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BACKGROUND FOR THIS EPISODE

(In Order of Appearance)

NEW TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Hebrews 5:7 – During Jesus’ human life, he offered prayers to God. Once, with strong cries and tears, Jesus asked God to save him from death. (God could have done it, too, but He didn’t.) God listened to Jesus because Jesus was devoted to God. 
  • Luke 9:52 – Jesus said to another man, “Follow me!” But the man answered, “Lord, let me go and bury my father first.”
  • Matthew 21:28-32, 33-44 – Jesus said to them, “What do you think? A man had two sons. The man came to the first son and said, ‘Son, go work in the vineyard today.’ 29-31He answered, ‘Yes sir,’ but he did not go. Then the man went to the second son and said the same thing. The son answered, ‘I don’t want to!’ but later he changed his mind and went. Which of the two sons did what their father wanted?” The Jewish leaders answered, “The second one.” Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: The tax collectors and prostitutes will go into the kingdom of God before you ever do! 32John came to you announcing the way of righteousness, but you did not believe him. However, the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. You saw this, but you did not change your mind later to believe what John was saying.”
  • Matthew 21:33-44 – “Listen to another story: There was a man who owned some land. He planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a lookout tower. Then he rented the land to some farmers and went away on a trip. 34When harvest time was near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his share of the grapes. 35But the farmers grabbed his servants. They beat one and killed another. They threw stones at another servant until he died. 36Again, the owner sent some other servants, more than before, but they did the same things to those servants. 37Finally, the owner sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the farmers saw the son, they thought to themselves, ‘When the owner dies, his son will own the vineyard. Come, let us kill him and we will get his field!’ 39So they took the son, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?” 41The Jewish leaders answered Jesus, “He will kill those evil men! After that, he will give the field to some other farmers who will share the fruits with him at harvest time.” 42Jesus said to them, “You have read this in the Scriptures: ‘The Stone that the builders did not want will become the Cornerstone. The Lord God makes this happen. It is a wonderful thing for us to see.’ (Psalms 118:22-23) 43This is why I am telling you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will make it produce fruit. 44Everyone who falls on that Stone will be broken. If that Stone falls on you, then it will crush you!”g
  • Matthew 22:1-14 – Again, Jesus used an example to answer them: 2“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding party for his son. 3The king sent his servants to invite the guests to the wedding party, but the guests didn’t want to come. 4Again, the king sent more servants, saying, ‘Tell the guests, “Look, I have prepared the dinner—my steers and fattened calves have been killed—everything is ready. Come to the wedding party!” ’ 5However, the guests didn’t care. They left. One went to his field. One went to his place of business. 6The others grabbed the king’s servants, insulted them, and killed them. 7The king was very angry. He sent his army to destroy those murderers and to burn their town. 8Then the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding party is still ready, but the guests were not worthy enough to come. 9So, go to the street corners and invite whomever you can find to the wedding party.’ 10Those servants went out to the streets and gathered up everyone they could find—good people and bad people. Then the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11The king entered and looked at the guests. He saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12The king said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes!?’ The man had nothing to say. 13Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet and throw him outside in the dark. In that place there will be screaming and grinding of teeth.’ 14Many people are invited, but few people are chosen.”
  • Matthew 24:32-35 – “Learn from the story about the fig tree: When its branches start to become soft and green, and new leaves begin to grow, you know that summer is near. 33In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time is very, very near. 34I am telling you the truth: All these things will happen during this generation.” 35“The worldc will be destroyed, but my words will never be destroyed! 
  • Luke 9:57 – As they were all traveling along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go!”
  • Matthew  8:19 – A teacher of the law came near and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go!”
  • Luke 9:58-62 – 58Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes to live in. The wild birds have nests in which to live. Ig have no place where I may rest my head.” 59Jesus said to another man, “Follow me!” But the man answered, “Lord, let me go and bury my father first.” 60But Jesus said to him, “Let the spiritually ‘dead’ bury their own dead! You must go and tell about the kingdom of God!” 61Another man said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.” 62Jesus said, “If anyone begins to plow a field, but then looks back, he is not qualified for the kingdom of God!”
  • John 7:1-2, 18 – After this, Jesus was traveling around in the land of Galilee. He didn’t want to go to the land of Judea, because the Jewish leaders were trying to kill him. 2The time for the Jewish Festival of Tentsa was near…18The person who speaks on his own is trying to get glory for himself, but the person who wants the glory to go to the One who sent him is honest. There is nothing wrong with him. 
  • Mark 14:49 –  …was teaching in the temple courtyard every day. I was with you. You did not arrest me there. No, this occurred to make the Scriptures come true.” 
  •  The Temple grounds was some thirty acres.  The outer court was for Gentiles who wanted to see the temple area.  An inscription found by Clermont Ganneau in 1871 in the area of the Temple says:  “No Gentile may enter inside the enclosing wall around the Temple.  Whoever is caught is alone responsible for the death which follows.”
  • John 7:28 – While Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard, Jesus cried out, “Do you know me? Do you know where I come from? I have not come on my own. However, the One who sent me is true. You don’t know Him! 
