Keep in mind that we are reading about the final week before Jesus’ crucifixion. The Holy Spirit must want us to know more about that week than any other week of Jesus’ life, because the four Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, devoted almost one third of their combined writings to it. It was the most important week in human history.

The incident of Jesus cursing the fig tree has raised some questions. First, why did Jesus, upon seeing the fig tree from a distance, need to get close to see if it had any figs? If He was God, why didn’t He automatically know the tree was fruitless, since God knows everything?

The answer, as you hopefully already know by now, is that Jesus stripped Himself of omniscience when He became a human being. Any knowledge He possessed that could be categorized as supernatural was given to Him as God might give it to any of His servants—through the Holy Spirit’s gift of the word of knowledge. Unless God revealed something to Jesus, He had to obtain information like anyone else. It was too early in the fig season for figs in the region of Jerusalem, and Jesus discovered that the fig tree was fruitless.

So why did He curse a fruitless fig tree that was fruitless because of the season? You can be certain Jesus wasn’t angry at the tree and certainly wasn’t holding the tree responsible for its fruitlessness. Trees aren’t people, and God isn’t holding them accountable for their actions!

Some people think the fig tree was representative of fruitless Israel, and that Jesus cursed it as a foreshadowing of God’s soon-coming curse. Perhaps that’s true, but the Bible doesn’t say. More likely, Jesus was using the fig tree to teach His disciples a lesson about faith. The next day, they were amazed that the fig tree had withered, and Jesus explained to them the power of faith in God. If they would believe and not doubt in their hearts, they could speak to mountains and make them move! Jesus went on to explain that faith was an important key to answered prayer.

We must understand that faith can only be born from God’s promises, and unless we have a promise from God that He wants an actual mountain moved, we couldn’t have faith to move it. But there are many “mountains” for which we do possess promises, and, with faith, we can move them by speaking to them. The key is not to doubt in our hearts, even when it appears as if our mountains aren’t moving. They will move if we believe God’s promise.

When Jesus cleared the Temple of those who were buying and selling there, it was the second time He did so, the first being about three years earlier (see John 2:13-17). Again, He was angered that a place that God had intended to be a place of prayer had been turned into a marketplace dominated by dishonesty. With a right only God possesses, Jesus acted as if He owned everything and cleaned house. That’s our Jesus—not just loving and compassionate, but holy and righteous.

Q. When we trust God to keep a promise, does what we believe for always come to pass instantly?

A. No, not always. According to Mark’s Gospel, the disciples didn’t notice that the fig tree had withered until about twenty-four hours after Jesus had cursed it.

Q. If we want our prayers to be answered, according to Jesus, what is even more important than having faith?

A. It is more important that we first forgive others, otherwise we have no assurance that God will forgive our sins.

Application: Jesus is still cleansing temples today, purifying them of sin and making them pleasing to God. Has He cleansed your temple?

Today’s reading contrasts Christ’s reception by the common people with His rejection by the religious leaders. When the leading priests demanded that Jesus tell them by what authority He had driven out the merchants from the Temple, He responded by asking them a question: Had God commissioned John the Baptist or did John act on his own initiative and power? Jesus knew the religious leaders would have trouble answering publicly, because He knew they really didn’t believe John was commissioned by God, otherwise they would have repented at his preaching. However, Jesus also knew that the majority of the common people felt that John was a God-sent prophet, and the religious leaders would be taking a great risk to say otherwise publicly. They were trying to force Jesus to say something in public that they could use to discredit Him, but by His question, Jesus put them in that same place! Afraid of the people, they wouldn’t give an honest answer, and their fear also prevented them from openly arresting Jesus later on, because so many people considered Him to be a God-sent prophet.

Then Jesus told the parable of the two sons to illustrate the difference between the religious leaders and the sinners who had repented. The first son, when told by his father to work in the vineyard, said, “No, I won’t go.” But he later changed his mind and obeyed. He represents those who were previously in rebellion toward God, but who repented.

