Mark 13: Jesus and the temple of Jerusalem

The temple of Jerusalem was very different from any church nowadays. The temple gathered the Jews from many parts of the world to celebrate three annual feasts, mainly the Passover. There is no church that gather all Christians to celebrate some event. Besides, the temple was the place where the Lord was present, where He lived, so it was some kind of heaven in earth.
Jesus revealed - the temple was to be destroyed:

2 Jesus said, “You’re impressed by this grandiose architecture? There’s not a stone in the whole works that is not going to end up in a heap of rubble.”

14-18 “But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up where it should never be. You who can read, make sure you understand what I’m talking about. If you’re living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; if you’re working in the yard, don’t go back to the house to get anything; if you’re out in the field, don’t go back to get your coat. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Hope and pray this won’t happen in the middle of winter.

19-20 “These are going to be hard days—nothing like it from the time God made the world right up to the present. And there’ll be nothing like it again. If he let the days of trouble run their course, nobody would make it. But because of God’s chosen people, those he personally chose, he has already intervened.

In fact, the early Christians kept these words. In 70 AD , Jerusalem was destroyed but a lot of Christians were saved because they understood that general Titus was the monster of desecration so they fled to the mountains.
Due to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, the sacrifice of animals stopped.
Jesus is the lamb of the Lord that takes away the sin of the word. The Lord provided a way to stop the sacrifice of animals that was pointing to Jesus.

In a way, Jesus was the temple - He was the place on earth where heaven and earth met.

Mark 12: the Messiah in the temple

Jesus came from Galilee to the temple. It was expected that the Messiah would be extremely honored in the temple by the high priest, levites, etc. Jesus was not. Jesus was tested. They expected that he would fall in some trap so that the people or the Romans would become against him. Despite what the Jewish leaders thought of him, Jesus himself was sure that he was the Messiah. He recited Psalm 110 to the Jewish leaders:

Psalm 110:1 The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

and then, he asked the Jewish leaders:

37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

The Messiah is Adonai. YHWH makes the Messiah win over his enemies. Even David recognized that the Messiah is Adonai, so how come the Messiah is his son? Jesus knew he is the Messiah and that he would rule over his enemies. The ultimate enemy is the death, the chaos that came from the sin, despite the opposition of the Jewish leaders.
Jesus is the one who makes us whole before the Lord.
Jesus won the death and every Christian believes that in Jesus he won the death too.

Mark 11: Authority

Jesus arrives in Jerusalem. He was already very famous. He is welcomed as the Messiah, the son of David by the people of Jerusalem. He goes to the temple and he rebukes the commerce over there kicking over the tables of the bankers (where money was exchanged). We read:

27-28 Then when they were back in Jerusalem once again, as they were walking through the Temple, the high priests, religion scholars, and leaders came up and demanded, “Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to speak and act like this?”

The high priests were in charge of the Temple. For them, Jesus was being very abusive. The high priests saw themselves as representatives of God on earth. For Jesus they were bad stewards, for them Jesus was spoiling their honor and authority.
Jesus preached and made many signs. Was it so difficult to understand that his authority came from the Lord? The religious leaders were taking advantage of their position. To recognize Jesus as the Messiah meant to accept Jesus as the leader and abandon their own interests.
Today is not so different. It is difficult to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, as the one who reigns because it also means to be submissive to Jesus.

Mark 10: the child, the rich and the kingdom

Jesus was preaching about the coming of the kingdom of the skies: a new era is coming. Is this new era to everybody?

13-16 The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

Jesus welcome the children. To enter in God's kingdom it is necessary to accept it in the simplicity of a child. We adults are always negotiating. We give to take, or we take before giving. A child is more simple - he/she just accepts with no second intentions.
We contrast it with the young rich man:

17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”

In other words, how do I enter in the new era, in the kingdom?


18-19 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.”
20 He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!”
21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.”
22 The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
23-25 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”
26 That got their attention. “Then who has any chance at all?” they asked.
27 Jesus was blunt: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.”

