perfect righteousness is the result of wisdom as well as affection. Love without law is power without direction, and law without love is machinery without a motor. (i.e., 1 Corinthians 13:1-13) -Fourfold

"And the scribe said unto him, Of a truth, Teacher, thou hast well said that he is one; and there is none other but he: and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God."  Mark 12: 32-34

Regarding verses 32-33: "Here, as in the preceding subdivision, the answer of Jesus was so clearly right that it enforced admiration." -Fourfold

"Grand indeed was this scribe’s confession, that love "is much more than whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." All religions—the true as well as the false—are corrupted by a tendency in human nature to substitute the sacrificial, the ceremonial, the verbal, for the real, the spiritual." -Pulpit Commentary

Regarding verse 34: "Prejudice is the great obstacle to entering the kingdom." -Fourfold

Section 109 B

Section 109
JEWISH RULERS SEEK TO ENSNARE JESUS
(Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.)
Subdivision B
SADDUCEES ASK ABOUT THE RESURRECTION
MATT. 22:23-33
MARK 12:18-27
LUKE 20:27-39

Summary: The Sadducees put forth their argument that there is no bodily resurrection by asking Jesus what would happen in the case that a woman remarried her husband's brother after his death 7 times.

"The disbelief of the Sadducees manifested itself in a triple form, for they denied the resurrection and the existence of angels and spirits (Acts 23:8), but the basal principle of their infidelity was the denial of spirits. It was, as it were, the tree trunk from which their other errors sprang as branches. If there were such things as spirits, it was not worth while to deny that there was an order of them known as angels. If man had a spirit which could survive his body, it was reasonable to believe that God, having so fashioned him that a body is essential to his activity and happiness, would in some manner restore a body to him. Jesus therefore does not pursue the argument until he has proved a resurrection; but rests when he has proved that man has a spirit. Jesus proves that man has a spirit by a reference from the Pentateuch, that part of Scripture which the Sadducees accepted as derived from God through Moses. The reference shows that God was spoken of and spoke of himself as the God of those who were, humanly speaking, long since dead. But the Sadducees held that a dead man had ceased to exist, that he had vanished to nothingness." -Fourfold

"The Sadducees professed themselves to be bound by the Pentateuch, and to have searched in vain for evidences of a life beyond. They were greatly startled, therefore, when our Lord proved human immortality from the book of Exodus. He had never passed through their schools and sat at the feet of their great teachers, but He showed them that “at the Bush” the voice of God attested eternal life." -F.B. Meyer

"The risen life is no mere reproduction of the present, but a regeneration, new life added to the old, with new powers, acting under new laws, ranged in a new community." -Pulpit Commentary

"The key to the interpretation of the Scripture is faith. It is not enough to be acquainted with the literal signification; this is always inadequate, and denotes not the chief matter intended. To know the Scripture, in the sense of Christ, is to have a clear apprehension of its spiritual aspect, to feel and own the moral and mystical bearing of facts and statements, and to recognize that herein lies the real significance of the inspired record." -Pulpit Commentary

Paul:
"Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?" Acts 26:8

I find this statement an interesting glimpse into the dynamics of Heaven:

"But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:  ‘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.”  -Matthew 22:29-32

What does it mean that they are "like angels in heaven"?  Here are some of Matthew Henry's thoughts:

"Man in his creation was made a little lower than the angels (Psa_8:5); but in his complete redemption and renovation will be as the angels; pure and spiritual as the angels, knowing and loving as those blessed seraphim, ever praising God like them and with them. The bodies of the saints shall be raised incorruptible and glorious, like the uncompounded vehicles of those pure and holy spirits (1Co_15:42, etc.), swift and strong, like them."

Section 109, Subdivision A

Section 109

JEWISH RULERS SEEK TO ENSNARE JESUS
(Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.)
Subdivision A. PHARISEES AND HERODIANS ASK ABOUT TRIBUTE.