The other son, when told by his father to go and work in the vineyard, said, “Yes, sir, I will.” But he never followed through on what he promised. He represents the religious leaders who always talked about obedience to God’s commands, but who never really obeyed. Jesus reprimanded them, saying that the worst sinners of their day, tax collectors and prostitutes would get into heaven before them because they repented when they heard John the Baptist preach.

Incidentally, notice that it wasn’t their repentance that saved them; it was their belief in John’s message that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Because they believed John’s message, they repented, proving that they really did believe. Salvation works the same way today. We are saved by God’s grace through a faith that moves us to repent and begin a life of obedience. True faith always produces fruit.

The story of the evil farmers is easy for us to understand, but the religious leaders apparently missed its meaning at first. After hearing it, they unknowingly pronounced their own judgment when they condemned the wicked farmers who killed the vineyard owner’s son. And once they understood that they were the wicked farmers in Jesus’ story, they still refused to repent, fulfilling the scripture in the Psalms that talks about the builders rejecting a stone that would become the chief cornerstone. The chief cornerstone was the first and most important stone in any significant building in Jesus’ time. Every other stone in a building had to be properly related to that most important stone, by being lined up with it. Those who aren’t properly lined up with that stone are destined for trouble. As Jesus said, “Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls” (Matthew 21:44).

Q. If a person is unsaved, is he more likely to become saved if he’s self-righteous or if he’s a horrible sinner?

A. He is more likely to become saved if he realizes he needs to be saved. Self-righteous people often don’t think they need a Savior, because they assume they have saved themselves by their good deeds. That’s why horrible sinners are more likely to be saved, and that’s why tax collectors and prostitutes were saved when John the Baptist preached while the religious leaders remained unsaved.

Q. In the parable of the evil farmers, the owner of the vineyard sent representatives and finally his own son to collect some of the fruit. What did the fruit represent? What does this tell us about what God desires from us?

A. The fruit represents acts of obedience, which is what God expects from His people.

Application: It’s good for us to read sections of Scripture that contrast the reaction of believers and non-believers, because it helps us evaluate which category we are in. With whom did you identify in today’s reading?

Jesus had finally made it to Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, the place where He knew He was destined to die on a cross in one week’s time. Many of Jesus’ followers, in spite of what He said in the story of the ten servants that we read yesterday, believed that Jesus would immediately set up His kingdom, and they gave Him a king’s greeting as He entered Jerusalem. But the story was anticlimactic. His triumphal entry ended with His looking around the Temple and then leaving the city to sleep overnight in the nearby town of Bethany (see Mark 11:11). So what was the point of Jesus’ dramatic entrance into Jerusalem?

Although Luke didn’t mention it in His Gospel, Jesus actually fulfilled an ancient prophecy as He entered Jerusalem on a colt. Matthew and John both recorded what the prophet Zechariah had foretold: “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—even on a donkey’s colt'” (Matthew 21:5).

That was not the only miraculous aspect of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jesus knew that there would be a colt tied in a certain place, and He knew that when He sent some of His disciples to get it, the colt’s owners would object to their taking it. Jesus also knew that if the disciples told the owners that He had need of the colt and would return it, they would allow it to be taken. Additionally, Jesus knew that the colt had never been previously ridden. And amazingly, the colt allowed Him to ride on its back, not bucking Him off! These are just more proofs that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus’ great mercy for the people of Jerusalem was revealed as He wept over the city, grieving for the calamity they would face in the future. In about forty years, the Roman army would come and destroy the city, and thousands of people would die violent deaths, many by being hung on crosses. Why would God allow such a thing to happen? It was an act of judgment upon them for their rejection of Jesus, as Jesus said, “Because you have rejected the opportunity God offered you” (Luke 19:44). In this we see both the love and holy judgment of God. God’s love is seen in Jesus’ weeping over the city, and His holy judgment is seen in His predicting and allowing the future disaster to occur. Those who reject God’s love have no choice but to suffer His judgment. Aren’t you glad you’ve received His love?

Q. The hard-hearted Pharisees, as they witnessed the crowds shouting and singing praises to God for the miracles they’d seen, requested that Jesus quiet His followers. Jesus replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” (Luke 19:40). What do you think He meant?

