Passion Week ~ Monday

In our last post, we examined the final days of Yeshua’s life and ministry. In this post, we walk with Yeshua as He returns to Yerushalayim for the final time.

Introduction [1]

On Monday, Yeshua’s popularity is still at a high peak, and the children sing His praises as if to thank Him for His continual remembrance of them. But, in contrast, Mattityahu, Mark, and Luke each record an incident almost identical to one recorded by Yochanan at the beginning of Yeshua’s ministry (Yochanan 2:13-21). Yeshua may be purifying the Temple one last time if these are two separate incidents.

Yeshua begins to speak freely of His pending crucifixion and makes a special effort to explain its purpose. Some multitudes still disbelieve in Him, but as Yochanan observes, even their disbelief is the fulfillment of prophecy.

The Unfruitful Fig Tree

¹² The next day, as they came back from Beit-Anyah, he felt hungry. ¹³ Spotting in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if He could find anything on it. When He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves; for it wasn’t fig season. ¹⁴ He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His talmidim heard what He said. 

If Yeshua’s cursing and drying up the fig tree had been a petulant reaction to disappointment because He couldn’t satisfy His hunger, it would be unworthy of anyone, let alone the Messiah. But Yeshua is making a point utilizing prophetic drama, an acted-out parable (possibly Luke 13:6–9). Even out of season, a fig tree in leaf – it must have been in leaf to be seen in the distance (v. 12) – holds forth the promise of fruit. The typical early season for figs in Isra’el is June, but the early unripe fruit (Song of Songs 2:13) begins to show itself even before the spring leaves appear on the branches, often before Pesach.

Yeshua Cleanses the Temple

¹⁵ On reaching Yerushalayim, He entered the Temple courts and began driving out those who were carrying on business there, both the merchants and their customers. He also knocked over the desks of the money changers, upset the benches of the pigeon dealers,¹⁶ and refused to let anyone carry merchandise through the Temple courts. ¹⁷ Then, as He taught them, He said, “Isn’t it written in the Tanakh, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the Goyim.” But you have made it into a den of robbers!”  ^[2]

The Plot to Kill Yeshua Delayed

¹⁸ The head cohanim and the Torah-teachers heard what He said and tried to find a way to do away with Him; they were afraid of Him because the crowds were utterly taken by His teaching. ^[3] But they couldn’t find any way of doing it because all the people were hanging onto his every word. ^[4]

In our next, we continue to follow Yeshua into Yerushalayim for His Crucifixion by the end of the week.

Click here for the PDF version.

[1] The Narrated Bible in Chronological Order by F. LaGard Smith
^[2] Mark 11:12–17.
^[3] Mark 11:18.
^[4] Luke 19:48.