Holy Tuesday | Day 3 of Hope Week
This devotional is the third installment in our Hope Week devotional series—following Jesus' journey from the gates of Jerusalem, to the cross, to the hope of the empty tomb. Join us every day from March 29 to April 5 to re-experience the story of His sacrifice and the magnitude of His love!
Today, let's reflect on the events of Holy Tuesday—Jesus' final teachings at the temple.
Today, let's reflect on the events of Holy Tuesday—Jesus' final teachings at the temple.
Read: Luke 20:1–21:36
Consider:
“Boldness.” As followers of Jesus, we hear that word a lot—especially when it comes to sharing the Gospel. But I’ll be the first to admit it scares me. Sometimes, I even question its effectiveness. How can I speak the full, undiluted truth when I have no idea where the other person is coming from, what wounds or convictions they carry, what will truly speak to their heart?
Boldness can feel fruitless in a world where subjective truth rules. So why did Jesus model it so consistently throughout His ministry? Despite hardened hearts, misguided zeal, and the rejection of His authority, why did He continue to teach and warn?
In today’s passage, we find Jesus preaching in the temple in Jerusalem, shortly after cleansing it. He’s teaching fully aware of what awaits Him in this city. But fear doesn’t stop Him from exercising His authority and sharing the Gospel—even as His religious opposition approaches.
The Pharisees open Luke 20 with a demand: “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things.” (v. 2). While the question may sound pointless to us, they’re actually attempting to lay a trap. Jesus is teaching during Passover and in the temple, where their authority is highest. If He answered their question plainly, claiming to be the Messiah, they would have had grounds to accuse Him.
But this is where Jesus sees into their hearts—and responds. “Tell me: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?” (v. 4). The Pharisees can’t answer for fear of the people, and so Jesus denies them an answer as well.
This happens two more times in Luke 20—when a group of spies ask whether it’s right to pay taxes (vv. 20-26) and when the Sadducees, who don’t believe in the resurrection, rely on their own understanding to try to stump Jesus (vv. 27-39). Yet each time, He reads their hearts and responds with the knowledge of heaven, silencing them.
In this portion of our passage, we see two forms of boldness: one motivated by pride and malice, and the other by the authority of the Lord. The religious leaders speak boldly to protect their status and preserve their influence. Jesus, however, speaks boldly to reveal truth and extend mercy. His boldness prevails not just because He knows more than they do, but because He exposes the source of their arguments: pride. As C.S. Lewis puts it, pride is a “complete anti-God state of mind,” one that tempts us to value and elevate ourselves over others—and worse, over God.
Boldness, therefore, is about more than sharing the truth we think we know. It requires a Christ-like desire to extend mercy and glorify the Father. It also requires humility—like the poor widow displays at the start of Luke 21. Jesus commends her for the wholehearted gift, demonstrating a trust in God that trumps her self-concern.
Still, our human nature can make finding the balance between speaking truth and doing so in love difficult. So this Holy Tuesday, my prayer for you (and me!) is that we’d see this week as a chance to fill our hearts with the Gospel. Because if we want to be bold, we need to be absent of the self—and full of His truth.
Boldness can feel fruitless in a world where subjective truth rules. So why did Jesus model it so consistently throughout His ministry? Despite hardened hearts, misguided zeal, and the rejection of His authority, why did He continue to teach and warn?
In today’s passage, we find Jesus preaching in the temple in Jerusalem, shortly after cleansing it. He’s teaching fully aware of what awaits Him in this city. But fear doesn’t stop Him from exercising His authority and sharing the Gospel—even as His religious opposition approaches.
The Pharisees open Luke 20 with a demand: “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things.” (v. 2). While the question may sound pointless to us, they’re actually attempting to lay a trap. Jesus is teaching during Passover and in the temple, where their authority is highest. If He answered their question plainly, claiming to be the Messiah, they would have had grounds to accuse Him.
But this is where Jesus sees into their hearts—and responds. “Tell me: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?” (v. 4). The Pharisees can’t answer for fear of the people, and so Jesus denies them an answer as well.
This happens two more times in Luke 20—when a group of spies ask whether it’s right to pay taxes (vv. 20-26) and when the Sadducees, who don’t believe in the resurrection, rely on their own understanding to try to stump Jesus (vv. 27-39). Yet each time, He reads their hearts and responds with the knowledge of heaven, silencing them.
In this portion of our passage, we see two forms of boldness: one motivated by pride and malice, and the other by the authority of the Lord. The religious leaders speak boldly to protect their status and preserve their influence. Jesus, however, speaks boldly to reveal truth and extend mercy. His boldness prevails not just because He knows more than they do, but because He exposes the source of their arguments: pride. As C.S. Lewis puts it, pride is a “complete anti-God state of mind,” one that tempts us to value and elevate ourselves over others—and worse, over God.
Boldness, therefore, is about more than sharing the truth we think we know. It requires a Christ-like desire to extend mercy and glorify the Father. It also requires humility—like the poor widow displays at the start of Luke 21. Jesus commends her for the wholehearted gift, demonstrating a trust in God that trumps her self-concern.
Still, our human nature can make finding the balance between speaking truth and doing so in love difficult. So this Holy Tuesday, my prayer for you (and me!) is that we’d see this week as a chance to fill our hearts with the Gospel. Because if we want to be bold, we need to be absent of the self—and full of His truth.
Written by
Abigail Celoria, Copywriter & Editor
Reflect:
How does Jesus’ boldness in Luke 20—sharing the Gospel with authority yet humility—challenge the way you approach boldness in your own life?
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Explore our Hope Week services and resources via the button below. We invite you to experience the sorrow, victory, and joy of the salvation story like never before!
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