On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

So He sent two of His disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enter, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. While they were reclining at the table eating, He said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me-one who is eating with me.”

They were saddened, and one by one they said to Him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”

“It is one of the Twelve,” He replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” He said to them. “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

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It’s becoming real. Jesus knows this is His last meal with His friends before the cross. He gives them a reminder…a reminder of what was yet to come. Communion is the opportunity for the individual to not only remember the sacrifice Jesus endured on their behalf, but also the opportunity to celebrate the victory and opportunity for forgiveness that that sacrifice presented. It is such an important moment for the Christian’s week. Don’t take it for granted, but use it as an opportunity for restoration and celebration.

Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill Him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

While He was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head.

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could’ve been sold for more than a years’ wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them anytime you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand Him over.

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Jesus said the poor will always be among you. That phrase has always got me. So what’s He saying? No matter what we do, there will be those less fortunate? I believe that’s exactly what He is saying. There will always be someone who you can help. Even if you fee you are one of the less fortunate, what Jesus says is that there will always be someone you can help. Maybe it’s not even financially, but spiritually. I think it’s important to be aware that no matter who we are and what we have, there will always be someone who we can help. Look for ways to help…opportunities to be Jesus to someone else.

“But about the day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back-whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

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Jesus is clear…that no one but the Father knows the day and hour of His return. But one thing we do know…we must be ready. Jesus says don’t let Him find you asleep. This should be enough motivation for us to work on our faith daily. But we get into worldly slumps, routines, habits…and we quickly forget what we should be truly focused on. Jesus could come back at any time. Are you ready?

As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

“You must be on your guard. You will he handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the Gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you’re arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will he saved.

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong-let the reader understand-then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now-and never to be equaled again.

If the Lord has not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

“But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give it’s light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

Isaiah 13:10; 34:4

“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

“Now learn this lesson form the fig tree: As soon as it’s twigs get tender and it’s leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

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Jesus warns His disciples of what the end will be like. What I want to focus on is the very last line. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His words never will. The Word of God will overcome every obstacle. There is nothing that can destroy His word. His promises will weather every storm. And when everything else we know is gone, His word will remain true. This is why above everything else we must cling to His word. Allow His word to be your foundation and your truth.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-all she had to live on.”

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What Jesus was sharing with His disciples is that when you give…whether it’s money, time, resources, talents…you should sacrificially give, not just give out of the overflow of what you have. Jesus was saying the rich put that offering in without batting an eye…there was no consequence. The widow, on the other hand, put in all she had to live on. No you don’t have to empty out your account right now, but you should consider is your giving. Is ten percent sacrificial for you? Or should it be 20%? Is a few bible verses in the morning enough sacrificial time with God that day? Is using your talents once a month sacrificial giving? How can you sacrifice more for the glory of God?

As He taught, Jesus said, “Watch our for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and have the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will he punished most severely.”

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Jesus calls out the hypocrite here. I want us to understand though that anyone can fall into this same temptation that the teachers of the law did. These were the religious leaders of the day…and yet they were more worried about other people seeing how religious they were. Look at me…look how I talk to God and help others. Jesus is quick to point out that our faith is not about us. The only one we should be concerned about seeing us is God…and I promise you He sees you. We help others, talk to God, read His word, attend worship, give, sing, etc not to be seen…but because we are loved and we want to love. Change course today if you need to be seen…because it’s not the course Jesus approves of.

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declares:

“The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”

Psalm 110:1

David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’ How then can He be his son?”

The large crowd listened to Him with delight.

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It says that the crowd listened with delight. When is the last time you have allowed the Word of God to fill you with delight? It basically means they were pleased with what they heard. Does God’s Word leave your pleased? Is His Word alone enough to satisfy you? If everything else disappeared today…would His Word be enough to please you with a fancy sermon, attractive music, and flashing lights? Would it be enough for you if there were no children or student programs? Because…it should. Get to know His Word…learn to let it be the pleasing aroma in your life.

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus has given them a good answer, he asked Him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandments greater than these.”

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but Him. To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from them on no one dared asked Him any more question.

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Love God…love others. Jesus not only says these are the two greatest commandments…but He says there is not one other commandments greater than this. It’s pretty clear that to be a Christ follower we must love God wholeheartedly and love others more than ourselves. Yet, there are times we elevate other commandments to the same level as these. Whether it’s not forsaking the assembly…giving…etc. The truth is if we love God wholeheartedly we will be obedient to Him in all areas. If we truly love others…we will be making disciples. It starts and is carried out with love. Pursue loving God today…pursue loving others today. It’s just that important.

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising-have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

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The Sadducees, who didn’t even believe in a resurrection, tried to catch Jesus asking a question they thought would prove Him wrong. Instead, Jesus proved how little they knew about the matter. What kept coming to my mind, however, is that we ask all of these types of questions about heaven because we anticipate it to be a certain way based on what we KNOW. Could it be, that the things we hold as important now, won’t be able to compare to the fact that we are face to face with Jesus? I believe eternity is becoming more real for people right now. Help them to see that eternity is worth it if only for the fact that we are with Jesus. No more diseases to quarantine from. We will be with God and He with us.

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch Him in His words. They came to Him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” He asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at Him.

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Notice here that Jesus didn’t choose a political side. He didn’t give in to the politics of the moment. The fact that Pharisees and Herodians were conspiring together is fascinating in and of itself. Jesus quickly points back to God. He says to obey the laws of the land…as long as you’re obeying the laws of God. If you’re not giving back to God…you better get that fixed before you worry about Caesar. Is it important to be a good citizen of the United States? Absolutely. But it’s more important to make sure you’re a citizen of the kingdom of God. The latter has eternal ramifications along with it.