Some call this THE DAY OF REJECTION. It was a very long day, beginning early and ending late. I can only scan the events.On Sunday and Monday Jesus had publicly taken the position of Messiah. On Tuesday the word battles and plotting takes shape.
The FIRST GROUP to challenge was the Sanhedrin. Jesus took them on with three parables. The stories exposed and angered them. They would have killed him on the spot if it had been possible.The SECOND GROUP were the Pharisees and Herodians. These were students. They asked whether it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar. Jesus answered: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's". This bunch was quickly on their way. The third group were the Sadducees. They had the "catch" question that surely would get to Jesus. It was a question about the resurrection. When Jesus finished they had nothing more to say. He told these "scholars": "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?" The answer was BOTH! They knew the Scriptures verbally. They did not know them experiencially. Remember, the Devil could quote scripture. THE FOURTH CHALLENGE was from a lawyer. His was an age-old question. "What is the greatest commandment?". Jesus answered that we should love God with all that we are.....and our neighbor as ourselves. He said all the law and prophets hang on those two commandments. Jesus had won the crowds but He had lost the religious leaders
Later that evening there was a dinner at Simon the Leper's house in Bethany. Mary and Martha and Lazarus were there. It was a happy occasion for them. Mary anointed Jesus with precious perfume. It was a gift for a king. Judas was angered when rebuked over his fuss about the "waste". Satan took advantage of his anger and moved into his heart to begin the plot of betrayal. Tuesday was packed with events and teaching. O....remember the fig tree Jesus had cursed because it had no fruit? It was dead as a hammer. The religion it represented was also, tragically, the same way. Tuesday was quite a day.