  • John  7:30-31–Then they tried to arrest Jesus. But no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. 31Many people in the crowd believed in Jesus. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he do more miracles than this man has done?”
  • John 7:37-38 – On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood and cried out, “If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! 38The person who believes in me will be like the Scripture which says: ‘A river of freshc water will flow from his body.’ ” (Proverbs 18:4; Isaiah 58:11)
  • John 8:1 – Jesus went to Olive Mountain. 
  • Hebrews 4:14 – So, we have a great High Priest who has gone through the heavens. He is Jesus, the Son of God. We must hold on to what we said we believed. 
  • Luke 23:3 – Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “Yes, you are the one who says it.”
  • Luke 10:1-7 – After this, the Lord Jesus chose 72a more men. He sent the men out in pairs ahead of him into every town and place where he was planning to go. 2Jesus said to them, “The harvest is great, but there are not many workers. Pray that the Owner of the harvest will send more workers out into His harvest field. 3So, you may go now. But listen, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. 4Don’t carry a money-bag, a pack, or extra shoes. Don’t stop to talk with people along the road. 5Before you go into a house, say, ‘Peace be to this home.’ 6If a peaceful man lives there, then your blessing of peace will stay upon him. However, if he is not peaceful, then your blessing of peace will come back upon you. 7Stay in that same peaceful house. Eat and drink whatever the people there give you. A worker should be given his pay. Don’t move from that house to stay in another house. 
  • Acts 2:22 – Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a very special man. God clearly showed this to you. God proved this by the powerful and amazing things which He did through Jesus among you. You yourselves know this is true. 
  • Luke 10:9-12, 16 – Heal the sick people who live there. Then tell them: ‘The kingdom of God is very near to you!’ 10But, if you go into a town, and the people don’t welcome you, then go out into the streets of that town and say: 11‘Even the dust from your town which sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this: The kingdom of God is very near!’ 12I tell you, on the Judgment Day, God will punish the people of that town more than He will punish the people of Sodom!”b…16“Until the time of John, there was the law of Moses and the prophets. Since then, the Good News about the kingdom of God is being preached. Everyone is trying hard to get into the kingdom of God.
  • Luke 10:1 – After this, the Lord Jesus chose 72a more men. He sent the men out in pairs ahead of him into every town and place where he was planning to go. 
  • Luke 10:17-24 – When the 72e men returned, they were very happy. They said, “Lord, when we used your name, even the demons obeyed us!” 18Jesus said to them, “I was watching Satan fall, as lightning strikes from the sky. 19Listen! I have given you the authority to walk on dangerous snakes and scorpions—even more power than the enemyg has. Nothing will ever hurt you! 20The evil spirits obey you. This is true, but don’t be happy for that reason. Instead, be happy because your names are written in heaven!” 21In that same hour, the Holy Spirit made Jesus feel very happy. Jesus said, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise You, because You have hidden these teachings from the so-called ‘sophisticated’ and ‘intelligent’ people, yet You reveal Your teachings to little children. Yes, Father, I praise You, because this is what You really wanted to do. 22“My Father has given me all things. Only the Father knows who the Son is. And, only the Son knows who the Father is. The only people who will know about the Father are those whom the Son chooses to tell.” 23Then Jesus turned to his followers who were there alone with him. Jesus said, “You are very blessed to see what you now see! 24I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you now see, but they didn’t. And many prophets and kings wanted to hear what you now hear, but they didn’t.”
  • Luke 10:38 – While Jesus and his followers were traveling, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him. 
  • John 10:40 – Jesus went back across the Jordan River to the place where John was first immersing people. Jesus stayed there. 
  • Perea was a southern province of Palestine across the Jordan River to the east of Jerusalem and ruled by Herod Antipas who also ruled the province of Galilee up north.
  • Matthew 3:13-17 – Then Jesus traveled from the land of Galilee to the Jordan River where John was, so that John could immerse him, 14but John was trying to stop him. John said, “I need you to immerse me, yet you are coming to me!?” 15Jesus answered him, “Allow this for now, because this is the proper way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John did so. 16After Jesus was immersed, he came up from the water immediately. Look, the sky was opened for him. He saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. 17Listen, a Voice came from heaven and said, “This is My Son, and I love him, I am very pleased with him!”
  • Luke 5:1-11 – Jesus stood beside Lake Gennesaret.a Many people pushed to get all around him. They wanted to hear the Word of God. 2Jesus saw two small, empty boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen were washing their nets. 3Jesus climbed into the boat which belonged to Simon. He asked Simon to push away from the shore a little. Then Jesus sat down and, from the boat, continued to teach the crowd on the shore. 4Jesus finished speaking. He said to Simon, “Take the boat into the deep water. If all of you will drop your nets into the water, then you will catch some fish.” 5Simon answered, “Teacher, we worked hard all night long trying to catch fish, but we caught nothing. But you say I should lower the nets into the water, so I will do it.” 6The fishermen dropped their nets into the water. They caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to rip! 7They called to some friends in the other boat to come and help them. The friends came and both boats were filled so full of fish that they were almost sinking. 8-9The fishermen were shocked because of the large number of fish that they caught. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!” 10James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were amazed, too. (James and John were partners with Simon.) Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will catch people, instead of fish!” 11The men brought their boats to the shore. They left everything and followed Jesus.
