Monday – Throwing Out the Thieves!
The very next day, after Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem, which we call this event the “Triumphal Entry,” which fulfilled the prophecy from the prophet Zechariah 9:9. Jesus goes to the temple and finds people there who are misusing the temple. They were selling things, and conducting business in the place that should be reserved for prayer and deliverance; those who were sick and care for the motherless children. When he saw this happening, he wept and was filled with Righteous Indignation. So, Jesus kicked them out of the temple, saying, “My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” Then an amazing thing happened, the blind could come in, the lame came in, and orphans came in, and He healed them.
Then he passed by a fig tree on his way to Bethany, and being hungry, he wanted some food but found the tree to have leaves but no fruit. So, he cursed the tree, and from that moment, the tree dried up and died. Then he returned to the temple. But the Pharisees and Chief Priests plotted his arrest, so Jesus escaped them. His time had not yet come for them to have Him. After Jesus visited the Temple, he then returned to Bethany. It was the month of “Nissan,” which is our month of April, on the 10th day, when the Passover lambs were chosen.
Question: Could you, despite knowing that the people who you were trying to help, were conspiring against you. Could you, maintain your focus, and do good to those who were doing you wrong?
So, according to this interpretation, Jesus promises those who overcome, the contest with Satan for our souls, would receive entry into the final victory celebration in Heaven. The new name, in theory, refers to the Holy Spirit’s work of transforming believers into the holiness of Christ (Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:10) and allowing the barer of this, white stone, into the Eternal Holy Banquet Room of Heaven. But they must be strong, and not give up. For they that should overcome the time of tribulation, they would receive a White Stone with their new name written on it.
He then began to predict, more specifically, that he would be crucified, but, on the third day he would rise again, only two days from now, at the time of the Passover. Meanwhile, Judas was conspiring with the Jewish leaders, planning to betray Jesus. Although Jesus was not caught off guard by this, He was deeply disturbed by this development, and tensions arose among the disciples. But despite all these overwhelming distractions, Jesus continued to teach his people and provide service in his community.
Thursday – The Last Passover
Jesus and his disciples prepared the upper room for the Passover feast, where they had their Sedar Meal together. This groundbreaking event became one of two ordinances of Christ, left for His Church. The other being the ordinance of Water Baptism. Jesus told his disciples to go into the city Jerusalem and see a certain man and tell him, “Our teacher says, my time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples,” so they did, and that evening they had the Lord’s Supper in that man’s house.
The elements: The Bread, (which symbolizes His broken body) is broken for our transgressions; The Wine or Juice, (which symbolizes His shed blood) is shed for the Remission (Forgiveness) of our sins. Jesus said, “as often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me.” This tradition Christ initiated is of supreme importance and sacred. The bible says in I Corinthians 11: 29-30; ‘for he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to his own soul, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this because many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (Die).”
The Lord’s supper was and is vital to the Christian church. It is a symbol that by doing this, we do show forth the Lord’s death (confess that we are his disciple and testify that we belong to Him while we are in this Earth) until He returns. After the Passover meal, they went into the Garden of Gethsemane. This is where Jesus faced one of his greatest temptations during his earthly life. It was a temptation of weakness, to abort his mission.
His disciples, due to the great stress of the day’s past and the days ahead, fell asleep. But Jesus used this time to pray and talk to His father. As He prayed to his father, he said, “Father let this cup can pass from me. But if this cup cannot pass from me, except I drink it, not as I will, but thy will be done” (Matthew 26:42).
It was truly an excruciating time in which Jesus felt indifferent about dying for humanity, during the final moments of His life. His friends had become weak, and even his own faith and courage was questioned, to the point of wanting to give up, himself. But he carried on with his father’s plan. He knew that his Father’s plan for his life far outweighed his human frailties.
Friday – Arrest and Trial
Early in that morning, Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin Counsel (Religious Leaders); Pilate (Roman Governor); and Herod Antipas (Greek and Persian Ruler), in a kangaroo court. He then was dragged back to Pilate, again. He was tortured and beaten unrecognizably with 39 lashes and scourged with a cat of nine tails within the city limits. He was spat on, made to wear a scarlet robe and a thorny crown. He was paraded through the city and marched up Golgotha’s Hill.
You may know it as, Calvary. A place that is shaped like a human skull. With His body battered and bruised, they made him carry his own cross, whipping him incessantly. He became so weak, they compelled a Sirenian of Libya, a Black man, to carry his cross for him.
Saturday – Death
Thomas Shepherd, a noted gospel hymnist, wrote the song, “Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? No, there is a cross for everyone, and there’s a cross for me.” On an old rugged cross, He died. He died from the 6th to the 9th hour, from 12 noon to 3 o’clock in the afternoon.
When He died, the imperialistic cosmos catapulted from their heavenly poches and plummeted to Earth as dead men. When Jesus died, the gastric ball of light known as the sun, which contains seventy percent hydrogen; twenty eight percent helium; with carbon; nitrogen; and oxygen; each separated themselves from itself, refusing to lighten the world. Like a candle that has been caught in the cross winds of Santa Ana, it ceased to shine. He who knew no sin, took on sin for all creation. He died!
Tortured, beaten, humiliated, and mortified, this God-Man died a shameful death. And then, He was buried and deposited in a tomb. Guards guarded the dead, as though he were a threat to break the governor’s seal on his tomb and orchestrate the greatest jail break in human history. Had he really been abandoned by His Father, in whom he claimed sonship?
The angelic host stopped singing. No more, “Joy to the World the Lord has come.” Our conquering hero lay in defeat, as he was lauded as a hoax. He was regarded as an imposter and found to be a fraud. He who said, “If you destroy this Temple, I’ll rebuild it again in three days,” (John 2:19) has been forever silenced; excommunicated; and isolated from the sight and memory of the living.
He was dead, and buried, in the grave.
Sunday – Resurrection
Early Sunday morning, while the dew was still on the roses. It was at early mornings light when God raised Jesus from the dead, with all power in Heaven and Earth, in His Hands. On Friday, while hanging on the cross, He said, “it is finished” and commended his spirit into God’s hands. And then, He gave up the ghost.
It was over two thousand years ago, He who came into the world to show the world God’s mercy, was by that same world, taken away from it mercilessly. On Friday, while hanging on the cross, He cried out to His God saying, “My God, My God, why has thouforsaken me” (Matthew 27:46). Had God truly turned his back on His Son and ignored His plea?
But on Sunday Morning, His Father responds, like any father who witnesses his child’s painful experience. But then celebrates that child’s resilience, by rewarding him with power to rise from the dead. He interceded for all humanity while hanging on the cross, asked the Father to forgive the very ones perpetrating his death. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” (Luke 23;34) But now, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, still interceding for you and me.
Isaiah 53:5 said it like this; “He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquity; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed.”
Happy Resurrection Day!
