Approaching Christ’s Passion Week with Purpose

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Approaching Christ's Passion Week with Purpose.

That is a topic we'll discuss leading into this Easter Week, right here on the Christian

Wheel of View radio program, where the mission is to sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians

and to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

I'm David Wheaton, the host.

The Christian Wheel of View is a non-profit, listener-supported radio ministry.

Our website is Thel Christian Wheel of View.org, and the rest of our contact information

will be given throughout today's program.

As always, thank you for your notes of encouragement, financial support, and lifting us up in prayer.

Before we get to today's topic, I want to say just a few words in honor and tribute

to John Sterbicki, a great friend and brother in Christ, who went to heaven last week after

experiencing a sudden heart event in Florida, John was 65 years old.

He was a founding board member of the Overcomeer Foundation, which is the name of the non-profit

organization that directs the Christian Wheel of View.

He will be greatly missed in that role, and for the regular encouragement he gave us.

John was a blessed man.

God saved him, was sanctifying him, and gave him a godly wife Sue, who herself worked

for the Christian Wheel of View for years, also gave him two children and several grandchildren,

all of whom he adored.

John was faithful to his local church, and used his spiritual gifts well, from discernment

to service, to encouragement, to giving.

He was a good and godly man.

I always enjoyed spending time with him and playing golf together on occasion.

Of course we were all shocked to hear the news about John's heaven going, but we know

that God wasn't caught off guard.

In fact, God ordained to bring John to himself in his eternal home the exact day and the

way he did.

And so while we grieve our loss, we rejoice even more to know John is with the Christ he

believed in and faithfully served.

Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me will live even if he dies.

And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

And that is our confident assurance for our good friend, Johnster Bickey.

Thank you for remembering his family and prayer and for praising God for his grace in John's

life.

And so now we are entering Easter week, or as it is sometimes called holy week or passion

week, commemorating the final week of the earthly life of Jesus Christ that culminated in

his crucifixion on this coming Friday and resurrection next Sunday.

Many significant events occurred in the days leading to his crucifixion and resurrection.

Jesus made what's called the triumphal entry into Jerusalem this weekend on Sunday, also

known as Palm Sunday, when he presented himself to Israel as their promised Messiah and King.

His followers waving palm branches and laying their coats on the road as Jesus rode in on

the cult of a donkey.

On Monday, Jesus came back into Jerusalem and cleansed the temple for the second time.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, he taught in the temple and contended with unbelieving religious

leaders of the Jews.

He also instructed his own disciples about what was to come in the future.

And then on Thursday began the more familiar events with his last supper with his disciples,

his betrayal by Judas, his arrest in the Garden of Gisemini, and his sham trials by the

Jews and the Romans leading to his crucifixion on Friday.

So next weekend, we will air a special program focusing on the person and work of Christ.

But this weekend, Pastor Travis Allen of Grace Church in Greeley, Colorado, a long time

favorite guest on this program, joins us to discuss the significance of the events that

occurred during Passion Week leading up to Christ's death and resurrection.

Let's get straight to the first segment of the interview with Pastor Travis Allen.

Travis, thank you for coming on the Christian review radio program today.

Before we get to discussing the events of Christ's Passion Week leading to his crucifixion

and resurrection, I just wanted to ask you about a topic we've been recently discussing

on the program regarding the way that especially those on the political and even the theological

right today with this situation in Israel and how they were attacked on October 7, 2023

in the ensuing wars with Hamas and Hezbollah and now this raging joint war with the United

States against the Iranian Islamic regime. It's really created a division for some that are

very prominent influencers on the right. I'll mention the names again like Tucker Carlson,

Candace Owens, Nick Fuentes, others that have become just vociferously anti-Israel.

I just wanted to see your thoughts on what you think is taking place right now. Why this is

taking place? And more importantly, how you think biblical, born-again Christians should not be

influenced by worldly thinking on Israel, but how should we be viewing Israel and the Jews

considering that their nation and their people are largely in rebellion against God?

Great question, David. Let me just say before I start to meander into some kind of an answer.

