As we continue through Matthew 21, the Pharisees persist in challenging Jesus' authority. Now, Jesus gives them a second parable to demonstrate himself as God's son. This parable is a type of prophetic autobiography, in which Jesus foreshadows his own death. What is Jesus communicating to the pharisees about the nature of God's kingdom? How is Jesus the better prophet? Join us as Cody unpacks these questions and more.

Cody continues our journey through Matthew 21 this week as Jesus' authority is challenged in verses 23-32. Jesus answers this question posed by the Pharisees by giving them a parable of two sons: one who first denies his father's authority but then changes his mind and one who claims fealty but denies in action. Cody charges us to ask ourselves: which son are we most like? What does true repentance look like? Will we be relentless rebels or repentant ones?

This week, Cody walks us through a familiar Bible story: Jesus overturning the tables in the temple. Often, Jesus' anger in this scene can be misunderstood as a justification of our own anger towards others. Instead, Cody shows us that Jesus' anger is not like ours, and we are likely more similar to the Pharisees and money changers in this story than Jesus himself.

In honor of Mother's Day, Kevin Maloney skips ahead this week to Matthew 20:17-28 and unpacks the request made by the mother of the sons of Zebedee. She asks Jesus if He would assign her sons important positions in the kingdom, seated at His right and left hand. Jesus uses this request to demonstrate real greatness in the kingdom of God: a path antithetical to the way we view success in this life.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final days before Christ's death and resurrection. To commemorate, we are skipping ahead in our Matthew series to look at Matthew 20:29-21:17 and the depiction of Jesus' famous entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. What is the significance of this event in the life of Christ? What do Jesus' next actions in the passage tell us about His character and heart? How does this passage speak to our religious activity today?