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The Gospel of Matthew

  1. Lesson One
    Overview of Matthew (Matt 1, 18, 27–28)
    13 Activities
  2. Lesson Two
    Israel's Story and Mission (Matt 2–4, 11–15)
    15 Activities
  3. Lesson Three
    Jesus and the Torah (Matt 5–7, 16–17, 23–25)
    18 Activities
  4. Lesson Four
    "The Kingdom of God is Like..."
    10 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  5. Lesson Five
    Author and Audience
    13 Activities
  6. Course Wrap-up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

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The Gospel of Matthew Jesus and the Torah (Matt 5–7, 16–17, 23–25) In Front | Workbook: Jesus and Jeremiah’s Prophetic Indictment of the Temple
Lesson 3, Activity 17

In Front | Workbook: Jesus and Jeremiah’s Prophetic Indictment of the Temple

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Grab your Workbook Journal!

[Record your answers in the workbook provided at the beginning of this course.]

Before we wrap up this lesson, consider how Jesus’ calling for true righteousness echoes that of the Old Testament prophets. They often contrasted hollow ritual with righteous behavior. When Jesus indicts the Temple leadership in Matthew 23, His message has much in common with Jeremiah’s “Temple Sermon” in Jeremiah 7. 

Dr. Ross Winkle has identified three thematic parallels between these two texts: 

1) Sending of the prophets

2) Murder of the prophets

3) Prophetic judgment against the Temple

4. Complete the table below with specific verse references from both Jeremiah and Matthew that address these motifs:

Jeremiah 7Matthew 23:29–24:2
Sending of prophets
Murder of prophets
Prophetic judgment against the Temple

Source: Ross E. Winkle, “The Jeremiah Model for Jesus in the Temple,” Andrews University Seminary Studies, Summer 1986, 24:2, pp. 155-172.

Because the motifs in the chart you filled out in this exercise are overlapping themes in one larger critique, there are multiple ways of filling it out correctly. In any event, you should have come up with something like what is shown below.
Jeremiah 7 Matthew 23:29–24:2
The sending of prophets Jer 7:25 Matt 23:34
The murder of prophets Jer 7:6 Matt 23:29-32, 34-35, 37
Prophetic judgment against the Temple Jer 7:9-15 Matt 23:38–24:2