I just want to thank you again for having me on the program. It's always a great conversation

with you and I really appreciate what you and those of the folks at the Christian World you

were doing. You guys are a very significant voice and you guys are a benefit and a blessing to me

and my church as we listen to your show. So we should not be surprised at all this attention

on the Middle East, on Israel in particular, the kind of hand-ringing over what to do with the

Middle East and the problems that are there. It says in Zechariah 12, 2 and 3 that Jerusalem

is going to be for the nations like a cup that causes staggering. It's almost like everybody

has to take a drink and that drink is going to cause us some kind of intoxication that it's

intoxicating to get involved, but it's also going to cause a inability to bear up under it. In fact,

it goes on to say that Jerusalem is a heavy stone for all the peoples. It's too heavy to lift

and it can't be lifted without some injury. And that explains the Middle East that it's a cup

that causes staggering. It's a heavy stone. Anybody who takes up the task of trying to lift it,

they're going to cause injury to themselves and that has happened to every single nation, every

empire, everybody that's tried to deal with this Middle East problem. The Jews themselves being

back in the land. It's hard not to as a Christian to think, well, this is significant. This is

something that hasn't happened before. The Jews were part of the diaspora ever since the New

Testament time as the Romans came in and destroyed the temple and the Jews scattered. They've been

living in different parts of the world and different pockets, but they've never had a home.

They have one eye toward a restoration in the land and another eye of building a business or

raising their families in somebody else's country. And so they're always strangers. They're never

welcome. They're never at home. They're always looking toward a home that they don't have. Why don't

they have it because they're in rebellion against God. And so because of this horrible Nazi Holocaust,

and this is the Western world with a Christian sense, a Judeo-Christian understanding,

they wanted to do something to help put the Jews back in the land and give them back their homeland.

And they had a biblical understanding and a biblical reason for doing that. But it's not as if the Jews

were repentant. They didn't look to Christ and proclaim that he's their Messiah and repent over

crucifying him and put their faith in Christ. That's not how they got back in the land. They got

back in the land due to the goodwill of the victors in World War II. And so they went back into the

land. Their nation had a start in 1948 and they've been living as a nation ever since. So we

rejoice in that. As Christians, we can't really help but think, well, this is significant. And it

could pretend what's coming in the end and what the Bible predicts and prophesies that there'll be

in the land and there'll be the targets of international persecution and wars and all that

will be going on in and around Israel. And that's certainly what we've seen. I think it's important

for Christians to make a distinction though between Israel's right to exist as a nation like any other

nation and just their national sovereignty. Any nation has that right to exist. And Israel's

theological right to exist as a nation, as a people in the promised land. And I think it's very

important as Christians to make that distinction. And you mentioned some of the people in the public

square, pundits and commentators who are speaking, trying to get their arms around this and trying

to understand this. And some of them taking a very anti-Israel, anti-Jew posture. Some of it sounds

anti-Semitic. I mean, some it's kind of harkening back to even trying to rehabilitate the reputation

of Adolf Hitler, which is shocking. But you hear people still trying to wrestle with what right

this Israel have to exist. And if you start to ask about the right of any nation to exist,

you go back to the founding of, say, this country, America. And we've lived through all this

woke time. And we see a lot of people questioning the right of America to exist. Did America set up

its constitution by oppressing other peoples and casting the Indians aside and doing wrong to

people? Look, every nation has good and bad and it's founding. And I think there's a lot of good

and America's founding. But if you want to play the game of does our nation or does Israel's a

nation have a right to exist, you're going to play that game with every nation in the world.

Any nation that exists right now has a right to national sovereignty, to act in its own

national interests, to protect its borders, to fight its enemies. And I think that Israel has

as much right as any nation to do that very thing. But that's a different thing than talking about

their theological right to be back in the land. And we know that theologically they do not have

a right to be back in the land until they repent and put their faith in Christ. I do think that

their national existence, being back in the land as a state, as a nation state, Israel, that's the

favor of God. That's the kindness of God. And I do think it is kind of setting up the times of

the end here that we see predicted in Scripture. But that still Christians need to call

balls and strikes according to righteousness. And we know that they're under the judgment of God

as a people. And they will be and they'll be harried and persecuted and troubled until they

repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ as it says in Zechariah 1210, you know, as they look

upon whom they pierced and they mourn. And there's individual repentance, family repentance,

and national repentance in putting their faith in Christ. It's not until that nation is a

regenerate nation that God favors it and gives it the full reception of the land promises, promises

to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, which man, you look at the boundaries of that nation. It's all

the way from the Euphrates all the way over to the Mediterranean and the Nile. It's from top to

bottom. It's it's basically all the Middle East. That's what Christ is going to rule over in the

morning of Kingdom. Well, it's a very interesting distinction you're making and the theological

right to exist. I would associate that with the blessing of God on that nation with even larger

borders as God originally intended. And that will come in the future when they recognize that

their Messiah is in fact Jesus Christ and he has returned to save the nation. So thank you for

giving us some specificity in that. Travis Allen is our guest today. He's the pastor of Grace

Church in Greeley, Colorado. Let's transition from the current state of Israel to

harken back millennia ago when God ordered or commanded the Jews in Israel to celebrate

there were seven feasts that he commanded the Jews to commemorate throughout the year.