  • John 4:4-26 – Jesus needed to go through the land of Samaria. ­­­ 6Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired because of traveling. So, he sat down for a while at the well. It was about noon. 7A Samaritan woman came to get some water. Jesus said to her, “Please, give me a drink of water.” 8(His followers had gone into town to buy some food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “You are a Jewish man and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink of water?” (Jewish people don’t want to associate with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, “If you knew about God’s gift and who I really am,b you would ask me to give you a drink of livingc water!” 11The woman said to Jesus, “Mister, you don’t even have a bucket and the well is deep. Where are you going to get this living water? 12You are not greater than Jacob, our ancestor, are you? Jacob’s flocks and herds, his sons, and Jacob himself drank from this well. He gave it to us!” 13Jesus answered her, “Any person who drinks this water will become thirsty again, 14but if anyone drinks the water which I will give him, he will never be thirsty again. The water which I give him will become a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life.” 15The woman said to Jesus, “Mister, give me some of this water, so that I won’t get thirsty and won’t have to come back here again and again to get water.” 16Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband. Then come back here.” 17The woman answered him, “I don’t have a husband.” Jesus said to her, “So true! 18You have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband. You spoke the truth.” 19The woman said to him, “Sir, I now understand that you are a prophet! 20Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain,d but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where people must worship.” 21Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you won’t worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans are worshiping that which you don’t understand, but we Jews are worshiping what we know. Salvation comes from the Jewish people. 23But the time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the true, spiritual way. The Father is searching for this kind of people to worship Him. 24God is spirit. The people who worship God must worship Him in the true way and with the right spirit.” 25The woman said to Jesus, “I know that the Messiah (the one called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will tell us about everything.” 26Jesus said to her, “I am the one!”e
  • Luke 5:27-32 – After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector sitting at the tax office. His name was Levi. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” 28Levi got up, left everything, and started to follow Jesus. 29Then Levi, in his own home, gave a big banquet in honor of Jesus. At the table, there were many tax collectors and some other people. 30The Pharisees and those men who taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to the followers of Jesus, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners!?” 31Jesus answered them, “Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. 32I have not come to ask ‘righteous’ people to change their hearts; I have come to call sinners.”
  • Luke 7:11-17 – The next day, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His followers and a large group of people were traveling with him. 12When Jesus came near the town gate, look, he saw a funeral procession. A mother had lost her only son. She was also a widow. A large crowd from the town was there with the mother while the dead son was being carried out. 13When the Lord Jesus saw her, he felt very sorry for her. He said to her, “Don’t cry.” 14Jesus went near the coffin and touched it. The men who were carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” 15Then the dead son sat up and began to talk. Jesus gave him to his mother. 16All of the people felt much respect. They were praising God. They said, “A great prophet has come to us!” and, “God is taking care of His people.” 17This news about Jesus spread into all Judea and throughout all the places around there.
  • John 10:42 – Many people there believed in Jesus.
  • Luke 14:26-29 – “If someone comes to me, yet that person loves his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters more than he loves me, then he cannot be my follower. A person must love me even more than he loves himself! 27The person who does not carry his own cross,a and fall in behind me, cannot be a follower of mine. 28If you wanted to build a building, then you would sit down first and add up how much it would cost, to see if you had enough money to finish the job. 29If you didn’t do that, then you might begin the work, but you wouldn’t be able to finish it. Then all of the people watching you would laugh at you. 
  • Luke 14:31 – “If a king is going to fight against another king, first he must sit down and plan. If that king has only 10,000 men, then he will determine whether or not he could defeat the other king who is opposing him with 20,000 men. 
  • John 11:8, 43-44, 53 – Jesus’ followers said to him, “But Rabbi, the Jewish leaders are now trying to stone you to death! Do you want to go there again!?”…43After Jesus said this, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus! Come out!” 44The dead man came out. Lazarus’ hands and feet were bound with pieces of cloth. His face was wrapped with a handkerchief. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”…53From that day forward, they plotted to kill Jesus.
OLD TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • I Kings 11:7-8 – Two of your groups will go off-duty on the sabbath. They must protect the temple of Yahweh for King Joash! 8All of you must stand around the king. Each man must have his weapons in his hand. If anyone comes near,l kill him! Stay close to the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”

OTHER JESUS QUOTES IN THIS EPISODE

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS:
  • ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BK. 18, 13:2, 5 – But in the tenth year of Archaelaus’s government [son of Herod the Great]…Judea and Samaria, not being able to bear his barbarous and tyrannical usage of them….banished him….Archelaus’ country was laid to the province of Syria and Cyrenius.  [Procurators like Pilate were appointed to the province of Judea, but Syria stayed under Syria.]

SPECIAL CHARACTERS APPEARING IN OTHER EPISODES

Season 3, Folk Hero, “The Benefactresses”

Season 2, Hearts Afire, “Haze of Hopelessness”