A. He must have been speaking in hyperbole, defined as “exaggeration for effect.” Jesus meant that what His followers were doing was the only appropriate response to what was happening. Those who were not rejoicing and praising God were the abnormal ones who were out of order. The situation demanded praise to God, so much that if people wouldn’t praise God, something else would.

Application: Jesus didn’t try to stop anyone from treating Him like a king as He entered Jerusalem, even to the point of allowing people to spread their garments on the road before Him, creating a long carpet on which His donkey could walk. Jesus knew He was God and acted the part. It would be sinful for anyone else to accept such favored treatment, honor that God alone deserves.

Many of Jesus’ followers, including His closest disciples, assumed it would be just a short time before He would do what the Old Testament said He would do: set up God’s kingdom on the earth and rule over it from Jerusalem. But the truth was, in less than a week’s time, Jesus would die for the sins of the world just as the Old Testament said He would, and it would be at least two thousand years before He would begin ruling the entire world from Jerusalem.

Jesus wanted His followers to understand that He would be leaving the earth for a time but would eventually return. While they waited during the interim, there was something He wanted them to do. And that’s why He told them the parable of the ten servants.

In the story, the nobleman who was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king obviously represented Jesus. When He arrived in heaven after His resurrection and ascension, the Bible says that Jesus was “crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death for us” (Hebrews 2:9).

The servants who each received ten pounds of silver from the nobleman represent those who are servants of Christ. The silver or money they were given represents the gifts, talents and opportunities He gives us, by which we can serve Him and others.

The people who hated the nobleman and sent a delegation after him to tell him that they didn’t want him to be their king, represent all those who refuse to repent and follow Jesus.

When the nobleman returned, he called his servants in for an accounting. The first two had used the money they’d been given to make more money for the nobleman, so he rewarded them by giving them cities over which to rule. But the third hadn’t made any profit, having hidden his money. The nobleman was enraged at the unfaithful servant. At least he could have put the money in the bank and made a little interest on it! There was no excuse for what he did. Not only did he not receive a reward as the others had, but what he did have was taken away from him.

Whom does this unfaithful servant represent? He represents a professing servant of Christ, who, by his actions, proves he is not a true servant. True followers of Christ will produce some fruit, even if it’s only a little. If the third servant had produced even a little profit for the nobleman by depositing his money in the bank, he would have received a reward and would not have been reprimanded and punished. But he was, as the nobleman said, “unfaithful” (Luke 19:26). That is, he had no faith and didn’t believe what the nobleman said. True faith is always manifested by actions.

Finally, when the nobleman was done dealing with his servants, he dealt with his rebellious subjects who didn’t want to submit to his lordship. They were immediately executed. When Jesus returns, it will mean swift judgment upon all those who refused to believe in and follow Him.

Notice that everyone in the story, believers and unbelievers alike, were judged by their works, just as the Bible teaches in other places. We are saved by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus, but, as the apostle James wrote, “Faith is dead without good deeds” (James 2:26).

Q. The unfruitful servant described the nobleman as being “a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t [his] and harvesting crops [he] didn’t plant” (Luke 19:21). Is that an accurate description of what Jesus is like, since the nobleman in the story represents Him?

A. No, that is not an accurate description of Jesus. It was just the third servant’s opinion, and it describes the opposite of what Jesus is. He is not hard to deal with, but is the most merciful person who’s ever existed. He doesn’t take what isn’t His and He doesn’t harvest crops He didn’t plant.

Q. The money that was taken from the unfaithful servant was given to the most faithful servant, and some people complained about it. They thought the first servant was already blessed enough. How did the nobleman feel about that?

A. He didn’t agree at all. He wanted the most faithful servant to be rewarded the most.

Application: There are two applications of today’s parable to our lives: First, let’s make certain we’re proving ourselves to be true servants of Jesus by how we live our lives. Is God getting a return on what He’s invested in us? And second, let’s be diligent to produce as much fruit as we can for our Master. One day, we’ll be rewarded for all of it.

You may remember that most Jews despised tax collectors in Jesus’ time. Not only did they work for the occupying foreign government, Rome, but they also made themselves very rich by overcharging their own countrymen. Zacchaeus was no different than any other tax collector of his day: selfish, greedy and dishonest.

