“He is risen!” “He is risen, indeed!” Along with all of the beautiful and joyful Easter songs that we only get to sing once a year, that is probably my favorite part of the Easter morning church service. What a wonderful thing to get to celebrate: that God loves us and sent Jesus to earth to live a perfect life as a human, suffer and die on the cross for our sins, and rise again on the third day. And, as always, we get to celebrate that Jesus is currently reigning with God the Father and will come again someday!
As we are in the week leading up to Easter, we anticipate celebrating the resurrection on Sunday, but Jesus had a very different week leading up to Easter and that is what I would like to focus on today.
We start with Palm Sunday, which is when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the crowds put palm branches and their cloaks on the ground. On this day, we see that the crowds seemed to still expect Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom and save them from the Romans.
“A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’” (Matthew 21:8-11)
Next comes Monday – Wednesday, which included Jesus flipping the tables at the temple because people were using the temple to take advantage of and profit from the poor. This was also when the religious leaders were starting to plan to kill Jesus. During this time, Jesus also began teaching in the temple every day and people began preparing for the Passover feast that was coming up.
After this is Thursday, which is when the Passover feast happened, also referred to in this case as the Last Supper. This feast is where Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, they participated in the first communion, and Jesus said that one of them there would betray Him.
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many or the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’” (Matthew 26:26-29)
Thursday is also when Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemene to pray.
“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-44)
Later on in the night is when Jesus was arrested and leads into Good Friday.
“So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’ They answered him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am he.’ Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, ‘Whom do you seek?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.’ This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: ‘Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.’ Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?’ So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him.” (John 18:3-12)
During the night and into early Friday morning, Jesus endured trials and beatings before being crucified and therefore dying for the sins of those who hated Him.
“And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!’ So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ And some of the bystanders hearing it said, ‘Behold, he is calling Elijah.’ And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:25-39)
Saturday was silent.
Then comes Sunday! The day we all so eagerly await has finally come and Jesus came back to life on that wonderful day!
“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and he other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.’ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.’” (Matthew 28:1-10)
What a wonderful day Sunday is, but as we lead up to that excitement, let’s also remember the week that Jesus and His disciples had leading up to it as well.
Abbi