Three of those feasts, Travis, were actually, they were to take pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the

feast of unlimited bread, which is the Passover feast in the spring. And then the feast of weeks

of Pentecost. That was 50 days after Passover. And then the feast of booths or tabernacles. This is

more in the fall. The Jews are make pilgrimages to Jerusalem for these feasts. God set aside these

times of year where they were to gather, to think about, to worship and glorify God. And I just

wonder about as we head into Easter week or Christ's Passion Week, is there some relevance for us

as Christians who aren't in a feast mentality or or feast rhythm in our lives? We tend to

dis celebrate Christmas on, you know, maybe Christmas Eve and Christmas is birth. And then Easter

celebrated on maybe Easter Sunday come celebrate with us at church. You know, Christ rose from the dead.

I think we lose a lot by not having our minds focused on the various lead up as God wanted the Jews

to be spending time in these feasts are often a week long. So as we head into this Passion Week,

perhaps you could share with us what kind of mindset you have as you personally go into this week

of Easter and also how you lead your church in that way as well.

Personally, I like to go back to the Passion Narratives, which are pretty prominent in the

synoptic Gospels. In fact, you look at the Gospel of John and you see from chapter 13 to 17 is

all in the night that Jesus was betrayed. And then you have the arrest, the trial, that the

crucifixion of Christ and then a resurrection after that more than half the book of John is focused

on this time. And there's a significant portion of the synoptic Gospel Narratives that are focused

on the Passion Week. And so it's very, very important for our own understanding as we come into

this time of the year to give our attention to those Passion Narratives. And I think every Christian

should go back personally into the Scripture and just re-thromb archers does this too. But we observe

good Friday just recognizing the crucifixion of Christ. And it's not a time of let's party and

have a big celebration. It's kind of a mournful and a reflective time. We usually have a message that

focuses on the death of Christ and the reason for the death of Christ, which is to act as a substitutionary

atonement for the sins of his people. He's that perfect lamb that is offered up by God and he,

as the Lamb of God, willingly went to the cross to take on the sins of his people. The father

then poured out his just wrath on his own son so that his people would be saved. Jesus died on that

cross and that death in his body for sins is what paid the penalty for the sins of all who will

ever believe. If they put their faith in Christ, their sins are paid for because of his death on the

cross. He was taken off that cross, buried in a tomb physically. So his body was actually there.

It was a verifiable thing by his people, by all the centurion, the soldiers that were there,

even the Pharisees and the Sadducees who scoffed, the crowd that was around. They also had died.

And then he was buried by his followers by Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, their servants.

They buried him in Joseph's tomb and then on the third day he rose from the dead. The angel rolled

away the stone to allow his people to see that the tomb was empty. Jesus didn't need the stone rolled

away. He was in a resurrected body, a glorified body that could pass through walls, pass through

stone. He could appear in one place, disappear and show up in another place as he did on the

the road to a mass and then showed up later in the upper room. So the angels wrote away the stone,

allowed his followers to see. And that resurrection of Jesus Christ is what showed God's approval of

that sacrifice and that everything that Jesus taught, said, did, it's all true. His fulfillment of

every prophecy in the Old Testament is true. His fulfillment of the feasts, his fulfillment of the law,

the prophets, all of it is true. And because of his resurrection from the dead, we can be justified

by God by putting our faith in Christ. So he's raised for our justification so that because of his

perfect righteous life, not only are our sins paid for by his death, but we are covered in his

righteousness and we are then justified by God, declared to be righteous. So I think it's really

important that we personally look through those passion narratives as we come into this week as

we think about good Friday. I think it's a very important time to come together as churches and

observe that crucifixion of Christ and what that death means for salvation. There is no salvation

without his crucifixion, without his death for sins. Our church, we like to observe communion on

that night and it's kind of a overnight of reflection about our own sinfulness. Our church is actually

this year going to do a Passover sater. So it's a sater to show the elements that point to Christ

within the Passover meal. That was basically the tutelage of the Jews by God's design to give them

elements throughout the Passover. They're all point to Christ and we're going to kind of observe

that together as a church and enjoy that and then we're going to celebrate the communion. So we'll

do that and then on Easter Sunday, that's when we really celebrate and rejoice in his resurrected life.