However, he heard that Jesus was visiting his town of Jericho, and people were mobbing this well-known teacher and miracle worker as He walked through. Being short, Zacchaeus climbed a tree down the street so that when Jesus passed by, he could catch a glimpse of Him.

But God had more planned for Zacchaeus than just a glimpse of Jesus. He wanted Zacchaeus to know Jesus personally. And was Zacchaeus ever shocked when Jesus stopped, looked up at him, called his name and told him that He must be a guest at his house that day. Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and excitedly led Jesus to his house.

But finding himself in Jesus’ loving and holy presence, Zacchaeus became even more conscious of his own sinfulness, and he realized how uncomfortable he would be with pure and holy Jesus as his guest. What would he do? Unlike most wealthy people whose god is money, Zacchaeus decided to change, making Jesus his Lord. Because money would no longer be his god, he immediately changed his attitude and actions concerning it.

This story illustrates a very important point about salvation. Jesus said that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’s home that day after Zacchaeus repented. That is, Zacchaeus admitted his guilt and changed his ways. Beyond even that, he promised to make restitution to those he’d wronged.

Repentance is an essential part of salvation. In fact, there is no true salvation apart from repentance. Too many people think they’re saved because they’ve prayed a prayer for salvation, but they’ve never truly repented, but have continued living their same old sinful lives. How do you think Jesus would have responded if Zacchaeus had said, “Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and Savior. However, I’m going to continue being greedy and dishonest”?

Q. How did Jesus know Zacchaeus’s name?

A. The Holy Spirit must have revealed it to Him. That is an example of the gift of the Spirit called “the word of knowledge.”

Q. In order to be saved, is it necessary for us to make restitution to people we’ve wronged, like Zacchaeus did?

A. No. We must repent, which means changing our attitude and actions from that point onward. Usually there is no possible way we could make restitution to everyone we’ve wronged before our salvation. However, it is a good idea to try to make as much restitution as is reasonably possible, as a way of showing others that you’ve changed and as a way to gain an entrance to share the gospel with them as well.

Application: The crowds grumbled about Jesus wanting to be a guest at the house of a notorious sinner. But Jesus came to save sinners, and God, knowing the hearts of all people, led Jesus to reach out specifically to Zacchaeus. He knew that Zacchaeus was on the verge of repentance and that a visit from Jesus would be all he needed to nudge him to make the right decision. Let’s pray today that God will also lead us to people who are ready to repent.

When Jesus was just a newborn, He was like any other baby. He couldn’t walk or talk, He cried when He wanted to be fed, and He dirtied His diapers regularly. Isn’t it funny to think that God dirtied His diapers? More than making us chuckle, however, it should make us realize how much God must love us—He humbled Himself that much in order to save us from our sins.

In the Law that God gave to the descendants of Israel, there were several rules relating to the birth of children. Those rules revealed that God wanted His people never to forget how special it was to have a baby. All babies are made in God’s image and are His own potential children, and parents should never forget that. Becoming a parent is a very serious and important thing. God required Israelite parents to bring their first-born sons to the Temple in Jerusalem to present them before Him there. Perhaps one reason for this law was to help new parents understand how valuable their children were and how important their responsibility was in His eyes. It was a way of saying to God, “This is not as much my child as it is Your child. Therefore, I will raise this child as You want me to.”

Mothers were also required to offer a sacrifice at the Temple several weeks after their babies were born (see Lev. 12:1-8). This was a way of expressing thanks to God for giving them their babies, and it also served as a reminder to them of how good God had been to them in spite of their sins. They shouldn’t think that having a baby was a sign of God’s approval of their lives. Sometimes people think that God’s blessings are proof that they are holy and fully pleasing to God, but it often only means that God is merciful and good. He is good to everyone, even to bad people! Anyone who has a baby should be thankful for God’s goodness.