Through Paul's letters we understand that the key to enter in God's kingdom is Jesus. I enter in God's kingdom through Jesus work, not mine. Neither me, nor the young rich man can do everything to enter in kingdom. The rich man previously thought that he was OK to enter in the new era, but then, Jesus made clear that he loved his treasures more than the kingdom, he couldn't let his treasures go away.
Children are more simple: they have no treasures, nothing to give and get in return.  

Mark 9: Jesus is revealed to three disciples.

We read:

2-4 ... Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.

When the disciples saw Jesus transfigured, every problem on earth should become very small before Jesus' glory.

7 Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.”

The Father talked to the disciples - "listen to Jesus, he is my son, I am glad with him".
In a way, the Father talks to me like that. The Father cares about me. He wants me to listen to Jesus because he wants to extend his love to me through Jesus.
 

Mark 8: the Messiah and the cross

Jesus had power and will to restore people. No wonder the crowd was following him for three consecutive days and hungry. Jesus wanted to feed them because he was afraid they would faint along the way. He multiplied the bread to feed the crowd by the second time. How can the Messiah with such power headed to the cross?
We read:

29 He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?”
Peter gave the answer: “You are the Christ, the Messiah.”

It is easy to understand that the one who restored people, feed them, preached to them, loved them was the Messiah, but we read:

30-32 Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. He then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.” He said this simply and clearly so they couldn’t miss it.

Jesus said that he would be killed. Peter couldn't believe on it! Would the powerful and merciful Messiah be killed? Peter seemed not to believe that would rise up after three days.
Jesus told his disciples:

34 And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what could a person give in exchange for his soul?

I, as a Christian, am aware that I must deny myself take up my cross and follow Jesus. I am not important, Jesus is important. If he that is the son of God, didn't run away from the cross should I?

Mark 7: Jesus helps a non Jewish woman

We read:

24-26 From there Jesus set out for the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house there where he didn’t think he would be found, but he couldn’t escape notice. He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet, begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter.
27 He said, “Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there’s any left over, the dogs get it.”
28 She said, “Of course, Master. But don’t dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?”
29-30 Jesus was impressed. “You’re right! On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone.” She went home and found her daughter relaxed on the bed, the torment gone for good.

When a non Jewish woman  asked for help, Jesus answered: no. Jesus saw her as a dog (to my knowledge, all gentiles were seen as dogs). Jesus came to the Jews, so he was to bless the Jews first. If I were that woman, I would be very upset with Jesus - perhaps offended - and left the place, but not her. She saw that even the dogs don't have to wait for the left over because children drop some scraps from the table. She really believed that Jesus could help her daughter, and she bet that Jesus is good. The Messiah of the Jews was glad by her insistence. Jesus was good to her daughter.

Mark 6: Does the Lord protect the rigteous?

John was the messenger of the Lord. He was preaching about the coming of the kingdom of the Lord. People should repent from their sins in order to enter the kingdom. In particular, king Herodes and his wife Herodias should repent because Herodias was in fact wife of Herodes' brother. Herodias was very upset with John, so upset that she found a way to get John killed.
Let us imagine what Jesus thought when he heard about John's death. Certainly he became very sad.
Would he have asked:
- Does the Lord protect the righteous?
Much more likely, he understood more clearly that he was in the way to the cross; and that the cross was not the last thing.
In fact, the Lord protects the righteous, even though, sometimes the evil seems to be winning.
There is the resurrection.

Mark 5: faith and heal

A woman sick for 12 years touches Jesus in the middle of a crowd touching him. Jesus noticed that he had delivered power to heal. we read:

(NASB) 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be cured of your disease.”

Jairus received a bad news: her daughter had already died. Jesus said to him:

(NASB) 36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”

Some people read and teach that a miracle is made if you only believe. Although it is false, it is very seductive to believe on some kind of Disney slogan: "believe and your dreams will come true".

Eugene Peterson reread theses verses as:

(MSG) 34 Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”

(MSG) 36 Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”

Faith is very important in Christianity, but what is faith? "Only believe"? Faith is to trust in the Lord. So, in verse 34, the sick woman dared to trust that Jesus could made her whole again, to heal her. Isn't it what we Christians believe? We dare to believe that Jesus can me us whole before our Lord. In verse 36, Jesus calls Jairus to trust on him: he cares about the death of her daughter and he will deal with it.