And going back to your first opening question with regard to what's going on in Israel and how

all eyes of every country is looking toward the Middle East and towards Jerusalem.

And this is what it's all about that we as Gentiles, many of us around the world, we are

worshiping Israel's God. We're worshiping Yahweh. We were worshiping Yahweh in the name of the Messiah,

the anointed one of God, who has come and he has proclaimed salvation to his people.

And though the Jews purified him, if they'll turn to him in faith and repentance, God will restore

them. He'll regenerate their hearts, forgive their sins, cover them with his righteousness,

bring them underneath his sovereign protection, his omnipotent power will protect them from the hostility

of the nations. If they'll look upon him and they pierced and repent and put their faith in him

because he has risen from the dead. Well, what a powerful and beautiful way to describe

this coming Easter week. Travis, thank you for doing that and walking us through, especially

that most important, the centerpiece of this passion, we Christ's death for sinners,

repentant sinners in his burial and resurrection, proving that God was satisfied with his offering

for sin. It is finished, paid in full. And that's what he did in the cross for believers.

Travis Allen with us today, Pastor of Grace Church in Greeley, Colorado. We'll take a short break

to tell you about some ministry resources coming up next. Travis will explain the significance

of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, along with other events early in Passion Week.

I'm David Wheaton, you are listening to the Christian World View Radio program.

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This is where the left has really discovered the one to punch. If they can

define empathy and compassion according to their definitions, and then this next step is they can

accuse you of not having it unless you go along, then they've got you. You don't want to be

called a hater. You don't want to be called callous and heartless because you think I want to be

known as a compassionate person, but you're not using the Bible's definition of compassion. You've

now adopted this progressive leftist worldly definition and you're being steered by it.

That was Pastor Joe Righney explaining how the left manipulates Christians through twisting

empathy. For a limited time, you can order his book leadership and the sin of empathy

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Welcome back to the Christian World View. I'm David Wheaton. Be sure to visit theChristianWorldview.org

where you can sign up for our weekly email and the Christian World View Journal Print publication

order resources for adults and children and support the ministry. Our topic today is

approaching Christ's Passion Week with purpose and our guest is Travis Allen, pastor of Grace

Church in Greeley, Colorado. Travis, in the opening segment, you got to the heart of what the Easter

Week is about with regard to Christ's death and his resurrection. But one thing I wanted to focus

on because this program is airing at the beginning of this Easter Week and I wanted to ask you about

what happened on Palm Sunday, what happened on Monday when Jesus cleansed the temple and then what

occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday and the lead up to these times. I think that would be helpful

because those parts of the week don't get as much emphasis but there are significant things that

happened in this week leading up and all this quote from the Old Testament again, a prophecy in

Zachariah chapter 9 verse 9 where the prophet says, rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion,

shout and triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold your king is coming to you. This is a messionic

prophecy here. He is just an endowed with salvation. That's what Christ is bringing. He brings off

her salvation. He's humble and mounted on a donkey, even on a cult, the full of a donkey.

So that was written back in the Old Testament. I wouldn't know at the top of my head how many years

that was written before it actually occurred. Now this read one of the parallel passages,

the fulfillment of that is in Luke chapter 19 which says, when he approached Beth Fage and Bethany,

you're the mount that is called Olivet or the Mount of Olives. He sent two of his disciples saying,

go into the village ahead of you, there as you enter you will find a cult. Just as referred to

in Zachariah chapter 9 on which no one has ever sat, untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you,

why are you untying it, you shall say the Lord has need of it. So those who were sent away,

went away and found it just as he had told them, as they were untying the cult, its owners said to

them, why are you untying the cult? They said the Lord has need of it. And so they brought it to

Jesus and they threw their coats on the cult and put Jesus on it. And as he was going, they were

spreading their coats on the road. As soon as he was approaching near the descent of the Mount of

Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all

the miracles which they had seen shouting, blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,

peace in heaven and glory in the highest. Basically, an exact fulfillment of what the prophet

Zachariah said hundreds of years earlier. Travis, all four the gospel writers give account of what

this is called Palm Sunday or a waving Palm branches at their king, Jesus the king, or it's

called the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, the beginning of the Passion Week. Tell us

about the significance of what was taking place here, even beyond just the prophetic fulfillment of it.