Simeon must have been a very spiritual man who studied the Scriptures closely. He knew God would keep His many promises to send the Savior, and must have hoped and prayed that he would live to see that day. God revealed to him that he would not die until his desire was realized. The Holy Spirit led him to baby Jesus the day that Mary and Joseph brought Him to the Temple. Simeon also knew that because God had sent His Son into the world, every human being would be faced with a decision: Would they reject or receive Him? Jesus’ coming into the world would reveal what was in people’s hearts. Because of the hardness of their hearts, many people of Israel would reject Jesus, and it would be “their undoing” just as Simeon predicted. That means they would go to hell. But to those who receive Jesus, it is their “greatest joy,” because they know their sins are forgiven and they are going to heaven one day.

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the childhood of Jesus. We did learn today that He grew up in the town of Nazareth. We also read that He was “filled with wisdom beyond his years” (Luke 2:40), so He wasn’t like a normal child in that respect. We’ll learn in two days that when He was twelve years old, He had more spiritual wisdom than your parents probably do right now!

Q. What do you think Simeon meant when he told Mary that a “sword would pierce [her] very soul”?

A. She would be convicted by what Jesus would say and have to make a decision to obey or disobey Him.

Q. What do you think it means to have Jesus be your “greatest joy”?

A. It means that Jesus is the most special person in your life. Your relationship with Him is the most valuable thing you possess. Thinking about Him and what He has done for you should make you very happy on the inside.

Q. Has Jesus become your “greatest joy” yet?

Application: Jesus was the most special person ever to have lived because He was the Son of God. Therefore, He should be more important than anything in our lives, and it should show by how we live our lives.

When we read about James’ and John’s selfish request to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand in His kingdom, it makes us realize how much they needed to grow spiritually at that point in their lives. But praise God, they did eventually grow up, although not overnight. James and John should also serve as reminders to us that God is dedicated to our spiritual growth, and He will complete the good work He’s begun in us. Additionally, we should be patient with young believers who still have a long way to grow. James and John were like we were at one time, and like some of us still are! But God is patient with us all, as demonstrated by Jesus’ patience with His disciples.

There were several problems with the request made by James and John. First, God the Father would only consider granting that kind of honor to those who were equally devoted to Him as Jesus was, and who served others to the degree that Jesus did. So Jesus asked James and John if they were able to drink from the same bitter cup and be baptized with the same baptism of suffering as He was to experience. Jesus was speaking of being mocked, spit upon, beaten, flogged and crucified. Although they probably didn’t understand what He was talking about, they claimed they were able. Jesus prophesied to them that they would suffer and die for His cause, although again, they probably didn’t understand what He meant.

The second problem with the request of James and John is that they were asking for something that Jesus didn’t have a right to grant. Jesus explained that it was not His place to decide who sits next to Him in the future kingdom. That is a decision made only by God the Father. This also shows us that God the Father and Jesus are two distinct persons, and not the same identical person as some mistakenly think.

The third problem with the request of James and John is that it revealed their lack of understanding of what God considers the greatest virtue a person can possess. He honors servanthood and exalts those who humble themselves. Conversely, He humbles those who exalt themselves. If anything, James’ and John’s request got them further away from the seats of honor in which they desired to sit!

The lesson for us? God is not looking for rulers; He’s looking for servants. And servants aren’t seeking for honor, they are looking for opportunities to serve. Is that you?

Q. We already know who will be seated at Jesus’ left hand from other Scriptures. Do you know who it will be?

A. It will be God the Father, because Jesus is now seated at His right hand.

Q. Jesus will obviously be exalted and honored by His Father in the future kingdom. Will it be only because He is the Son of God?

A. No, it will also be because Jesus is the greatest servant, giving His life for everyone, and because Jesus humbled Himself more than anyone else ever has. Paul wrote, “Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name” (Philippians 2:5-9).

Application: In our reading today, Jesus revealed not only that He would die, but also why He would die. He said it was to give His life as a ransom for many (see Mark 10:45). A ransom is a payment made to release someone from captivity. Jesus’ death was the payment required by God’s own justice to release us from our captivity to sin and our destiny in hell. Jesus’ servanthood on our behalf will bring blessing to us for eternity, so we can say that Jesus will be serving us forever, which is one reason we’ll be praising Him forever!

