What I Would Do Differently
SESSION 3: BIBLICAL THEOLOGY AND WORLDVIEW FORMATION
SESSION 3: BIBLICAL THEOLOGY AND
• Old Testament Thought World
• Quotation and Echo
• Larger Context
• Canonical Story
• Reading Backwards
• Conclusions
Matthew 21:1-11
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked,
“Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee” (NIV).
Thought World
Are there themes/concepts in the passage that also appear in the Old Testament?
• What role does the Mt. of Olives play (Matt 21:1) in the Old Testament?
Cross References43
• Matthew 21:1 (Zech 14:4)
• Matthew 21:5 (Isa 62:11; Zech 9:9)
• Matthew 21:8 (possibly 2 Kgs 9:13)
• Matthew 21:9 (Ps 118:25)
43 These references come from NA28.
Quotation and Echo
Does the New Testament passage have an OT quotation (Identifying a Quotation:
Introduction formula or identical to nearly identical wording)?
• “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet…” (v. 4). Matthew seems to combine Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9.44
• Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (NIV).
• Isaiah 62:11 – “The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him” (NIV).
Does the New Testament passage have an OT echo (Identifying an Echo: similar words/sentence structure and/or theme/concepts)?
• “As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives” (v.
1)
• Zechariah 14:4 – “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south”
(NIV).
• “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee” (v. 11)
• The crowds refer to Jesus as “the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee” (Matt 21:11).
The attentive reader should think back to Matthew 2:23, where we are told that the prophets said that Jesus would be called a Nazarene. Many scholars believe that this is a reference to Isaiah 11:1.
44 Blomberg, “Matthew,” 63.
Larger Old Testament Context
Does the OT context of the quotation or echo clarify the meaning of the OT quotation or echo?
• Zechariah 9:9
• Zechariah 9:1-8 speaks about judgment on Israel’s surrounding enemies: Hadrak, Syria, Hamath, Tyre and Sidon, and the Philistine cities.
• Zechariah 9:9-13 paints the picture of a coming humble king. The peace of this humble king will go out to the ends of the earth (v. 10).
• Isaiah 62:11
• Isaiah 62 looks forward to a time when Jerusalem’s enemies will be defeated, and the glory of Jerusalem will be showcased to the entire world. In verse 11, it is the Lord himself who is the Savior of Zion.
• Zechariah 14:4
• Zechariah anticipates the day when the Lord would come to reign in Jerusalem and stand on the Mt. of Olives (v. 4). The Lord is described as “king over the whole earth” (v. 9 NIV).
• The imagery in this chapter is very apocalyptic.
• Jesus comes to Jerusalem and very intentionally comes over the Mt. of Olives prior to entering.
• Isaiah 11:1
• It is possible that the Hebrew root behind Nazareth is the word for “branch” (Heb:
nēṣer). If this is the case, then Jesus is the “Branch” who comes from the “branch”
city (see Matt 2:23).
• The “Branch” will judge with righteousness (v. 4). The Branch is the one who will restore his people (vv. 10-11).
• The “earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (v. 9 NIV).
Canonical Story
Where does the OT quotation/echo fall in the larger storyline of Scripture (creation, fall, redemption, new creation)?
• Zechariah 9:9; 14:4
• Zechariah anticipates an eschatological restoration of Zion—a restoration that ultimately extends to all creation.
• Isaiah 62:11
• Isaiah paints a picture of Zion’s restoration and the Lord will ultimately be the Savior of Zion.
• Isaiah 11:1
• Isaiah 11 anticipates an eschatological king from the line of David who will rule.
Reading Backwards
How does the person of Jesus Christ shed new meaning on an OT passage? How does an OT passage help us better understand Jesus (consider typology: events, persons, places, etc. that take on new meaning when read through the lens of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ)?
