The Caldwell Commentaries Podcast

John 12:37-50

With this lesson we conclude our two-part study on John 12:20-50, an important passage of God's Word that contains "The Lord's Last Public Appeal" to the people of Israel of His day.  After this, we find Jesus concentrating almost entirely on teaching His twelve Apostles.  In this first part of this study (Lesson 122), we learned of some "seeking Greeks" who had desired to see Jesus.  To their request, the Lord gave a reply that contained two prophetic forecasts of His upcoming death by crucifixion, as well as a beautiful prayer of submission to His Father's will.

Following His last public appeal to the Jewish people in John 12:22-36, John wrote some verses to summarize the Lord's 3 1/2 years of ministry to Israel.  He wrote, first, of "The Reasons for Jewish Disbelief" and then he gave a "Recapitulation of Jesus' Discourses" - and these subjects are what this lesson is about.

John 12:20-36

In this lesson and Lesson 123, we learn of Christ's last public words of testimony regarding Himself and His offer of eternal life.  The three outline divisions for this lesson are entitled, "Visit of Greeks," "Voice of God," and "Vacating of Grace.

Interestingly, the desire of the Greeks to see Jesus was prophetic of all that would occur during the 2,000+ years of the Church Age!  Unlike the Jews, who wanted to see "a sign," the Greeks (who picture all Gentiles) wanted to see Jesus!  

Matthew 21:12, 13, 18, 19; Mark 11:12-18; Luke 19:45-48

Early on Monday of the Lord's Passion Week, He engaged in two very uncharacteristic acts:  He cursed a fruitless tree and cleansed a filthy Temple!  Both events symbolically revealed the hypocrisy and spiritual lifelessness of Israel!

In this lesson (Part III of our look at "Prophetic Palm Sunday"), we look at events that transpired as the Lord Jesus rode into Zion on the back of an ass's colt.  Matthew tells us, ". . . all the city was moved".  Everyone was stirred about Jesus and what His entrance signified - at least to them.  Some people were stirred by the boldness of such a public act and Jesus' acceptance of Hosanna's to His Messiahship.  Other people were stirred with unspeakable joy, believing (at least at that moment) He was the Deliverer Who would set them free from Rome.  The Roman soldiers in the city were probably stirred with laughter over the seeming foolishness of the whole thing - a "king" who enter the capital city on a donkey, followed by a ragtag bunch of Galilean fishermen!  It was too funny!

Then there was the Pharisaical crowd; those religious rulers who were so stirred by jealousy and self-righteous indignation that they rebuked Jesus for allowing young children to hail Him as "the Son of David," a clear reference to the Messiah.  We cannot but wonder if there was anyone present that day who was stirred to the core of his soul because he realized it was the very day prophesied in Daniel's Seventy Weeks' Prophecy for "Messiah the Prince" to make His official presentation to Israel!!   

This study is found in our "Caldwell Commentary" series - Life of Christ Vol. 5 (available from www.scripturetruth.com).

This is Part II of our study on "The King's Triumphant Entry".  We continue to discuss a number of fascinating facts and prophetic fulfillments about one of the greatest days in the Lord's life: Palm Sunday.  If you think you know everything about that special day, you will likely be very surprised to learn something NEW, which is what an in-depth Bible Study like ours is all about!  Get your Bible and pen in hand; you will want to take notes!

It was the beginning of "The Passion Week".  Christ was about to fulfill the purpose for His incarnation.  Within the week, He would voluntarily lay down His life for the sins of the world.  Sunday of this important week was one of the most remarkable days in the Lord's life; it is commonly known as "Palm Sunday" or "The Triumphal Entry".

Most people are familiar with the basics of Palm Sunday (i.e., Jesus on a young colt, multitudes waving palm branches, crying out, "Hosanna" to the King), but few understand the significance of the prophetic fulfillments that occurred that day.  Did you know the Jews could have known to the very day when Messiah the Prince would officially present Himself to Israel (in Jerusalem) if they had done their homework with the amazing "Seventy Weeks' Prophecy" in Daniel 9:24-27 (listen to our podcast messages on "Daniel's Great 70 Weeks' Prophecy")?

Find out why Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He looked at the city from the Mount of Olives before entering on the colt of an ass (fulfillment of another prophecy).  It will utterly amaze you and make you weep with Him for His people and for everyone else who fails to understand the importance of Old Testament prophecy that verifies WHO JESUS IS! 

Luke 19:11-27

Instead of looking for a Messiah/Deliverer Who was a political answer to their physical bondage to Rome, the people of Israel would have been looking for a spiritual answer to their bondage to sin.  The Lord knew the people were expecting Him to march into Jerusalem (He was on His way to celebrate His final Passover there) and use His miraculous powers to defeat the Romans and take over the city and nation.  As He was getting ready to depart Jericho and embark on the 6-hour walk to the Holy City He again attempted to prepare His disciples for what was ahead, and He did so by another parable, "The Parable of the Pounds".  It taught them the nature of the position He was about to take up and the position they, His servants, must soon fill.  He would be departing; they would be left behind to carry on His business in His absence.  He would return one day to set up the promised Messianic Kingdom, but until then there was much to be done through His people.  He wanted them to think of their present responsibilities instead of wasting time basking in thoughts of personal glory in the future.

The outline for this lesson is: "The Departure of the King," "The Dut of the Servants," "The Disdain of the Citizens," and "The Day of the Return".  We talk a lot about the difference between saving faith and saying-only faith.

Luke 19:1-10

On His way to offer His life a ransom for many, the ever-Selfless Lord Jesus (the Good Shepherd), continually took the time to demonstrate His concern and compassion to those in need of His mercy and grace.  In the previous lesson (117), He extended His helping hand to a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, who He met and healed outside the city of Jericho.  In this lesson, He extended His gracious mercy to a tax collector ("a wee little man") named Zacchaeus inside the city of Jericho. 

The story of Zacchaeus is a truly beautiful story of the spiritual conversion of a lost soul.  Like the stories of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman at the well, the account of Zacchaeus is one that should be examined carefully and frequently by Christians, for it serves as an encouraging reminder that even those who appear to be the most difficult cases to win to a saving knowledge of Christ (pharisaic-types, promiscuous-types, and publican-types) can be actually the "most ripe for the picking"!  ". . . All things are possible with God"!

Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43

The Lord Jesus and His men were on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.  They were with a large group of Passover pilgrim when they reached Jericho, some 12 miles northeast of the Holy City.  Christ was only a matter of days away from His betrayal, arrest, suffering, shame, and crucifixion, yet He was always focused on those who needed Him.  He was never in such a hurry He could not stop to heal the afflicted, which is what He did with two needy men He met along the road to His own ultimate rejection.  They were named Bartimaeus and Zacchaeus.

In this lesson, we look at the Lord's healing of the blind Bartimaeus.  As we do so, we cover four outline divisions: "The Controversy" (according to Bible critics - which turns out not to be a controversy at all), "The Cry," "The Call," and "The Cure".

Selfishness always results in dissension and division, which is exactly what happened when the other ten Apostles heard about the proud and self-ambitious request of the two "sons of thunder," James and John.  All Twelve were in dire need of some instruction on humility and servanthood!  Thus, Christ took them aside to teach them about true greatness as God sees it, not as the world sees it.  He told them there are two ways one can choose to be great: the Gentile way, which displeases God, or Christ's way, which is the only way God is pleased.  His way is the pattern for believers to follow.  Servanthood and genuine humility are the pathway to greatness before God!