Publisher's Synopsis
When most people think about a true love story, they naturally envision a couple jumping into a bed and making mad passionate love to each other. If the scene is from a movie or from a television show, then they would probably see the two going into a bedroom together and then waking up the next day lying next to each other. However, while that in many cases might be an example of true love, it pales in comparison to the true love that God the Father had showed to human beings when He had offered His only begotten Son on the cross of Calvary. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." For one thing, the love that people see in the movies or on the television only presents a temporary kind of love that must cease when one of the two partners passes away. In fact, in many cases, that kind of love actually ceases long before the passing of one of the two partners.
But the love that God has expressed for all human beings is eternal. When Jesus died on the cross to pay the sin debt for all people who will come to Him by faith in the right spirit and with the right attitude to be saved, then He paved the way for them to be reconciled to Him and have everlasting life in heaven with Him. So while that might not seem like such a big deal to many people, it will someday be a very big deal once those people have ended their time in this life. So the purpose of this book will be to talk about the perfect love that God has showed for each person. In doing that, it will talk about the last week of the life of Jesus. That week had begun with His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what has traditionally been recognized as Palm Sunday. It will then talk about the fig tree that He had cursed and some parables and discourses that He had taught. He had first spoken three slanderous truths against the ungodly spiritual leaders of Israel. After that, He had spoken about paying tribute money or taxes to the Roman authorities. He had spoken about the resurrection. He had spoken about the two greatest commandments by which all people should live. He had pointed out the extreme sacrificial offering of a poor widow and the extreme hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He had spoken about some of the events of the end of the Age. He had spoken about the preparedness of ten virgins. He had told a parable about the servant with ten talents. He had then concluded His discourses for the day by sharing with them a parable about the sheep and the goats. So those things will be discussed in chapters two through five of this text. After those discussions, chapters six will examine His final hours of freedom before being apprehended. Some of the events considered will be His last supper with His disciples, His high priestly prayer for those people who will follow Him, and His betrayal by Judas. Chapter seven will share His six trials before Jewish and Roman officials. Chapter eight will discuss His having been scourged and crucified. Chapters nine through eleven will discuss His statements from the cross. Then chapter twelve will conclude this text with a final comment about God's perfect love. The hope in writing this book is that all people will be drawn into a closer relationship with the Lord who died for them on the cross. He is definitely worthy of all praise.
