Welcome to Shema

1. Welcome to Shema Bless the Lord! Bless the Lord who is worthy to be praised for all eternity!

2. Shema Israel, AdonaiEloheinu, AdonaiEchad. Baruch shemk’vodmalchutol’olamva’ed. Shema

3. Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One! Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom, forever and ever. Amein. Shema

4. Six days before the Passover started, Yeshua arrived at Bethany. This is where Lazarus lived – the one Yeshua had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for Yeshua. Martha served, while Lazarus was one of the people reclining for dinner with Yeshua. So Mary picked up perfumed ointment, three-quarters of a pound in weight, and made from pure spikenard. John 12:1-8 The Source with Hebraic adaptation by Rabbi Lutton

5. She smeared Yeshua’ feet with it, and wiped his feet dry with her hair. The fragrance of the oil went right through the whole house. • But Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son – one of Yeshua’ disciples and the one who would later betray him– said, “Why is it that this perfumed ointment wasn’t sold for a year’s wages and given to the poor?”

6. He couldn’t have cared less about the poor – this wasn’t why he said it. He said it because he was a thief: as he was in charge of the money case, he used to help himself to the contents. • Yeshua said, “Leave her alone! She’s keeping it for the preparations for my burial. The poor will always be with you, but I won’t always be with you!”

7. As they approached Jerusalem and arrived at Bethphage and Bethany at the foot of the Mount of Olives, Yeshua sent out two of his disciples with the instructions, “Go into the village opposite you, and just as you’re going in, you will find a colt that’s never been ridden tied up. Untie it and bring it here. Mark 11:1-11

8. If anyone says to you, ‘What are you doing there?’ tell them, ‘The Master needs it and he’ll send it back immediately.’” They went away and found a colt outside in the street, tied up by a door. While they were untying it, some bystanders said, “Hey, what are you doing, untying that colt!”

9. They answered just as the Lord told them to, and the people let them go. And they brought the colt to Yeshua and threw their coats on it, and he sat on it. Many people threw their coats on the road, while others spread out brushwood that they had cut in the fields. The people who went ahead as well as the people that followed shouted,

10. “Hosanna!” • “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” • “Blessed is the coming Realm of our ancestor David!” • “Hosanna in the Highest Realms!” • Yeshua entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was getting late he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

11. After Yeshua said this, he traveled on ahead and went up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the ‘Mount of Olives’, he sent two of his disciples on ahead with the instructions, “Go into the village. Just as you enter it you’ll find a young donkey that’s never been ridden. It’s tied up there. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you why you’re untying it, tell them, ‘The Lord needs it.’” Luke 19:28-31

12. The ones he sent ahead found it just as he’d described it to them. • As they were untying the young donkey, the owners said, “Why are you untying the young donkey?” • “The Lord needs it,” they replied. Then they led it to Yeshua, threw their coats on it and mounted Yeshua on it. Luke 19:32-35

13. As he went along, people spread their coats out on the road. By now he was approaching the descent from the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd began to praise God joyfully in loud voices for all the powerful things they had seen him do: “Happy is the one who is coming, the King, in the Name of the Lord!”, “Peace in heaven and honor in the Highest Realms!” Luke 19:36-38

14. Some of the Pharisees called out to Yeshua from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” • But he answered, “If they keep quiet, the stones will yell out aloud!” Luke 19:39-40

15. As they approached Jerusalem, they arrived at Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Yeshua sent out two disciples with the instructions, “Go into the village across from you. You will immediately find a donkey tied up. Her foal will be with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you will say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and they’ll send them immediately.” Matthew 21:1-3

16. This was done so that the words spoken by the prophet would be fulfilled: • “Tell the people of Zion, • Your King is coming to you, • Gentle, and riding a donkey, • on a foal, the progeny of a donkey.” Matthew 21:4-5

17. The disciples went off and carried out Yeshua’ instructions. They brought the donkey and the foal, put their clothes on them, and Yeshua mounted up. A large crowd spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Matthew 21:6-9

18. The crowds, those in front and those who followed, called out, • “Hosanna to David’s descendant; • Happy is the one who comes in the Name of the Lord; • Hosanna in the Highest Realms!”

19. Meanwhile the large crowd of Jews had realized that Yeshua was there. They came, not just to see him, but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Then the chief priests figured they should kill Lazarus as well, for because of him, many of the Jews were going over to Yeshua and believing him. John 12:9-11

20. The next day the large crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Yeshua was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Happy is the one who is coming in the Name of the Lord! The King of Israel!” John 12:12-15

21. Yeshua found a young donkey and sat on it, as the Scriptures say: • “Do not be afraid, people of Zion. • Your King is coming, • Riding on a donkey’s foal.” *The Greek word translated “Hosanna” may have originally meant “save” but had come to be used as a cry of rejoicing

22. At first the disciples didn’t understand any of this. It was only after Yeshua was honored that they remembered that what had been done to Yeshua had been recorded in Scripture. The crowd, which had been with Yeshua when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, kept telling people about him. John 12:16-19

23. This is why the crowd went out to meet him – because he had performed this miraculous sign. So the Pharisees said to each other, “See, we’re not getting anywhere! Oh no, the whole world’s going after him!”