Mark 4: Inside/outside the God's kingdom.

Jesus saw his disciples as inside the kingdom while others as outside the kingdom.
Jesus talks about the kingdom of God in parables that were interesting stories but with no clear meaning to those outside the kingdom. To the insiders, Jesus explained the parables.

According to NASB:

10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside, everything comes in parables, 12 so that while seeing they may see, and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear, and not understand, otherwise they might return and it would be forgiven them.”

How to enter in the kingdom? What does it mean to belong to the Lord of universe? How to explain that Jesus is more important than mother and father? How to explain to some outside the kingdom that it is worth to suffer for the truth? How to explain that it not silly to forgive our debtors?

It is very difficult to explain what is to belong to Jesus to the outsiders, yet, Jesus found a way to teach to the outsiders.

Mark 3: what kind of God do we preach?

 Matthew 3: hard-nosed religion

We read (MSG):

1-3 Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand. The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath violation. He said to the man with the crippled hand, “Stand here where we can see you.”

4 Then he spoke to the people: “What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?” No one said a word.

5-6 He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out—it was as good as new! The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod’s followers and ruin him.

Jesus went to the synagogue where there was a crippled man. People knew that Jesus had the power to cure him due to former miracles, but the Pharisees considered that to cure on Sabbath is to violate the rule to keep the Sabbath. Would Jesus refrain to cure him in order to please the Pharisees?
Jesus became furious because they didn't have compassion of the crippled man.
Jesus expected that the people answered his questions saying that it is good to help people even on Sabbath.
I am not so sure that I am much better the Pharisees. I have a lot of excuses to not help anyone, but I think that the worst excuses are religious excuses because they change the character of the Lord. They preach a hard/evil God when in fact he is good.  

Mark 2: can we recognize YHWH in earth?

Some people say that Jesus never saw himself as YHWH. Really?

1-5 After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren’t able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.”
6-7 Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, “He can’t talk that way! That’s blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins.”

The religion scholars were right. Only God can forgive the (generic) sins of a person. Jesus made it very clear: He has authority to forgive sins. This is a very strong statement, one that we believe or we reject, there's no middle ground. I believe he has authority to forgive my sins too.

In the same chapter, the disciples of Jesus were accused of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus answered:

27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus didn't agree that the Pharisees had authority to say what is to break the Sabbath or not. He said that He is the Kurios, the Adonai even of the Sabbath. Jesus has the authority over the Sabbath, over the Jewish tradition of what it means to keep the Sabbath. Isn't it a strong statement? How could a Pharisee agree with Jesus? Wasn't it necessary to believe that YHWH came to earth?

Mark 1: the gospel of Jesus Christ

The gospel, the good news, according to Mark must havecome from what Peter told to Mark.
It is very interesting that this good news is to be listened, and to be believed. The believer is connected to Jesus because he understand that Jesus is his king. The believer belongs to the church: the brothers and sisters of Jesus.
The gospel is related to the Old Testament because it is the fulfillment of many prophecies in Old Testament.

The good news is Jesus. The Lord would come to earth according to Malachi. Mark shows that this prophecy is fulfilled because John prepared to the arrival of Jesus. Here, the Lord (YHWH) is connected to Jesus.

YHWH testifies about Jesus in his baptism:

9-11 At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. Along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”

Even the demons recognized Jesus:

23-24 Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, “What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to! You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!”

How would YHWH deal with the mankind, deepened in sin? Would Jesus come close to the sinner? Yes and He came very close to a lepper (sin and lepper is extremely connected in the Old Testament):

40 A leper came to him, begging on his knees, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.”
41-45 Deeply moved, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there the leprosy was gone, his skin smooth and healthy. Jesus dismissed him with strict orders: “Say nothing to anyone. Take the offering for cleansing that Moses prescribed and present yourself to the priest. This will validate your healing to the people.” But as soon as the man was out of earshot, he told everyone he met what had happened, spreading the news all over town. So Jesus kept to out-of-the-way places, no longer able to move freely in and out of the city. But people found him, and came from all over.

