Holy Week
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Holy Week: Resurrection Sunday
A Day of Joy As the sun began to rise, the group of women walked towards Jesus’s tomb. Carrying spices they had put together, they hoped to anoint His body in the grave. They wondered how they would roll the heavy stone away to gain entrance into the tomb. They more than likely didn’t know Pilate, at the request of the Pharisees, had placed guards at Jesus’s tomb. Once they arrived, their lives changed forever. An angel descended from Heaven and rolled the stone away. The guards, stricken by fear, fainted like dead men. The angel invited the women in to show them the most marvelous sight: an empty tomb.…
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Holy Week: Good Friday
A Day of Lament “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – Jesus (John 14:6) Weakened by the brutal flogging He received from the Romans, Jesus was unable to bear the weight of the cross as He walked to Golgotha. He, however, was able to bear the weight of the world’s sins while on the cross. The wrath He bore brought forgiveness. His death brought life. The hate from the religious leaders and those who mocked Him didn’t diminish His love for them. He asked forgiveness for them because He knew they were blind to what they were doing.…
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Holy Week: Maundy Thursday
A Perfect Love It is now Thursday. Jesus knows His time to “depart out of this world to the Father” (see John 13:1) has arrived. Though Christ’s love for us is displayed on the cross, He also exhibited it for His disciples and for us that night before His arrest. Though all four Gospels share the story of that Thursday, I will focus on John’s telling of the story. Please read John 13 – 17 for the full story. Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet Before sitting down for the Passover feast, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. Normally, a servant or the wife of the host would wash the guest’s feet,…
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Holy Week: Holy Wednesday
A Tale of Two Attitudes Two days before Passover, a dinner was given for Jesus at Simon the Leper’s home. A woman approached Jesus with a flask full of nard ointment and she poured it on His head. The disciples were offended because the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus told them she did a beautiful thing. He also told them they could help the poor at any time, but they wouldn’t always have Him with them (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9). (NOTE: each Gospel tells a story of a woman anointing Jesus. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark tell the same story. The…
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Holy Week: Holy Tuesday
Holy Teaching As mentioned in Monday’s post, one of the activities Jesus did throughout the week was to teach in the Temple. He shared parables and illustrations, teaching His audience about the Kingdom of Heaven and the great commandments. He also faced the religious leaders who were asking Him questions, not to learn, but to trap Him with His words. Of course, Jesus knew what they were plotting. Each time He was confronted, His answers left the leaders and the crowd astonished, to the point the leaders finally stopped asking questions. Considering the Gospels only mention Jesus appearing to His disciples and various groups of people after His resurrection, we…
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Holy Week: Holy Monday
Cleansing the Temple The specifics as to what happened each day beginning Holy Monday through Holy Wednesday are not detailed by the hour or sometimes even the day; however, there is enough information to discern what Jesus and His disciples did during this time. Jesus taught in the Temple, healed people, and faced the religious leaders. The one action that stands out though is the cleansing of the Temple. This wasn’t the first time Jesus cleansed the Temple. In John 2:13-22, Jesus cleansed the Temple at the beginning of His ministry. At that time, Jesus, using a whip of cords, chased the merchants out of the Temple and overturned the…
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Holy Week: Palm Sunday
A Misunderstood Plan Crowded with travelers, the city of Jerusalem bustled with activity as everyone prepared for the Passover feast later that week. Suddenly, a boisterous crowd entered the city shouting and rejoicing and laying cloaks and palm branches on the ground in front of a man riding a baby donkey. People stopped what they were doing and hurried to see what was happening. When asked what was going on, the crowd excitedly proclaimed that the man on the donkey was the prophet Jesus. This would be known as the Triumphal Entry. The crowd that followed Jesus to Jerusalem was a combination of disciples (not just the 12, but others…
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Holy Week: An Introduction
Today is Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week. This is the time of year where Christians reflect upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The original Holy Week occurred during the time of Passover (though at the time it wasn’t Holy Week. It wasn’t until around the 4th century that the observation of Holy Week started). The Gospels record Jesus and His disciples heading to Jerusalem in order to observe Passover the week leading up to His death and resurrection. For the full story of the Passover, please read Exodus 11 – 12. Looking at the elements of the Passover, it is not hard to recognize…