• Zechariah 9:9; 14:4
• Jesus is presented as the king of Zechariah 9:9. This king will “proclaim peace to the nations” and his “rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (Zech 9:10 NIV). When Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, this larger vision of the king—although subtle—is in view. Jesus is not just a humble king; he is the king who will rule over all creation.
• Isaiah 62:11
• Because Matthew intentionally uses the first part of Isaiah 62:11 (Matt 21:5).
Jesus is presented as Zion’s Savior and the one who will bring redemption.
• When the people describe Jesus as “the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee” (Matt 21:11), the statement seems to be filled with more meaning than a simple
geographical designation. Given the “royal” context, it would appear that Isaiah 11:1 is echoed in this passage. By nature of Jesus status as a “prophet from Nazareth,” it is possible to see Isaiah 11:1 behind this declaration (see also Matthew 2:23). Jesus is the “Branch” from the line of David.
Conclusion What is the theological meaning/s of my findings?
Jesus is presented as the eschatological king who will not only bring
restoration to Zion and to Israel, but he will be the one who’s rule will extend to the ends of the earth. As the Gospel of Matthew progresses, we will find that expectations
associated with Jesus’ royal status were at odds with the nature of Jesus’ kingdom. At Jesus’ crucifixion he is presented as “the King of the Jews” (Matt 27:37 NIV); but ironically, the way that he brings redemption is through his humiliation and crucifixion and not through military might.
Biblical Theology that Shapes Core Beliefs
So, what do our theological findings have to say for discipleship. We need to return to our worldview diagnostic questions we introduced in the first session. As a reminder, a worldview answers the following questions:
• “How are things supposed to be?”
• “What is the main problem with things as they are?”
• “What is the solution and how can it be realized?”45
Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem is part of a much larger story. Let’s consider how a biblical theological understanding of Matthew 21:1-11 maps onto the worldview
45 Keller, Every Good Endeavor, 160.
questions above:
1. How are things supposed to be?
• Every nation should be brought under the rule and reign of God (see OT references).
• The peace that accompanies God’s rule should be visibly present among the nations.
2. What is the main problem with things as they are?
• Although God is King over the universe, his reign is not recognized by the nations.
• The peace that accompanies God’s kingdom is not visibly present.
3. What is the solution and how can it be realized?
• Jesus rides into Jerusalem as the humble king.
• By connecting Jesus to the eschatological passages of Isaiah 62 and Zechariah 9, 14, Matthew presents Jesus as the king who will usher in the reign of God as anticipated by the prophets.
• Of course, Jesus’ exaltation in Matthew is ironically the moment when he is hung on the cross. This suggests that the type of kingdom that Jesus establishes is utterly different than worldly kingdoms that establish their power by military might. Jesus establishes his kingdom through self-sacrificial love.
Everyone views life through these worldview questions. For instance, these are the questions that frame our political rhetoric. These are the questions underlying our business problems and solutions. These are the questions we ask when confronted with family issues. To close our time, I want you to consider these worldview questions by choosing either the sphere of politics, family or work. How does our culture answer these questions? How does our understanding of the kingdom in Matthew 21 challenge and confront the way we are prone to answer these questions?
Group Discussion
How should Jesus’ humble and universal kingship impact your understanding of:
• Politics
• Family
• Work
APPENDIX 7
FACILITATOR TRAINING AGENDA
The following is the agenda with detailed times that I as the instructor used for the small group facilitator training on January 11, 2020.
Agenda for Learning Community January 11, 2020
Welcome (9:00-9:10)
Details of the project (9:10-9:15)
• Survey
• Training
• Curriculum – Deadline by April 5
• Follow up interviews
Administer the survey (9:15-9:35) Directions
• Survey needs to be completed prior to going through the curriculum
• Place pre-surveys in envelope and return to my mailbox at Calvary
• Once finished with curriculum re-administer the survey
• Place post-surveys in envelope and return to my mailbox at Calvary Break (9:35-9:45)
Session 1 (9:45-10:30)