Giving All:

Context:

• Jesus positioned himself opposite the treasury to do some people watching.
• The rich people put large sums into the treasury.
• A poor widow put in two copper coins, worth a penny.
• Remember that Jesus had just told His disciples to “...beware of the scribes ... who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense...”

Mark 12:43-44 “...And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on..."

Luke 21:3-4 “...And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on..."

Do you think the widow’s mite was spent wisely by those in charge of the treasury?

Did Jesus say the widow was foolish for giving her all?

Is Jesus watching us?

• Mark 4:22 "...For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light...”
• Matthew 28:20 “...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age...”
• Hebrews 7:25 “...Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them...”
• Jesus is absolutely involved in our lives.

What does Jesus think about our giving?

Do we give out of our abundance?

Do we give our all?

Whose Son?:

Context:

• The Sadducees and the Pharisees had been asking Jesus questions.
• Now it was time for Jesus to ask the question.

Matthew 22:41-42 “...Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David...”

Did Jesus know how they would answer His question?

• His question was probing their views on the Messiah.
• They knew the Messiah was to come from the line of David.
• He knew that they knew.
• He also knew that over emphasis of the flesh makes understanding Kingdom activity difficult.

Matthew 22:43-45 “...He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?...”

Mark 12:35-37a “...And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly...”

Luke 20:41-44 “...But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?...”

What problem is Jesus addressing?

• The Pharisees don’t see the whole picture.
• They were looking for humanity, but not expecting divinity.

How can the Messiah be David’s Son and David’s Lord at the same time?

• This strongly implies that the Messiah is both God (David’s Lord) and man (David’s Son).

Is our world merely a world of humanity, or does divinity interact with us?

Matthew 22:46 “...And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions...”

Mark 12:37b “..And the great throng heard him gladly...”

How did the response of religious leaders differ from that of the masses?

• The Jewish leaders had been trying to trap Jesus with subtle questions.
• Since they were unsuccessful, and caught in their own game, they lost their courage.
• The large Passover crowd was listening to His teaching gladly.

Have you experienced challenging questions from people who have intentions of discrediting what you represent?

Whose Son is He?

• Mary’s and God's.

• Matthew 1:20 “...But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit...”

Can you explain this with confidence?

• John 1:1 “...In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...” 
• You will not understand the good news of Jesus in its fullest sense unless you view Him from this point of view.
• Jesus is God manifest in the flesh, and His words and deeds are those of the God-Man!

Luke 17:20-21 “...The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you...”