MATT. 22:15-22
MARK 12:13-17
LUKE 20:20-26

"This answer is full of consummate wisdom. It establishes the limits, regulates the rights, and distinguishes the jurisdiction of the two empires of heaven and earth. The image of princes stamped on their coin denotes that temporal things belong all to their government. The image of God stamped on the soul denotes that all its faculties and powers belong to the Most High, and should be employed in his service." -Adam Clarke

"Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words." Matthew 22:15

It seems stupid to me that the Pharisees thought that they could "entangle him" in his words because Jesus, as God, with God, since the beginning, is the Creator and the Supreme Master of Rhetoric:

"In the beginning was the Word, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:1-5

How could they hope to entrap him in the very words He made?  The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge makes an apt cross reference here:

"Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,  “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”  He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision." -Psalms 2:1-4

And another from the New Testament:

"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted."  Hebrews 12:3

Section 108, D

Section 108
IN REPLY TO THE QUESTIONS AS TO HIS AUTHORITY.
JESUS GIVES THE THIRD GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES.
(In the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.)
Subdivision D
PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE OF THE KING'S SON
MATT. 22: 1-14

Summary 

A king is giving a wedding feast for his son.  Those who have been invited are notified by servants that the feast is ready;  they "call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come" (Matt 22:3). What type of person disregards a feast thrown by a king for his son?  Some invited are merely indifferent, distracted by their own land and affairs.  Others are actively hostile to the messengers, abusing and killing them. The king's justifiably angry response was to send some to destroy the murderer and burn their city.

How bizarre this is when I take pains to think about it and relate it to real life. If I prepared a lavish meal to celebrate the marriage of our son and had that type of response!

The guests reject the invitation because they feel self-sufficient and self-absorbed.  Vincent's Word Studies points out that the phrase "his own farm"  stresses "the contrast between his selfish interest and the respect due to his king."  Their reaction is one of indifference; they have better things to do.  Like the Jews, we risk getting caught up in the "more important" affairs before us to His neglect and provision.

The Echo of Hezekiah's Passover Celebration

Vincent's Word Studies cross-references Hezekiah's efforts to re-institute the Passover were met with this type of scorn.  I don't know why I'm newly impressed each time I glimpse the unity of the old and new testaments---His word is seamless, telling one truth and of one God from beginning to end:

"Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the LORD God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see. Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.” So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them." -2 Chronicles 30:7-10

Unity of heart is also from the Lord:

"The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD."  2 Chronicles 30:12

Those who did respond came to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem under Hezekiah, yet many were not ceremonially pure. The mercy of God and the outreach of Hezekiah here for his people is touching:

"For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to  the sanctuary's rules of cleanness.” And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people."  2 Chronicles 30:18-20

Come to the Banquet

"behold, I have prepared my dinner." Matthew 22:4

As John Gill points out, it's no ordinary banquet:

 "The ministry of the word and ordinances under the Gospel dispensation, is signified by a "dinner"; of God's preparing and providing; which is a full meal at noon, and in it is plenty of food, and of that which is wholesome to the souls of men, sweet and savoury to a spiritual taste, and very nourishing and satisfying; and this dinner is a feast, a rich banquet, a grand entertainment; in which are a variety of provisions, suited to all sorts of persons, and plenty of the richest dainties, attended with the largest expressions of joy; and this feast is a marriage one, and that not for an ordinary person, but for the king's son, the son of the King of kings; it is large, grand, and noble, rich and costly, and yet all free to the guests; it is kept in the king's palace, the banqueting house, the church, is common to all, and of long continuance, it will last unto the end of the world." -John Gill

The Preparations of the Guest, Our Preparations

"And went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: they all turned their backs on the Gospel, and the ministration of it, and pursued their own worldly inclinations, ways, and methods of life: those that were brought up in a rural way, lived a country life, and were concerned in meaner employments, went everyone to their "village", as the Vulgate Latin, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel read it, and to their farms, there to manage their cattle, and till their ground; and others, that lived in larger towns and cities, and were concerned in greater business of life, betook themselves to trade at home, or traffic abroad; placing their happiness in the affluence of this life, which they preferred to the word and ordinances of Christ."

Returning to this parable, the guest who is "caught" not wearing proper clothing is a sobering image.  It brings me back to those painful moments in my childhood when I forgot something important inadvertently--a horrible feeling.  I'm not sure this is the right parallel however.  In this instance, it's more that the guest does not bother to prepare fully knowing the need and responding in apathy.  He does not have proper respect for the party or host.

