Passion Week Day # 7

Day 7: Saturday

Jesus' body lies in the tomb.

Passion Week Day # 6

Day 6 Friday. Trials, Crucifixion, Death, and Burial.

Jesus' third trial is held early in the morning before the Sanhedrin. The first three trials were before the religious authorities where He is found guilty. Jesus is then taken before Pilate (the fourth trial) where He is found innocent. He is subsequently taken to Herod who also finds Him innocent (the fifth), and then back to Pilate who again finds Him innocent (the sixth) but relents under pressure, no doubt fearing an uprising. He notes on the sign on the cross that His crime was being the King of the Jews. He probably did this to avoid trouble with Rome (There was to be no king but Caesar). 

About 9:00 AM. Jesus is crucified on a hill called The Skull outside the city. Literally, Golgotha in Aramaic, or Calvary in Latin, it was most likely named this because it was the place of execution. While we cannot know for certain, it is tradition that this is the site where God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. 

At noon, the sky becomes dark. The darkness is highly symbolic of the Father turning His back on the One He had earlier called My beloved Son. No doubt that this was also the Father’s mercy, veiling His Son’s pain and agony. Jesus will make seven proclamations while on the cross. These are known collectively as The Seven Last Saying of Christ. They are:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

 “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” 

 “Woman, behold your son!” “Behold your mother!

"Eloi, Eloi, lamasabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

“I thirst" 

“It is finished!”

“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

At 3:00 PM Jesus utters the most important of these sayings to Believers when he cries with a loud voice: “It is finished.” This is just one word in the Greek language, Tetelestai. The phrase literally means Paid, as in paid in full. The rapidity of the trial and crucifixion was seen as necessary by the Jews for fear of the fickle crowds turning again to embrace Jesus. It was in actuality part of the Father’s plan from the beginning, as Jesus dies while the paschal (that is, sacrificial)  lambs are being offered for the nation's sins at the temple. The Son of God became sin for us! "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) The veil is rent in the Temple (Mk. 15:38) 

Jesus had been on the cross for 6 hours when His body is given to two of His followers, who up until this point had kept their devotion to Christ secret. (John 3:2) Jesus is laid in Joseph's tomb before the Sabbath began at sunset, or around 6:00 PM. In less than twelve hours Jesus has fulfilled the Father’s purposes: The sin of the world has been placed on the Lamb of God.

Maranatha! Even so, Come Lord Jesus!

Passion Week Day # 5

Day 5 Thursday. Day of Preparation and Passover in the Evening.

Today (and perhaps on Wednesday evening) preparation is made for the Passover. Judas may have also utilized this time to meet with the priests for his betrayal (Matt.26:1-5; 14-16; 17-19). The Passover is celebrated on Thursday evening (which is Friday by Jewish reckoning) in an upper room. Tradition has it that it was owned by Mark's parents. At the end of the Jewish feast, Jesus institutes the Last Supper (Matt. 14:12-26; Lk. 22:17-23). The Last Supper is followed by the Upper Room Discourse (Jn. 13-17). Sometime in the evening, after the Passover, Jesus and His disciples leave the Upper Room and go to Gethsemane, a place near the Mt. of Olives where it was a custom for Jesus to Pray (Matt. 26:36-460). While in the Garden, Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested by the temple guards (Jn. 18:2-12). The Trials begin. Before dawn Jesus is tried twice before Annas and then Caiaphas. Everything about these trials is illegal.

Passion Week Day # 4

Day 4: Wednesday. The Silent Day.

After an exhausting day of controversy, Jesus more than likely spends this day

resting and visiting with His intimate friends at the home of Lazarus, Maratha, and Mary.

Passion Week Day # 3

Day 3: The Day of Controversy and Teaching in Parables.

On Tuesday, Jesus personally confronts the authorities and defends His claims to be the Messiah. The occasion for their questions was His cleansing of the temple of money changers on Monday. Mark's gospel gives the most detailed account (Mk. 11:27- 13:37). The day ends with Jesus pronouncing a curse on the city and announcing that the Kingdom will be taken away from the nation. He also explains the significance of the cursed fig-tree. Jesus gives the great eschatological pronouncement in Matthew 23, “Baruch haba b'shem Adonai!” or, “Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!” On the return to Bethany the Disciples are loaded with questions. Jesus stops at the Mount of Olives overlooking the temple, and gives the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24,25; Lk.21:5ff.) The theme of the Olivet Discourse is a detailed prophecy, largely about the second coming of Jesus and the end of the present age due to the rejection of Jesus as Messiah by the Jewish authorities.

Passion Week Day #2

Day 2 Cleansing of the Temple (Mt.21; Mk.11; Lk.19).

Today Jesus returns to Jerusalem (He spends each night in Bethany). On the way He curses the fig-tree, a highly symbolic act showing that spiritual Israel was barren and unproductive. They offered the pretense of religiosity by having the leaves of true religion. But they were void of any sense of the Spirit of God because of their un-fruitfulness. He then enters the Temple and chases out the corrupt money-changers. This shows His Messianic authority (by calling the Temple “My Father's House”) and fulfills another prophecy that implies the Messiah will appear there suddenly and take possession of it. “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming.” Mal. 3:1 (NKJV). When the 12 return with Jesus to Bethany they see the withered fig-tree.

Passion Week Day #1

Day 1: The Triumphal Entry ( Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; John 12)

Jesus rides triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey fulfilling the ancient prophecy, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zech. 9:9 ESV). The people welcome Him with "Hosannas" and the words of Psalm 118:25-26. Jesus, on this “Palm Sunday” is officially presenting Himself to the nation of Israel as their long awaited Messiah. This date according to the Jewish calendar, was Nisan 10, the day pilgrims presented their paschal lambs for examination. On this first day of the week of passion, Jesus presents Himself for inspection as the Lamb that would take away the sins of the world.