Matthew 28: Jesus is risen

Jesus came to win over sin and death.
we read:

1-4 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God’s angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn’t move.

We Christians understand that through Jesus, we have power to overcome sin and death. Jesus is our king. We belong to his kingdom. We read:

18-20 Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

The church is the place that baptize people in the name of the Father , Son and Holy Spirit. It is also the place where the we receive the teachings of Jesus and transmit it to others. It should be the place where earth and heaven are together.

Matthew 27: Jesus is crucified as the king of the Jews

Jesus was accused of blasphemy by the high priest, however, this was not a great charge against him in the roman empire.
The Jewish leaders accused him of insubordination to the Roman empire when he was delivered to the governor Pilates.
we read:

11 Jesus was placed before the governor, who questioned him: “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”

27-31 The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor’s palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him and dressed him in a red robe. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” they said. “Bravo!” Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.

35-40 After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they killed time by throwing dice for his clothes. Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the Jews. Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”

How could this happen? The Jews were expecting the Messiah for centuries. They were eager to see the Messiah after the exile from Babylon. It is ironic the Messiah came, the crowds saw him as the Messiah, the son of David, but not the Jewish leaders.  They delivered him to the Romans, to be crucified. We Christians understand that the Jews were expecting a Messiah that would set Israel free from his oppressors, while in fact Jesus came to set us free from sin and death. He is the lamb of God that took away our sins.

It is very interesting that the Jews knew that Jesus told he would rise from death after three days, so they asked the Romans to keep Jesus tomb safe from Jesus disciples.

Matthew 26: Jesus is the lamb of the Lord

The Jewish leaders plotted the death of Jesus. Judas made a deal with the Jewish leaders: he would betray Jesus for 30 coins of silver.
In the Jewish feast of Passover, Jews from around the world gathered around the temple of Jerusalem.
The Passover celebrates the freedom from Egypt, focusing on when the pharaoh authorized the Jews to worship the Lord in the desert. This happened after the pharaoh's son died due to the spirit of death that swept the Egypt. However, the Jews were told to mark their houses with the blood of the lamb. Those houses marked by the blood of the lamb were set aside from the spirit of death.
In the Passover celebration, Jesus had a meal with his disciples. We read:


26-29 During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples:
Take, eat.
This is my body.
Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
God’s new covenant poured out for many people
    for the forgiveness of sins.
“I’ll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I’ll drink with you in the kingdom of my Father.”
30 They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives.

In that meal, Jesus was sharing his body for the forgiveness of sins.
It is very interesting that Christians all around the world eat the holy supper. Every time we do this, we remember that Jesus gave his life for our sins. We can be confident that Jesus was not taken by surprise. His crucifixion was not any accident. Jesus is the lamb who set us free from death. Everything is under the Lord's control.

Matthew 25: Watch

Matthew 25 can be divided in three parts: 1. The Story of the Virgins, 2. The Story About Investment, 3. The Sheep and the Goats.
Jesus is the Lord who will stay absent for a long time. What will his disciples do when he is absent?
Will they watch? Will they take care of the Lord's priorities?
In all three parts, the Lord comes back and there is a judgement, a separation: some disciples didn´t watch, they made their own things their priority, others watched, they made Jesus things their priority.
My natural way of living is to make my things my priority.
My effort in reading the Bible is to surrender myself to Jesus, day by day. May the Spirit change my mind and make the work to obey the Lord, because it is necessary power to do so.

Matthew 24: Jesus prophesies

Jesus is in Jerusalem, very next to his crucifixion. He talks about the future of the temple:

1-2 Jesus then left the Temple. As he walked away, his disciples pointed out how very impressive the Temple architecture was. Jesus said, “You’re not impressed by all this sheer size, are you? The truth of the matter is that there’s not a stone in that building that is not going to end up in a pile of rubble.”

Titus desecrated the temple and then destroyed it in 70, We read:

15-20 “But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up in the Temple sanctuary. The prophet Daniel described this. If you’ve read Daniel, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you’re living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; if you’re working in the yard, don’t return to the house to get anything; if you’re out in the field, don’t go back and get your coat. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Hope and pray this won’t happen during the winter or on a Sabbath.

