Tuesday: Mount of Olives

Matthew 21:23–24:51, Mark 11:20–13:37, Luke 20:1–21:36, John 12:20–38

Tuesday morning, Jesus and His disciples returned to Jerusalem. Religious leaders organized an ambush with the intent to place Him under arrest. But Jesus evaded their traps and pronounced harsh judgment on them (Matthew 23:24-33). Later that afternoon, Jesus left the city and went with His disciples to the Mount of Olives, which sits due east of the Temple and overlooks Jerusalem. Here, Jesus gave an elaborate prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age. He speaks, as usual, in parables, using symbolic language about the end times events, including His second coming and the final judgment.

Scripture indicates that this Tuesday was also the day Judas Iscariot negotiated with the Sanhedrin, the rabbinical court of ancient Israel, to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16). After a tiring day of confrontation and warnings about the future, once again, Jesus and His disciples returned to Bethany to stay the night.

Lord, The message of the cross is difficult to fathom. How can death give way to life? How can weakness be strength? Yet Your word says that Jesus, being God, took on human flesh and suffered the worst kind of death. How can this be? Your foolishness, God, is wiser than our wisdom, and Your weakness is greater than our strength. Help us to know that none of us can boast before You; it is only in Christ Jesus that we can boast. In His name, we ask You to help our unbelief, that we may love You, and walk in the way Jesus taught us. Amen.