Well, it's interesting that he doesn't come in on a stallion. A lot of the emperors of the

kings used to enter into the city where they were going to take their place on the throne at their

coronation and they came in on powerful war horses signaling their strength, their victory,

triumphant, Jesus comes in a very opposite way. He comes on the bowl of a donkey. He comes humble

and he comes really in the spirit of Solomon who came in into Jerusalem in the same way,

actually followed the same route down into Jerusalem and he comes basically Solomon's name meaning,

you know, reporting to peace with the Shalom in his name. Jesus comes in the same spirit of Solomon

to bring this era. He is the one greater than Solomon who comes. He's the one ushering in the

wisdom of God and the salvation of God and the peace of God. This is what he comes to offer to his

people and so that's why they can cry. Hosanna in the high as blessed he who comes in the name of

Lord because his coming and his coronation, his king signals the blessing and the favor and the

prosperity coming out of that. A new golden age that comes to Israel through his reign, through his

triumphal entry into Jerusalem. What's interesting is where you stop reading. If you keep on reading,

there's a hint of what's coming. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,

teacher, rebuke your disciples. They're not big fans of Jesus. They're not receptive of this

king and because the Pharisees representing the religious sect within a very powerful, influential

religious sect with Judaism, their counterparts who are theological liberals, the Sadducees,

they have all the power in the temple over the high priests working hand in hand the high priests

and they're all kind of in bed with Herod and in bed with Rome. They hold the reigns of power.

So they see this triumphal entry in him coming in this mode of King Solomon. They don't see him as a

welcome king. They see him as a threat. The people, they're rejoicing. They're seeing this all is

maybe the fulfillment of prophecy. Maybe he's the Messiah. Maybe he's the one coming in the name of

the Lord and they're all excited. They've got maybe some wrong views of eschatology and what this

means. They don't recognize that they need to repent of their sin and put their faith in him.

They're kind of seeing health, wealth and prosperity gospel. That's kind of how they would think

about it. But these religious leaders as indicated by the Pharisees there, they're there to

criticize. They're there to reject. They're there to rebuke and teach a rebuke your disciples.

Jesus answered and said, I tell you if these were silent, the stones will cry out.

So there's him offering himself to his people as king. They're all rejoicing and you see the

opposition of the leadership of Israel. Even right after he answered, I tell you if these were

silent, the stones will cry out. The very next thing he does in this chorus of rejoicing and

hosanas and palm branches and people cheering, there's this element of the Pharisees that are

criticizing. They're there to reject. They're there to to find fault. And so as Jesus approaches,

he's not caught up in the fervor of the crowds. He's actually seeing more significant is the

opposition of the leaders. And so it says in Luke 1941, as the approach Jerusalem saw the city,

he cried over it. Everybody's rejoicing and having a great party and he's crying. He said,

if you knew this day, even you, the things which make for peace. But now they've been hidden from your

eyes. And then he predicts the destruction of Jerusalem. And then right after that, he goes into

the temple. But it's just for Jesus, he sees what's really going on. He sees the true spiritual

condition of the people. He knows that whatever they appear to be rejoicing and on the outside,

there's something else going on in their hearts that has yet to be dealt with. And it's their sin,

it's their repentance. It hasn't happened.

In 2000 years later, the state of Israel and most of the Jews are in that same state of hardness

and rebellion against their Messiah. So it is really incredibly relevant for even what's taking

place today. Again, Travis Allen with us, the pastor of Grace Church and Greeley Colorado.

Now that was Sunday, Palm Sunday, the triumphal entry of Christ. Thank you for explaining that.

Let's go to the next day on Monday. And all this read from Mark chapter 11 about what took place

on this Monday of Passion Week. Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple. And after looking

around at everything, actually, this is I think the end of the day on Sunday, he left for Bethany

with the 12 since it was already late. Okay, here's Monday. On the next day, when they had left

Bethany, Christ became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see it perhaps he

would find anything on it. And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves. For it was not

the season for figs. He said to it, may no one ever eat fruit from you again with exclamation point.

And his disciples were listening. Verse 15 of Mark 11, then they came to Jerusalem and

enter the temple and begin to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple and overturn

the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And he would not

permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple to begin to teach and say to them,

is it not written? My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations. But you have

made it a robber's den. The chief priest in the scribes heard this and began speaking how to

destroy him. Very angry at this. They were afraid of him for the whole crowd was astonished at his

teaching. And when evening came, it says in verse 19, they will go out of the city. So this is very

interesting as well. So at the end of that Sunday, Travis, Christ enters the temple. It says he

looks around at everything. Then he leaves. And then the next day on Monday, he leaves where he's

staying in Bethany, town just close to Jerusalem. And he comes in and he sees this fig tree with no

figs on it. And he curses this tree. And then he enters the temple that he had just looked around

in the night before. But this time he comes in. And now he's overturning tables. And he's driving

people out. So what should we make of what took place on this Monday in Passion Week?