It is not in the Bible, but Christians knew about this passage and a lot of Christians run away from Jerusalem when the temple was desecrated.

Jesus talks about his return:


39-44 “The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.

Jesus expects that his disciples keep his words meanwhile, so he says to them (to me) to be alert. He says the same thing in chapter 21. I belong to Jesus. I see myself as a Jesus slave, but am I doing his words?

Matthew 23: the Messiah of the Jews is rejected

Jewish leaders rejected the Messiah. He was expected to be received as in Psalm 118 (as in verse 39):

"Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!"

In fact, he was so received by the people of Jerusalem (children included), but he was rejected by the leaders. We read (MSG):

37-39 “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God’s news! How often I’ve ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn’t let me. And now you’re so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? Only this: I’m out of here soon. The next time you see me you’ll say, ‘Oh, God has blessed him! He’s come, bringing God’s rule!’”

Matthew 23 explain the psychology of the Jewish leaders, high priest included. They enjoyed to be seen as "men of God", but they didn't love the Word. They oppressed the people by many men made rules. We live in a world where many Christian churches behave exactly like the Jewish leaders behaved. Should we bow to religious leaders? We read:

8-10 “Don’t let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father’; you have only one Father, and he’s in heaven. And don’t let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.

A Christian is not be put on a pedestal like the Jewish leaders, but why does that happen on Christian churches?
I daresay because men prefer to get simple (and silly) explanations or simple commands.
The Bible is the great defense to any manipulation, but do people read their Bibles?

Matthew 22: Jesus answer questions from his enemies

Jesus is in Jerusalem. Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians are against Jesus. They are enemies among themselves but they found an enemy in common: Jesus. These three groups of people ask questions to Jesus in order to test him and put him in a difficult situation. For instance: what is the position of Jesus about Roman taxes: pro or against? Some Jews hate Rome; and they are against Roman taxes. However if Jesus were against  Roman taxes he becomes against Rome and Caesar. Here is a difficult question in order to trap Jesus. We read:

18-19 Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it.” They handed him a silver piece.
20 “This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?”
21 They said, “Caesar.”
“Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his.”  

Jesus didn't preach any revolt against the system, against Rome. In a way, he said to submit to Rome. He saw many ways to submit to the Lord and to Rome because most of time there's no conflict between Rome and the Lord even though Rome is a kingdom of this world and essentially evil. Christian pay the taxes and this is not evil (by contrary, it is good). Jesus is the king of the kingdom of heaven, but he came not to destroy the kingdom of this world, but to destroy sin and death. I am a sinner and my destine is the death. Jesus came to free me. Peter, John, etc. were Jews that ,very likely, had Rome as an enemy, but their great enemy was sin and death.

It is very easy to think that a kingdom comes when it win battles. Can we imagine a kingdom that wins by being submissive? Jesus way is very different, it is divine.

Matthew 21: Is Jesus the Messiah for Jerusalem people?

In Matthew 21 Jesus arrives in Jerusalem from Galilee. He is welcomed by the people of Jerusalem as the Messiah, the son of David:

6-9 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, “Hosanna to David’s son!” “Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” “Hosanna in highest heaven!”

However, the Jewish leaders had another idea as for example: Jesus is a mere human - so it is an absurd that he is so welcomed in Jerusalem, or worse, he got power from Satan when performing miracles. Jesus said to them that they pretended to be doing the will of the Lord using just their mouth:


31-32 “Which of the two sons did what the father asked?”
They said, “The first.”
Jesus said, “Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God’s kingdom. John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn’t care enough to change and believe him.

In Matthew 21, we see Jesus as the Messiah to the crowd but not to the Jewish leaders. To welcome Jesus is to welcome the kingdom of heaven, while rejecting him is to reject the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 20: great in the kingdom of heaven

The mother of James and John requested Jesus that their sons would be great in the kingdom of heaven. We read:

24-28 When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”

The great man in our world demands to be served, but in the kingdom of heaven, the greater a guy is, the more he serves. Jesus himself is the one who serves. He gave away his life in exchange of my life. If my king is the one who serves, how would dare I not to serve? Christ shows to serve and to suffer for the kingdom.