She is the author of the self-published novel GLORYTHE HAIR. Jesus turns to them and others in the Temple area, teaching them in numerous parables (Mk 12:1). Too often we are more concerned with our own welfare or status than with any suffering in the Body of Christ. Why not? At the end of Holy Saturday, Christ's body was ceremonially treated for burial with spices bought by Nicodemus: "Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. The final days of Jesus were the most important days of the most important person who ever lived. Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. What a grim picture the Last Supper paints of us! Again, he sent other servants and said, Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. Grudem, like Piper, has said that he skips the phrase about Jesus' descent when reciting the Apostles' Creed. And regarding the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the book of Moses, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. What Is Holy Week? COSTLY COMMUNION Jesus, reclining at table, will now celebrate the Holy Eucharist for the first timebut it is to be a costly communion. Judas has already conspired and been paid to hand Him over. 6 Valuable Lessons from the Life of Samuel, 10 Verses from James to Deepen Your Faith. They sent certain Pharisees and Herodians to catch him in his words. Jesus did not go to "hell" or the suffering side of hades; He went to "Abraham's side" or the blessed side of hades. At this, the leaders sought to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. "And it was by the Spirit that he went to preach to the spirits in prison." (Luke 23:46 ESV) By Friday evening, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had taken Jesus' body down from the cross and laid it in a tomb. Little did they expect what began the very next day Monday. [Still insistent, Peter replies,] Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you. And so said all the disciples (Matthew 26:34-35). In it, Jesus describes the coming destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in 70 A.D., forty biblical years after His Ascension. At Easter, the Son of God took on the worlds sin and defeated the devil, death, and grave. Jesus patiently reminds them, Thomas rebukes the Lord by saying, in effect, We have. After the consecration at this Last Supper/first Mass, Jesus looks into the cup at His own blood, soon to be shed, and distributes His own body, soon to be handed over. They were the first to throw their cloaks on the donkey and the ground in front of Jesus. In the resurrection, whose wife will she be? Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. While Jesus was preaching in Jerusalem, the religious leaders (Pharisees, Sadducees, and other groups) listened. As he was walking to Jerusalem, Jesus cursed a fig tree: And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. They leave Bethany and head back to Jerusalem. How will you escape the judgment of hell?" To emphasize that Jesus had truly died, and his resurrection was no trick of the tomb, the apostles likely would have insisted that he, too, had sojourned in Sheol, said Robert Krieg, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame. Two momentous days have passed: On Monday there was the cleansing of the Temple and the laments over Jerusalem's lack of faith; Tuesday featured exhaustive teachings by Jesus and interrogations by His opponents. But some Protestants say there is scant scriptural evidence for the hellish detour, and that Jesus' own words contradict it. On the Sunday before his crucifixion, Jesus started his journey to Jerusalem, understanding that he would be killed there for the sins of mankind. You snakes! And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive.. Keep that in mind as you read through the commentary below; A large part of what Ive written about the apostles applies to us as well. Jesus replies to them. To free them from their slavery in Rome. Pray with Jesus as he is zealous to . Today, Wednesday, it would seem that Jesus stays in Bethany. They crossed the Kidron Valley and went up on to the Mount of Olives. The second day of what we now call Holy Week. What Was the Lord Doing on Wednesday of Holy Week? In these parables He lays bare their hearts and reminds them that although they are leaders they are refusing Gods offer of salvation and His invitation to the true feast to which their rituals point. Then, only five short days later, Pilate would be unable to silence that same crowd calling for Jesus to be crucified. But I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22:25-27). It is shocking how relentless the religious leaders of the day were toward Jesus. On Monday evening, Jesus stayed in Bethany again, likely in the home of his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus concludes by saying. Dr. Sandra Hamer Smith is a Christian and wife to Sylvester Smith. Matthew 28:1 uses plural "Sabbaths" to make it clear that the special Friday Sabbath and normal Saturday Sabbath had transpired during 3 nights between Jesus' death on Thursday afternoon and resurrection on Sunday morning. The second day of what we now call Holy Week. In the parable of the wedding banquet, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. The University of Memphis alumnae has been in education for about 20 years after receiving the call to teach. But what did he do on Saturday? In the parable of the tenants, the religious leaders knew theywere the evil farm tenants (Mark 12:12). Just the day before, Jesus had made his grand entrance into Jerusalem. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over (John 13:1). The Tennessee native is a member of Temple of Deliverance COGIC, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc, Omicron Delta Kappa, The Golden Key International Honour Society, and Kappa Delta Pi. This is an attempt to draw Jesus into a cheap political debate and thereby cause division among His admiring crowd. They decided to kill the son so there would be no heir and the inheritance would be theirs (Mark 12:3-11). Then he said to his servants, The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited were not worthy. Their refusal to come to faith is disobedience to God. How confounding! As he finished his teaching, Jesus pronounced woes upon the Pharisees. Holy Monday. Before Christ was led away, soldiers pierced him with a crown of thorns while mocking Him as "King of the Jews." Jesus shared a parable of the householder. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. His last words were, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" Just the day before, Jesus had made his grand entrance into Jerusalem. Often called "the harrowing of hell," the dramatic image of Jesus breaking down the doors of Hades has proved almost irresistible to artists, from the painter Hieronymus Bosch to the poet Dante to countless Eastern Orthodox iconographers. This day may not have any of the exciting moments that happened at the end of the week, but it shows hints of the coming danger. Finally, a scribe steps forth. If the religious leaders and teachers of the law had been worried about Jesus before, and they were, after Holy Monday, they were infuriated and wanted him dead. Jesus has just finished teaching the apostles to wash one anothers feet, and the next thing you know, theyre arguing as to who among them is the greatest. Who did he claim to be? Later on this evening, the Lord will celebrate the Passover meal with His disciples. Hank Hanegraaff. He went to the first and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard. I will not, he replied. They tried to trick Jesus into breaking Roman law(Mark 11:13-17). "It helps bring home the point that Jesus' resurrection was not a resuscitation," Krieg said. The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the descent "the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission," during which he "opened heaven's gates for the just who had gone before him. Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went to the Mount of Olives. Despite the fact that Jesus has clearly identified His betrayer, no one rises to block the door or even utters a word of protest. But the temple leadership during this era was notoriously corrupt. Read the Bible chapters referenced in the Holy Week timeline below and find articles, sermons, and podcasts related to Holy Week. His soul/spirit went to hades (the place of the dead). There was a man who had two sons. The most solemn week of the Christian year, Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter, and is the week during which Christians particularly remember the last week of Jesus . Sons of vipers! It is an emotional week for Christians, but one that anticipates the hope and glory of the resurrection . The fig tree reminds us of the day of judgment. What you are about to do, do quickly Jesus told him (John 13:24-30). But Pilate replied, I imagine, "What happens in Jerusalem, stays in . Peter remembered it and said, Look, Rabbi! They arranged an ambush with the intent to put him under arrest. He surely wants to impress upon them His final instruction. Trust in God; trust also in me. There is a quite a lack of credibility in what the apostles say; it is almost comical. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 1. His disciples saw what he did to the fig tree and marveled. ;The Seven Last Words of Jesus. Matthew then observes. He used the moment to teach the disciples about genuine faith such that faith even the size of a mustard seed could move mountains when it is aligned with Gods will (Matthew 21:21-22). But Jesus knew. Like Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court that had denounced Jesus Christ to death. When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance and a transformed life. Its a disaster, really, but the glory of the story and the saving grace is this: The Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross regardless. Day 1: Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday SuperStock / Getty Images On the Sunday before his death, Jesus began his trip to Jerusalem, knowing that soon he would lay down his life for our sins. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. This indicates the depth of their fear: even enemies will be embraced to rid the city of this upstart preacher who so threatens their shared power. As layers of limbo and purgatory were added to the afterlife, theologians like Thomas Aquinas labored to understand which realm Jesus visited, and whom he saved. They asked him whether it was lawful to give unto Caesar or not. As Jesus was leaving the temple for the day, Matthew 24 says that his disciples were admiring the buildings. People press their way to the house of God to show reverence for what God did and for who Jesus is: our Saviour. Jesus says to Peter, James, and John: My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me (Mat 26:38). Palm Sunday The earliest known record of any Holy Week observance, which includes a description of Palm Sunday, is found in the travel diaries of a woman named Egeria. By what authority are You doing these things? they asked. How Does the Bible Teach Us to Handle Anxiety? The owner eventually sent his son, whom he knew they would respect. He had tolerated a lot of their questioning, spoken against their hypocrisy, and mentioned the God-sent prophets that their forefathers had stoned. The following morning, Jesus returned with his disciples to Jerusalem. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. In Matthew's parabolic aside, the wisest advice Pilate got that day -- our Good Friday -- was from his wife: "Have nothing to do with that innocent man" (27:19). Lent ( Latin: Quadragesima, [1] 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry. of They responded, Caesar. Jesus responded by saying, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods (Mark 12:17). Jesus proceeded to the courtyards around the temple. Tell us, they said, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? (Matthew 24: 3-4). In this way, the Sadducees are set aside. ThisFREE podcastprovides a fresh approach to the Lenten season and can be used as a devotional or study for both individuals and groups. At the end of it, the apostlesperhaps ironically, perhaps with sincerityremark, Now at last you are speaking plainly, not in any figure. Here we are at the pivotal moment of all human history and the first clergy of the Church are sound asleep. The disciples were instructed to untie the animals and bring them to him. This is where Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, resided. Jesus told them that they erred in not knowing the scripture for when they rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven. (Mark 12:24-25). The leaders sought to arrest Jesus but feared the people. Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble yourself in the sight of God. Historians and theologians agree that Jesus was approximately thirty-three years old at the time of His crucifixion. He overturned their tables and cleared the Temple, saying, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves" (Luke 19:46). Today, many churches follow foot-washing commemorations as a component of their Maundy Thursday worship services. He didnt want his disciples to be misled by wars, earthquakes, and other events. Read the Bible Story of the Cursed Fig Tree. Jesus was about to judge a generation of those who practiced rites and rituals of a fruitless religion. The Bible account of Holy Saturday is found in Matthew 27:62-66, Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56, and John 19:40. ", PHOTOS: GOOD FRIDAY OBSERVANCES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. (John 14:8-9) Jesus own apostles are being argumentative and contentious. COLLABORATIVE CONDESCENSION During the meal Jesus rises and then stoops to wash the disciples feet. But changing conceptions of hell only complicated the questions. They were dear friends of Jesus and likely hosted Christ and His disciples during their final days in Jerusalem. They should be concerned about Jesus welfare but instead they argue about which of them is the greatest. Bring Me a denarius to inspect. So, they brought it, and He asked them, Whose likeness is this?
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