You mentioned the fig tree. He goes into the temple. He drives all the money changers and the

buyers and the sellers out. And then it says in Mark 1119, when evening came, they were going out of

the city. Next verse, verse 20 says, and they were passing by in the morning. They saw the fig tree

withered from the roots. So that fig tree is a picture of Israel. And it's a picture of their

spiritual condition. He looks for fruit. No fruit. And that's what he sees in the temple. When he

goes into the temple, he looks for fruit. What is the fruit of worship, a place for all the nations

to come and pray and worship them for the Jews to come and sacrifice and offer sacrifice to God

for them to get their hearts right, to be praying not like the Pharisee in the temple, but like the

tax collector, God be merciful to me, a sinner, and for their hearts to be right. And what he comes

in when he looks around and then he comes back the next day to cleanse it, he's coming into his own

place. He's coming into his father's house, his temple. Three years before that, John chapter two,

the end of John chapter two, he had cleansed it already. He already made that point. He already

drove out the buyers, the sellers, the money changers and said, quit making my father's house,

a house of merchandise. And so he comes three years later and it's right back to business as usual,

right back to profiting off of people's spiritual need. Then we see so much that going on today,

don't we? But Jesus comes in and drives out everybody to cleanse and purify the temple and then

he sets up his preaching ministry right there in the temple. Interesting that the king, as he comes

in on his coronation, he doesn't go directly to the throne and kick the raining parrot off the throne

and take his place there. He goes into the temple because this king is concerned to rule a people

whose hearts are right with God. And so that's where he's got to go. That's where he's got to

retake, recapture and repurpose, get it back on track to be worshiping God the father and to make

this temple cleansed and purified again, to do the work that God intended for the temple to do,

to bring people near to God so that God can be their God and they can be his people. So he comes in

cleanses the temple and that creates all kind of problems with the religious leaders who find his

cleansing of the temple he's just gone too far and he needs to be challenged. He did that the

beginning of his ministry and then again here at the end and such a good point how they did just

reverted right back to their works based empty religion of externalism. Travis Allen with us today

talking about approaching Christ's passion week with purpose. And so we go from Sunday,

Palm Sunday, the triumphant entry coming into Jerusalem to Monday or Jesus comes in the next day

curses the fig tree and it is cursed withers cleanses the temple clears it out and then the next

day on Tuesday actually the next two days on Tuesday and Wednesday actually quite a few chapters

of scripture depending on which gospel you're reading given an account of what took place on these

two days that Jesus was teaching. He was a lot of contention with those religious leaders as you

said they were very upset did not like him they wanted him dead. Woe to the Pharisees woe to you

Sadducees there's chapters in scripture in the gospels on that and then he also spends some alone

time on the Mount of Olives with his own disciples and it's called the Olivet discourse where he talks

about they ask him what's coming I'll read from Matthew chapter 24 Jesus came out from the temple

again this is on Tuesday or Wednesday you can clarify that it was going away when his disciples

came up to point out the temple buildings to him and he said to them do you not see all these

truly I said to you not one stone here and he's referring to the temple these huge temple and

these gigantic stones it just took forever years and years and years to build not one stone will

be left upon another which will not be torn down and as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives the

disciples came to him privately saying tell us when will these things happen and what will be the

sign of your coming end of the end of the age Christ was referring that these things would be torn

down 80 70 when Jerusalem was sacked and destroyed the temple was destroyed but they were also asking

and what happens beyond that in the future what should we expect in Travis this is something we've

been discussing on the radio program with all the events going on in the Middle East and the

world and the different interpretations Christians come up with the over eschatology the study of

the end times Christ put a lot of time on what happens in the future but somehow it seems that

there's a lot of different versions of what's going to happen in the future did God purposely leave

quite a bit of mystery to the future so we need to be in a state of preparedness or is it possible

to have greater clarity about the end times and what the disciples were asking him to give them

well God doesn't reveal things in scripture so that we can be confused in the dark what he reveals

he's trying to illuminate for us and trying to show and so we're obviously with anything in the

future as Deuteronomy 2929 says the secret things belonging to God but the things revealed are for

us and our children so that we may do them so we may walk in them and so I do think there's enough

revealed here in Matthew 24 and 25 you compare it to Luke chapter 21 and you see enough in the

all of it discourse to sketch out a pretty good outline of what's coming in the future does that

mean we know how everything's going to happen how it's all going to take shape and unfold no I think