Bartimaeus must have heard about Jesus and the many people who were being healed by Him. It sparked a faith within him that he would be healed if Jesus would ever visit Jericho, and when he heard that Jesus was passing nearby, his faith went into action. Bartimaeus began calling out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” That shows how much faith he had. He wasn’t embarrassed to request healing publicly. He was certain Jesus could give him what he wanted if he could only get His attention. Even after people around him tried to discourage him, telling him to be quiet, he just yelled all the louder.

When Bartimaeus was told that Jesus had stopped and invited him to come to Him, he knew he would soon be seeing. He threw aside his coat and excitedly jumped up. Some say that blind people back in Jesus’ time wore special coats that identified them to everyone else as being blind. If that was the case, Bartimaeus throwing aside his coat was another act of faith. He believed he no longer had any need of a blind man’s coat!

With someone guiding him, Bartimaeus made his way to Jesus. Testing his faith one more time, Jesus asked him what he wanted Him to do. Without hesitation, Bartimaeus made his request: “Teacher, I want to see!” Obviously he wouldn’t have made such a request unless he believed Jesus could and would grant it. And Jesus gave him exactly what he requested.

Q. According to Jesus, Bartimaeus was healed because of his faith. What would have happened if Bartimaeus had not believed?

A. He would not have been healed, even though it was obviously God’s will for him to be healed. This once again proves that God’s will doesn’t always automatically come to pass. When people say, “If God wants me to be healed, I’ll be healed,” they’re mistaken.

Q. Was Bartimaeus instantly healed?

A. He was instantly healed once Jesus told him, “Go your way. Your faith has healed you” (Mark 10:52). However, it took some time and persistence before Bartimaeus heard Jesus speak those words. Actually, he was believing even before Jesus visited Jericho, and kept on believing as he continually cried out to Jesus. In that sense, his healing wasn’t instantaneous.

Application: We will probably never know the joy that Bartimaeus experienced when he regained his sight. Why not close your eyes for the first five minutes of your next family meal to experience a small sampling of the frustration that blind people face all day, every day? When you open your eyes to finish your meal, think of how Bartimaeus felt when Jesus opened his eyes.

When Jesus heard that His friend, Lazarus, was sick, He stated that Lazarus’s sickness would not end in death, but that He would receive glory from it. Jesus, of course, was talking about how He would be glorified when Lazarus was raised from the dead.

Some people, misapplying what Jesus said, talk about how God is glorified by their sickness, thinking that God wants them to remain sick so that He can be continually glorified. But Jesus wasn’t claiming to be glorified by Lazarus’s sickness! He was claiming that He would be glorified by Lazarus’s resurrection. Jesus isn’t glorified by our being sick, but by our being healed by His power!

Following the leading of the Holy Spirit, Jesus delayed journeying to Bethany where Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived. God wanted Jesus to perform a miracle that would convince everyone whose heart wasn’t hopelessly hardened that Jesus was the Son of God. When Jesus finally did arrive in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Thus, no one would be able to intelligently claim that Lazarus had only been unconscious and had simply been revived!

Both Mary and Martha believed that Jesus could and would have healed Lazarus if He had been near when Lazarus was still alive. They didn’t realize that Jesus had purposely stayed away so that He could heal and resurrect Lazarus, rather than just heal him! Even when Jesus promised Martha that her brother would rise again, she initially assumed He was referring to the general resurrection of many people foretold in the Old Testament. Then Jesus made another wonderful claim: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish” (John 11:25-26). Lazarus’s resurrection would serve as a proof that Jesus was the one who would be in charge of the promised future resurrection, and it would serve as a foreshadowing of what Jesus would do for everyone who believes in Him.

Notice that even though Jesus supernaturally knew that Lazarus had died, He didn’t know exactly where Lazarus’s tomb was and asked about the location. This is further proof that, although Jesus was the Son of God, He stripped Himself of omniscience when He became a man. In His ministry, He operated as a man anointed by the Holy Spirit, empowered with gifts of the Holy Spirit that operated as the Spirit willed. Jesus said that He could do nothing by Himself, but only what He saw His Father doing (see John 5:19). What God didn’t tell Him by the Holy Spirit, He had to learn like anyone else.

