The Emotions of Easter - The Fear of the Pharisees.

Part 2 of 5 Emotions of Easter posts.
Part 1 was the Joy of Palm Sunday.  This post also included an introduction to the Emotions of Easter posts.

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Our motivation in this life needs to be the God we have faith in.
Not the people we don't need to fear.

The Bible reading is the Withered Fig Tree and the Temple Debates

The Withered Fig and the questioning of Jesus' authority probably happened on the Tuesday of Passion Week.  Both of these accounts are found in Matthew 21:18-27

Here is a reading based on the motives and desires of Judas and the Pharisees.

HERE is an article about the escalating conflict on the Tuesday of Holy Week.

The following quotes are from another article entitled What Would Judas do? which deals with Judas' betrayal on Wednesday but also connects with the Pharisees 

The Pharisees loved money (Luke 16:14), feared men (Matthew 26:5), and hated Jesus (Matthew 26:4). That formula may be lived out before you more than you realize.   

The love of money often looks merely practical.  The fear of men can hide behind masks.  But the Bible is clear: If you love money and fear men, you cannot love God or escape Hell (Luke 16:13; John 5:44) — and you become a card-carrying member of the crowd who crucified the Author of life (Acts 3:15).  The cross — that horrifying drama of hatred — was only a symptom of the Pharisees’ craving for money, approval, and power. It was as if they bought a billboard to advertise their love for money, and set it on a hill for all to see.  But they would never do something so obvious. What would the people say? They “feared the people” (Luke 22:2). In fact, the people’s love for Jesus was half the reason the religious leaders hated him so much. 

The authorities were cowards with cravings. They had to find a way to kill him quietly (Matthew 26:3–5). They had to find a way to murder an innocent man without losing any esteem or influence.

While the Pharisees and Judas were both parts of God's great salvation plan, the motives behind their actions demonstrate a lack of trust in God and His plan.

Mountain-moving, God-trusting faith, not man-centered, money focused fear, is what we need.

Here are some questions to think through and talk about.

What are some things you are afraid of?How does the fear of people impact the way you live your life?
What are some truths you need to remember that will help you focus more on faith in God than fear of man?