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Judas Maccabeus led a successful revolt against the Roman<br />
Empire, <strong>and</strong> many considered him to be the Messiah. As we’ve<br />
mentioned before, the Jews believed the coming Messiah<br />
would free the nation from Roman occupation <strong>and</strong> finally<br />
establish the long-awaited kingdom.<br />
Yet this didn’t quite happen. God’s true Anointed One<br />
didn’t coming riding in on a white horse; he rode into<br />
Jerusalem on a donkey. The Messiah didn’t overthrow Rome;<br />
he said to pay Caesar his portion of owed taxes. Eventually, he<br />
would bring a different kind of victory than the one the people<br />
were expecting: He died to overthrow evil, sin, <strong>and</strong> death <strong>and</strong><br />
to bring release <strong>and</strong> relief from all three.<br />
Jesus was a different kind of King, which dem<strong>and</strong>ed a<br />
different kind of following, the kind that Israel didn’t<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>. Jesus summarized what it means to follow him<br />
when he summarized the Law with its greatest comm<strong>and</strong>ment:<br />
love God <strong>and</strong> love people.<br />
Discover the Heart of God<br />
• After reading <strong>Mark</strong> 11:1–<strong>12</strong>:44, what did you<br />
notice, perhaps for the first time? What questions<br />
do you have? What did you learn about the heart<br />
of God?<br />
• Why does Jesus urge us to boldly believe for<br />
what we ask for in prayer?
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