there's a lot of details for whatever generation is there to watch things take place they're going

to look at scripture and say oh that's what it was saying it's all going to make sense as things

fall into place as is typical of prophecy being fulfilled it's that backward look to compare

prophecy with historical then to say wow it couldn't have been more precise we just didn't see it

but I do think there's enough there to sketch the outline of what's coming in fact when Jesus was

teaching his disciples he often pointed back to the clarity of the Old Testament and what was

revealed about his coming that they neglected to see and neglected to see clearly so

there are going to be limitations of our finitude and our perspective that is going to require

the actual fulfillment in time and space of God's words and we'll look back and say oh that's how

that lines up that's how that happened but I do think that there's enough here to create a sketch

I think Luke 21 helps with that because it not only points to the very end to the signs proceeding

Christ second coming but it also points to which the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 and 25 does

not point to but Luke 21 20 to 24 does outline the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans that's

kind of an important little parentheses there for the people of his time they're looking forward to

that 80 70 destruction of Jerusalem but then there's a broader perspective that Christ brings

when he talks about the signs just proceeding the second coming which we're still waiting to see

magnificent things coming on the earth at that time could you kind of sketch that out what we

should be looking forward to of the major events in the future now I don't mean to leave you hanging

but we need to take a short break when we return Pastor Travis Allen of Grace Church in Greeley

Colorado will give an overview of what Christ told his disciples about what they should be looking

for in the lead up to his return so stay tuned for our final segment coming up I'm David Wheaton

you're listening to the Christian Royal View Radio program the March April issue of the Christian

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knowing all that we know about god his beauty his value we're headed to eternity our sins have been

taking care of my greatest problem in life is my sin and it's been taking care of forever

I'm no longer a child of the devil god has given me so much and blessed me so much how could I

possibly return to what the devil likes or the devil loves how can I give my life to that which

reflects the evil one rather than god that was pastor Jared Moore exhorting Christians to love god

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thanks for joining us on the christianwheel view i'm david weaton today's program and past

programs along with transcripts and short takes are available at the christianwheelview.org

while there you can also sign up for a weekly email and the christianwheel view journal print

publication order resources and support the ministry our topic today is approaching christ

passion week with purpose and our guest is travis alan pastor of grace church in really colorado

travis could you give us an overview of what christ was teaching his disciples there in the

all of it discourse about what we should be looking forward to with regard to the end times

well sure i think there's going to be a ramping up of wars and rumors of wars as the bible puts it

but as we look back through history in the past there's always been wars and rumors and wars

and so what will stand out to us it's coming fast and furious and thick and just continuous i think

that's what's going to really upset the world and he says when you hear of wars and disturbances

luke 21 nine don't be terrified these things must take place first and then this great earthquakes

in various places famines and plagues and terrors and great signs from heaven so are there earthquakes

every year there are destructive earthquakes but are they like what jesus is pointing to here that

it could be of such a significance that people are going to be absolutely terrified then he goes

on to there will be signs in sun and moon and stars and on earth anguish among the nations in

perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves and men fainting from fear and the expectation

of the things which are coming up on the world so currently you don't see people fainting in fear

over cosmic signs over terrifying things happening on land and sea

nobody's fainting in fear over those things i mean there are the climate change people who are

ringing their hands over false alarms and the sky's falling and that kind of thing and all the

gratitude in birds of the world but that's not what this is talking about this is talking about

something that everybody sees under heaven of all creation all of us fainting from fear of the

expectations of the things that are coming on the world the powers of the heavens will be shaken

that is a prelude an immediate prelude to verse 27 the 21 then they will see the son of man coming

in a cloud with power in great glory when these things begin to take place straighten up lift up your

heads because your redemption is drawing near that's the second coming so when the second coming

happens that's when christ is going to rescue his people he's going to destroy the unbelievers

of the world all the armies arrayed against israel and surrounding israel he's going to destroy

the antichrist his people he's going to set up his earthly kingdom a millennial kingdom he's going

to cast satan into the abyss and chaining him as a metaphor figure of speech that just shows he's

not going to be roaming freely on the earth he's not going to be deceiving the nations and then

we'll enter into that unprecedented period of peace and prosperity under the rule of the Messiah

for a thousand years so that second coming happens at the end of a period of great tribulation of

seven-year period and all of that is prophesied in Daniel in Zechariah of the antichrist's

peace deal with israel we talk about presidents and kings and people rulers trying to set up peace

in the middle east nobody's going to succeed at that the only one who's going to show some signs

of success is going to be the antichrist so if you see peace in the middle east prior to the return

of christ the second coming it's because that's the antichrist who's made a peace deal with israel

that he breaks midway through and then god brings his protection over israel israel repents and turns

to christ and god judges the antichrist and all the armies and that second coming event is christ

coming to destroy slaughter the the armies of the nations that are right against israel and to cast

the antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire and cast satan into the abyss during

that thousand year reign of christ on the earth where the we unprecedented peace and prosperity