Amazingly, although the leading priests and Pharisees knew of Jesus’ many miracles, they refused to believe in Him. Moreover, they were fearful that the whole nation might believe in Him, resulting in political turmoil, an invasion by the Roman army, and the deaths of many people. But Caiaphas, the high priest, rebuked them, saying that the solution was simple. They didn’t need to fear that many people would die—if Jesus died instead. Caiaphas unknowingly prophesied when he said it this way: “Let this one man die for the people” (John 11:50). That is exactly what happened, and what God had planned from eternity past!

Q. Why do you think Jesus at first told His disciples that Lazarus was asleep and that He was going to wake him up?

A. In the Bible, Christian death is sometimes described using the word “sleep”. The reason is because death is always temporary, like sleep, for those who believe in Jesus. They know their bodies will one day be resurrected, whereas unbelievers view death as a permanent state. Additionally, for God, raising Lazarus from the dead was no more difficult than awakening someone from sleep!

Q. Jesus’ disciples were fearful of Jesus’ plans to journey back to Judea where the Jewish leaders were waiting to kill Him. Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. As long as it is light, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no light” (John 11:9-10). Jesus’ words have a natural and a spiritual meaning. What are they and how can you apply them to your life?

A. The natural meaning is plain. When there is light, people are safer, because evil deeds are usually done in darkness. That is when evil people normally get drunk, steal and murder, because they have a better chance of not getting caught. You can increase your chances of not being a victim of someone’s crime by staying away from dark places and being extra cautious at night. For example, most people who are killed by drunk drivers are killed at night, so if you must drive after dark, you should be extra cautious. The later it is at night, the more cautious you should be. Jesus knew that He was safe in a dangerous city as long as His enemies knew where He was only during the day. It was Judas who ultimately told the Jewish leaders where Jesus was at night, and that is when He was arrested and tried before the Jewish council.

The spiritual meaning behind Jesus’ words is this: When people walk in the light of Jesus and the truth of His word, they are spiritually safe, because Satan and his evil spirits can only work in spiritual darkness. When people don’t follow Jesus, the spiritual light of the world, they are walking in darkness, not knowing where they are going and destined to be deceived by Satan, stumble over sin and fall into hell.

Application: In one sense, all of us who believe in Jesus are like Lazarus. With the exception of those who will be alive when Jesus returns, all of us will one day die and Jesus will be glorified as He resurrects our bodies all at the same time! So when you get to heaven, you’ll have something to talk about with Lazarus when you see him!

What was Jesus trying to teach us in this parable? Some think the point is that we’ll all have the same reward in heaven no matter how long or hard we work for the Lord on earth. But that can’t be right, because the Bible teaches that each person will be rewarded individually, according to his own labor (see 1 Corinthians 3:8).

The best way to interpret this parable is to consider the context in which it was spoken. Notice that Jesus told this parable right after Peter had asked what reward he and the other disciples would receive for giving up everything to follow Jesus. Jesus promised him that they would be abundantly rewarded in heaven for the earthly sacrifices they made for His cause. In fact, He promised that “everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will have eternal life” (Matthew 19:29).

The lesson of this parable is that God rewards us based upon the opportunities that He gives us. The later workers would have been willing to go to work earlier, but they were not given the opportunity by the employer.

Had you been given a lot of money, you may have been willing to give a lot of money away to the poor. But if God gave you only a little money, you were not given the opportunity to give away lots of money. Still, if you are faithful with the small opportunities that God gives you, God will reward you with just as much as someone who was faithful with large opportunities that God gave them. He is perfectly fair.

Q. Jesus concluded the parable of the vineyard workers by saying, “And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then” (Matthew 20:16). In light of the parable, can you describe someone who might be first now but last in God’s kingdom, and vice versa?

A. Some who are faithful with the small opportunities that God gives them, now “last” in the eyes of people, might receive more reward than one who is “first” in the eyes of people but who is unfaithful with the bigger opportunities God has given him.

Application: Are you being faithful with the opportunities God has given you?