24. The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Yeshua got hungry. He saw a fig tree that was in leaf in the distance, and went to see if it happened to have any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves as it wasn’t the season for figs. And in response he said, “No one will ever eat fruit from you again!” His disciples heard what he said. Mark 11:12-14

25. In the morning, as they went past, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Yeshua, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” • “Have faith in God!” Yeshua answered. “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be snatched up and thrown into the sea,’ and is not undecided, but believes that what they say is happening, will have what they want. Mark 11:20-26

26. It’s for this reason that I tell you, when you pray and ask for all the things you want, believe that you have already taken hold of them, and they’re yours!” • He continued, “Whenever you’re in a state of praying, if you’ve got anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven can forgive your mistakes.”

27. Yeshua left them behind and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there. Early in the morning, when he was heading back to the city, he got hungry. He saw a fig tree by the road, and went up to it but found nothing but leaves on it. He said to it, “No fruit will ever grow on you again!” Immediately the fig tree withered away. Matthew 21:17-22

28. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed. “Why did the fig tree die so quickly?” they asked. • Yeshua answered, “If you have faith and are not undecided, you will do more than I did to the fig tree. If you tell this mountain, ‘Be removed! Be thrown into the sea’, it will happen! • “If you ask for something in prayer, and believe, you will get it!”

29. Then Yeshua came closer and saw Jerusalem. He broke out crying over it and said, “If only you had realized in these times just what would bring you peace – but now it’s hidden from your sight. The time will come when your enemies will throw up siege works to surround you and hem you from all sides. Luke 19:41-44

30. They will smash you and your children to the ground, all of you inside your walls! They won’t leave you one stone upon another, because you didn’t recognize the time of God’s visitation to you.”

31. When Yeshua arrived at Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up. “Who is this?” some people asked, and the crowds replied, “This is the prophet Yeshua from Nazareth of Galilee!” Matthew 21:10-11

32. They arrived in Jerusalem. Yeshua went into the temple and started throwing out the people who were buying and selling there. He overturned the money changers’ tables as well as the benches of anyone who was selling doves. He wouldn’t let anyone carry merchandise through the temple. Mark 11:15-19

33. He lectured them, “Hasn’t it been written that, ‘My house will be known as a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a hangout for thieves!” • The chief priests and the Bible scholars heard about it and started looking for a way to kill him. This was because they were afraid of him, as the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, they left the city.

34. Then he went into the temple and started chasing out people who were selling things. He said to them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house will be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a robber’s hideout!” Luke 19:45-46

35. He was teaching at the temple every day. But the chief priests, the Bible scholars and the leading citizens were looking for a way to kill him. • However, they weren’t able to find a way to do it, because the whole crowd hung on his every word. Luke 19:47-48

36. Yeshua went into the temple and chased out all the buyers and dealers. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the dove sellers’ seats. “The Scriptures say,” he yelled, ‘My house will be known as a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a thieves’ hangout!” Matthew 21:12-13

37. Blind and crippled people came to him in the temple, and he healed them. When the chief priests and the Bible scholars saw the wonderful things he did, and the children calling out in the temple, “Hosanna to David’s descendant,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what they’re saying?” they demanded.

38. “Yes!” Yeshua responded. “Have you ever read, ‘You have prepared praise to come from the mouths of children and babies’?”

39. They arrived again in Jerusalem. The chief priests, Bible scholars and the elders came up to Yeshua while he was walking in the temple. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they demanded. “Who gave you the authority to do these things?” Mark 11:27-33

40. But Yeshua said to them, “I will ask you a single question. Answer me, and then I will tell you by whose authority I do these things! The baptizing carried out by John – was it from heaven or from people? • Answer me!”

41. They talked it over amongst themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ then he’ll say ‘So why didn’t you believe him?’ On the other hand, are we to say, ‘From people...’” (They were afraid of the people, as everyone considered that John really was a prophet.)

42. So they answered Yeshua, “We don’t know.” Yeshua replied, “Well then, I’m not going to tell you by whose authority I’m doing these things!”

43. One day Yeshua was teaching the people in the temple and announcing the Good News. The chief priests, the Bible scholars and the elders went over to him and demanded, “Tell us - by what authority are you doing this? Who gave you the authority?” Luke 20:1-4

44. “I myself will ask you a question too!” Yeshua answered. “Tell me, by whose authority did John baptize? Was it heavenly or human?”

45. They debated amongst themselves and said, “If we say ‘By heavenly authority’, he’s going to say, ‘So then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘By human authority’, the whole crowd will stone us, because they’re convinced that John was a prophet!” Luke 20:5-8

46. So they answered, ‘We don’t know by whose authority it was.” • “Well, I’m not going to tell you by what authority I’m doing these things!” Yeshua retorted.

47. Yeshua arrived at the temple. The chief priests and the elders of the people confronted him while he was teaching. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” Matthew 21:23-27

48. “I will ask you one thing too,” Yeshua answered, “and if you tell me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things! The baptism John carried out - where was it from? From heaven or from people?”

49. They argued among themselves, and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he’s going to say to us, ‘Then how come you don’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From people,’ then we’d have to be afraid of the crowd, because they all think that John is a prophet!”

50. So they answered Yeshua, “We don’t know!” • “Then I’m certainly not going to tell you by what authority I do these things!” he replied.