Travis final question for you on this pre-passion week program if you could just speak to people

individually and say here's what i would really encourage you to focus on right now

we're inundated with the news we're inundated with different distractions in our minds are carried away

so often i just want to do what christ calls us all to do which is to put our attention on what god

is doing and what god is revealed we talked a little bit about passion week he entered into jirusselam

on his coronation the triumphant entry into jirusselam he went directly into the temple he had to clear

the temple and get everything out of the way just all the distraction all the noise he had to bring

an end to it so that he could set up his preaching ministry his healing ministry his care for people

being the true shepherd of israel and why did he clear all that stuff out because he will not

compete with all these other voices all these other rivals are rivals for our attention

and we have to give our attention to god and his christ they didn't like him coming into the temple

and destroying all their business prospects and the lucrative industry of capitalizing on people's

spiritual needs they didn't like that at all and so they came people after people Pharisees,

Sadducees all coming to challenge him and discredit him and after answering all of their

challenges it says in luke 2140 they didn't dare to question him any longer about anything

and then he turns the guns on them and he says to them how is it that they say the christ is David's

son for David himself says in the book of Psalms the lord said to my lord sit at my right hand until

I put your enemies as a footstool for your feet therefore David calls him lord so how is he his son

he's asking for them to think about scripture he's quoting from Psalm 110 there that talks about

the elevation of gods andointed with Yahweh David saying Yahweh says to my adonai so how is

David calling him his adonai when it's his son it's because he's recognizing in the Psalm 110

prophecy that this is god's Messiah and this Messiah in Psalm 110 is also the one who's called

Melchizedek he's a priest after the order of Melchizedek having no beginning and no end of days

but made this eternal high priest for us he's there at the temple he's preaching

questions like he's asking there for us to contemplate think about the meaning of Psalm 110 in light of

who he is it requires quiet it requires reflection it requires us turning off all the noise

turning off the computer putting the cell phone thrown into your neighbor's yard so you can

sit down with your Bible and really thoughtfully meditatively and effectively

carefully think through the scripture and I just encourage Christians to turn off the noise

as much as possible and devote yourselves to scripture we've got to get back to the Bible we

got to get back to the meaning of scripture because that's where our life is that's where the

food is that's where the spiritual nourishment comes from when we gather together as a corporate

body and the church every single Sunday god's gift of pastors and elders teach us the word they

teach us to be more thoughtful students in scripture we need to listen to the preaching of the word

and if we're not in good churches where the word is not honored and exalted and pastors aren't

preaching the meaning of scripture and exhorting from scripture and calling people to repent and

believe and teaching them how to live godly lives gotta get out of those churches and get into

churches that do that but those pastors there to help us learn to read our Bibles better so

that we'll feed on the word and we'll be nourished by Jesus Christ in his life by the spirit so I

just say this is a season for us to do that as we come into the Passion Week and come into

Good Friday and Easter celebrations this is a great reminder for us to come back to scripture

and do what Christ is calling us to do clear out all that junk and give our attention to the

meaning of the scripture and meditate on it reflect on it and be not just hears of the word

but doers of the word yeah what a wonderful and appropriate exhortation for all of us to hear

Travis so thank you for pointing us to the Son of God Jesus Christ at this time of year

it should be all the time of year of course but also to the word of God as well to go back to

that and to block out the distractions that are constantly pulling us away from focusing on the

right thing Travis we appreciate so much who you are what God has done in your life what he's

doing in your ministry as pastor of Grace Church really Colorado we considered a privilege for you

when you are able to come on the Christian world you ready your program so we just want to wish

you a really meaningful Passion Week with your church family in Colorado and just thank you again

for coming in the program and all of God's best and grace to you and your family thanks my friend

really good to spend the time with you and God bless you and your celebrations this time of year two

we hope you were edified by today's program and that it helped prepare your mind and heart for

this coming Easter week thank you for joining us on the Christian worldview and for sustaining this

listener supported radio ministry as we focus this week on the life death and resurrection of the

Lord Jesus Christ let's magnify him and make him known the mission of the Christian worldview is

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