JesusX30Challenge—Scene 19: THE SIEGE BEGINS
@TysonPutthoff | #JesusX30Challenge #JesusX30 #JX30Challenge
1. Key Texts
• Luke 10:1–42 — Seventy sent; Good Samaritan; Mary & Martha
• John 10:22–39 — Hanukkah confrontation in the Temple
• Deut 6; Lev 19 — Love of God & neighbor background
• Genesis 10 — Seventy nations symbolism
2. Date & Place
• Fall–Winter 28 AD, between Sukkot and Hanukkah.
• Jesus operates in Jerusalem, the Judean hills, and the road networks around Bethany and Jericho.
• This is not withdrawal — it’s a direct advance into the heart of religious and political power.
• Jesus begins a concentrated phase of teaching, confrontation, and disciple-formation.
3. Main Account
A. Sending of the Seventy (Luke 10:1–20)
• Seventy (or seventy-two) disciples sent two by two — echoing Moses’ seventy elders and the seventy nations.
• Mission parameters: travel light, heal, preach peace, announce the Kingdom.
• Rejection is not failure; move on without resentment.
• The seventy return rejoicing, but Jesus redirects: identity in God matters more than power.
B. The Lawyer’s Test & the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37)
• Question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
• Correct answer: love God, love neighbor.
• Real issue: “And who is my neighbor?” — an attempt to limit compassion.
• Jesus’ parable flips the question: be a neighbor.
• A Samaritan becomes the model of mercy the religious elite avoided.
C. Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42)
• Martha is busy with hosting; Mary sits at Jesus’ feet as a disciple.
• Jesus affirms Mary’s posture: attentive presence > anxious performance.
• Focus, listening, and devotion define the Kingdom’s priorities.
D. Hanukkah in the Temple (John 10:22–39)
• Jesus teaches in Solomon’s Colonnade during the Feast of Dedication.
• Crowd demands: “Tell us plainly—are you the Messiah?”
• Jesus points to his works and his sheep who know his voice.
• Climactic claim: “I and the Father are one.”
• Leaders attempt to stone him — the confrontation reaches a new level.
4. Main Point
• Jesus launches a nonviolent “siege” on the old vision of holiness, power, and boundary-keeping.
• The Kingdom is revealed through mercy, presence, and mission — not defensiveness or exclusion.
• The sending of the seventy, the Samaritan, Mary’s devotion, and Jesus’ unity with the Father all expose the contrast between Heaven’s values and the system’s fears.
• The battle is not external only — it is internal: will we see with compassion or with categories?
5. Exegetical Insight
• The number seventy signals universal mission — the Kingdom aimed at all nations.
• The Good Samaritan overturns purity boundaries and redefines “neighbor” through action, not identity.
• Mary “sitting at Jesus’ feet” uses discipleship language — she occupies a posture normally reserved for male students.
• “I and the Father are one” (hen esmen) indicates shared divine identity, not mere agreement.
6. Reflection Questions
• Where am I tempted to limit compassion to those most like me?
• Which posture describes me right now — the hurried Martha, or the listening Mary?
• When God sends me, do I go lightly and freely, or with defensiveness and fear?
• What would it look like to “be a neighbor” this week?
7. Action Step / Challenge
• Practice Kingdom mercy: go out of your way to help someone you’d normally overlook.
• Create space for presence — choose one moment to sit, listen, and slow down.
• Reframe one difficult situation by asking: “How can I see this through faith rather than fear?”
Buy the books!
This 30-day challenge is based on my book trilogy entitled Jesus: The Strategic Life and Mission of the Messiah and His Movement (3 Volumes, Hekhal Publishing Co., 2025).
You can buy or borrow the trilogy at:
Hekhal Publishing Co. (look for free samples of each book as well)
Amazon (print or ebook)
Barnes & Noble (print or ebook)
Hoopla (borrow)
Many more booksellers worldwide!