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment." Matthew 22:11

Vincent's Word Studies teases this out:

"When the king addresses the guest, he is thinking not so much of the outward token of disrespect, as of the guest's mental attitude toward the proprieties of the occasion. It is as if he had said, “What were you thinking of, where was your respect for me and for my guests, when you allowed yourself to come hither not (μὴ) having the proper garment, as you knew you ought to have? It implies, as Dr. Morison observes, that the man was conscious of the omission when he entered, and was intentionally guilty of the neglect.”

"A person must respond not only outwardly, but also he must be rightly related to God the King by appropriating all the King provides." -BKC

"The feast denotes the present and future kingdom of God; the entrance to this is a matter of free grace; the garment is moral fitness, the life and conduct dependent on the due use of God’s grace. This is in the power of all who have received the call; they have to act up to the high calling, to be wholly, heartily, really what they profess to be." -Pulpit Commentary

Free Will, the Issue of the Called and Chosen

"For many are called, but few are chosen.” -Matthew 22:14

While the kingdom had now been expanded to include individuals from all races and backgrounds (many are invited), there is an election (few are chosen). And yet individual response is essential. -BKC

"God the Father sent His Spirit to woo a bride for His Son. The ministry of the Spirit is to call people to the wedding, to win a bride for Jesus Christ. Who did He call first? Salvation is to the Jew first and then the Gentile (Rom_2:9-10)." -Courson

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. -Rev 22:17 

My brother-in-law referenced this analogy years ago, and I finally found the source the other way. Here it is so that I don't forget it:

"The famous American Bible teacher Donald Grey Barnhouse (1895–1960) often used an illustration to help people make sense of election. He asked them to imagine a cross like the one on which Jesus died, only so large that it had a door in it. Over the door were these words from Revelation: “Whosoever will may come.” These words represent the free and universal offer of the gospel. By God’s grace, the message of salvation is for everyone. Every man, woman, and child who will come to the cross is invited to believe in Jesus Christ and enter eternal life.

On the other side of the door a happy surprise awaits the one who believes and enters. From the inside, anyone glancing back can see these words from Ephesians written above the door: “Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.” Election is best understood in hindsight, for it is only after coming to Christ that one can know whether one has been chosen in Christ. Those who make a decision for Christ find that God made a decision for them in eternity past." -Phil Ryken & Justin Taylor,The Gospel Coalition, June 11, 2010

"The wedding is ready. God’s great design is not frustrated by the neglect of those first invited, only the guests are changed."  Meyer

 This is the fruit of sin, and especially of the abuse of faith and grace" (Quesnel).

Section 108 C

Section 108 C
IN REPLY TO THE QUESTIONS AS TO HIS AUTHORITY
JESUS GIVES THE THIRD GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES.
(In the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A. D. 30.)
Subdivision C
PARABLE OF THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN
MATT. 21:33-46
MARK 12:1-12
LUKE 20:9-19

Summary:  A man establishes a house, vineyard, press, wall, and tower.  He leases the land to tenants and goes to another country.  When it was time for the harvest, he sent his servant to collect due fruit.  The tenants beat the servants.  He sent more and they beat them too.  Then the owner sent his son, and they plotted to kill him so that they could gain his inheritance. So, Jesus says that the kingdom will be taken away from them and given to another and references that the "stone the builder has rejected has become the capstone" (Ps 118:22).

"Mankind mistakes the patience of God for impotence." -Courson

"Jesus frequently refers to this withdrawal of the visible presence of God from the world, always bringing out the point that the withdrawal tests faithfulness." -Fourfold

Oh! for grace to be always aware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees, which the Son of God himself declares to be hypocrisy. Luk_12:1.-Hawker

"In thus bringing the story down to the immediate present, and stating a counsel which his enemies had just spoken privately in each other's ears, Jesus must have startled them greatly. He showed 189 them, too, that those things which made them deem it necessary to kill him were the very things which proved his heirship. They regarded the Jewish nation as their property, and they were plotting to kill Jesus that they might withhold it from him." -Fourfold