This is from Palm Sunday 2016.
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Here is the outline of what I preached.
Background
In 166 BC, Judas Maccabee lead a revolt against the Greek-influenced Jews and the Greek leadership of the Seleucid rulers.
Antiochus Ephiphanies had sacrificed a pig in the temple and set up an idol to Zeus INSIDE the Holy of Holies!
(At one point the Seleucids invaded areas of Pakistan with an army of 600,000 men and 9,000 war elephants) They were bad dudes.
Judas Macabees defeated the Greeks, took down the idol, cleansed the temple, and in triumph of making Judaism Jewish again, the people laid their tree branches and coats along the road for him to walk along. They re-instituted a new non-greek High Priest and ruled. The rulers then gave them religious freedom and slowly worked to rule another way.
Herod married the Great great great grand daughter of Judas’ brother who was the high priest.
Holy Week
Mary puts perfume on His feet, and He says it’s for His burial.
Judas objects. He isn’t happy with Jesus getting this big of a gift wasted on him. $43,600
Bethany is as far away from the temple as Mulzer stone or Tropicana is from Westminster.
[37] Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, [38] so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
[39] Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
[40] “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
[41] Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.
(John 12:37-41 ESV)
We’ve been talking about this mystery a little bit this week and this morning I came across a verse that cleared this up for me.
[25] Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. [26] And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
[27] “and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”
[28] As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. [29] For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [30] For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, [31] so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. [32] For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
[33] Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
(Romans 11:25-33 ESV)
Just like Pharaoh hardened his heart and became an enemy-tool of God, the Pharisees also became an Enemy-Tool. By their judgement and crucifixion of Jesus, we are all delivered.