What a week Jesus and the disciples have had. From “Hosanna” to “Crucify Him” to the Resurrection, Jesus did it all for you!
To read about Jesus’s final hours, Jesus’s final night on Earth, The Denial, The Trial, His Crucifixion. Today, we will look at some of the smaller events that happened during Passion Week and revisit others.
Just last Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and everyone shouted, “Hosanna.” Then, during the week, Jesus was teaching in the temple. Each day, the chief priests, scribes, and elders continued to ask Jesus questions and look for ways to trap Him.
Join me in reflecting on each moment and remembering what Jesus did for each of us.
Jesus had friends living in Bethany, a small town near Jerusalem, and one evening had dinner with them and the disciples. While sitting around the table, Mary, the younger sister, got up and began anointing Jesus’s feet with perfume, pure and expensive nard, and her tears.
This upset Judas; he asked, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” His heart had already turned hard, and seeing this waste (to him) made him angry.
Knowing Judas’s thoughts and those of others at the table, Jesus tells them, ” Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me. You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. She has anointed my body, preparing it for burial.
At some point in the week, Judas meets with the religious leaders and agrees to turn Jesus over to them when the time is right. He takes 30 pieces of silver that, at the time, seemed reasonable.
But after they arrest Jesus, Judas realizes what he has done and, filled with remorse, returns the silver to the chief priests, saying he has sinned by betraying innocent blood. Then he goes out and hangs himself.
Then Thursday night comes. Jesus has been looking forward to eating the Passover meal with His disciples. Yes, they have shared this meal for the past two years, but tonight was going to be special. Though Jesus knew it was His last meal with His followers, He fervently desired to eat this Passover before He suffered.
As they ate, Jesus blessed the bread, gave it to each disciple, and told them that His body was broken for them. Then He took the cup, blessed it, and said, ” This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Then, He tells them He would not drink of the vine until the day He drinks it in the Kingdom of God.
When they finished supper, Jesus got up, filled a water bowl, went to each disciple, and washed his feet. The disciples were confused, and Peter told Jesus not to wash his feet. Jesus then says they will have no part with Him unless He washes their feet. Peter says, “Well, wash my head and hands too, Lord!” Jesus is patient and tells Peter that only the feet need washing if everything else is clean, knowing that one among them is not.
After supper, it was customary to sing hymns. So Jesus and the disciples began singing and headed to the garden, where Jesus often prayed. Tonight, when they arrived, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him into the middle of the garden and told them to stay awake and pray with Him.
Jesus had to wake the boys three times because they had fallen asleep while He prayed. It may be good that they fell asleep so they didn’t see Jesus in such agony and sorrow that His sweat turned to blood. Then, it was time for the betrayal. Judas had found the right time to turn Jesus over to the chief priests.
It is now late Thursday night, and the arrest party takes Jesus to the high priest for a trial. Peter follows but stays by the fire. Then, when asked three times if he knew Jesus, he denied it. He finally remembers Jesus telling him that when the rooster crows, he would see the look in Jesus’s eyes and deny him.
While Peter is in the courtyard, Jesus is inside, being questioned and falsely accused by the religious leaders. They finally agree to sentence Jesus to death for blasphemy. Then, at daylight, they take Him to Pilate for more questioning.
Pilate questions Jesus and finds nothing to charge Him with, but he wants to release Him. But the chief priests, scribes, and elders stir up the crowd, and they begin shouting, “Crucify Jesus.” So, Pilate had Jesus flogged and beaten and then sent him to be crucified.
The centurion and the guards take Jesus to Golgotha, or the Skull. There, they crucify Him. They also crucify two criminals and place one on His right and one on the left. The guards cast lots for Jesus’s clothes and posted a sign stating the crime for which Jesus was accused. It said ” KING OF THE JEWS” and was written in every language for all to read. The sky grew dark at noon, and at 3:00 pm, Jesus cried out and breathed His last.
The Light of the world has been snuffed out. It feels like darkness has won.
A member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea (he disagreed with the other members of the Sanhedrin!), went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body so he could bury it.
Pilate agreed, and Joseph, Nicodemus, and some women who followed Jesus took the body and wrapped it in fine linen with fragrant spices. They then placed it in the tomb and rolled a large stone in front of it.
It was almost time for the Sabbath, so that was all they could do to prepare Jesus’s body. The women made plans to return as soon as the Sabbath was over to finish anointing the body.
It is still dark outside. Mary Magdalene can not wait any longer, so she gets up and goes to the tomb. When she gets there, the stone no longer covers the entrance. Then, two angels appear and ask the women why they are looking for the living among the dead. They tell the women that Jesus is alive, just as He said, and to tell the disciples and Peter!
Mary runs to the disciples and tells Peter and John that someone has taken Jesus and does not know where they took Him. Peter and John run to the tomb. John stops and looks in, but Peter barges in! They saw where Jesus had been laid, but there was no body. Even the head wrap was neatly folded and placed separately.
They all leave, amazed by what they see, but they still do not understand what has happened. Then, they return to the place where they had been staying.
Mary stays at the tomb, crying and unable to understand what has happened. Then, she turns around and sees a man standing near her. Thinking it’s the gardener, she asks him where they took Jesus.
Then He says her name.
That was what she needed.
Jesus is alive!
Friend, Jesus loves you. He knows your name. Everything that Jesus endured from “Hosanna” to “Crucify Him to the Resurrection Morning was for you. He was thinking about you when He prayed and then through the horrific flogging to being hung on the cross.
Jesus wants to have a relationship with you. He did the work. All you need to do is call out to Him, and He will come meet with you.
” For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
John 3:16-17
