This week begins what is commonly called "Holy Week". It is during this time that more specific details of Jesus' life and death are traditionally given throughout the week. As Christians we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus year-round, but it takes on deeper meaning during Holy Week as we begin to think about the details. If you have never watched The Passion by Mel Gibson, I encourage you to do so this week. It is a powerful testament of what Jesus went through during His final week. I will warn you that it is graphic! Another thing I encourage you to do this week is read through the whole "easter story". The book of John, beginning in chapter 17, goes through most of the happenings I've described below. If you don't have a bible, check out biblegateway.com. I prefer the version known as The Voice, but Bible Gateway has several versions available to read.
Let's take a stroll through Holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the Sunday just before Easter Sunday. In the time frame leading up to what we celebrate as Palm Sunday, Jesus had recently raised Lazarus from the dead and a few days later had gone to eat at their house. Here Lazarus' sister Mary began to poor expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus. Judas chastises her, but Jesus tells them to leave her alone as she is doing that in preparation of his burial. Of course, this confuses them. Crowds in town have heard that Jesus is in town and they gather palm branches to wave at Him upon His arrival. Jesus had sent disciples to gather a donkey on which he rode into town with people waving the branches in celebration of Jesus. The crowd knew that Jesus had performed miracles and that Jesus had come in the name of the Lord. They thought that Jesus would raise up an army and fight to takeover the Roman rule. All of this hype for Jesus further infuriated the Scribes and Pharisees and they decided that something must be done to squelch Jesus.
For the next few days of the week, Jesus' enemies try to come up with ways to dispose of Jesus that won't cause riots or major backlash to them. The Passover Festival will begin in a couple days and Jesus and the disciples prepare for this time of Jewish celebration, remembering the exodus of their ancestors from Egypt. Before the Festival begins, Jesus sends Peter and John into Jerusalem to find and follow a man carrying a jug of water. Once this man entered his house, Peter and John were to ask him where was the guest room that Jesus could have Passover with his disciples. Peter and John did as they were told and it all came about just as Jesus said.
Maundy Thursday is the part of Holy Week many Christians celebrate in remembrance of this last Passover meal between Jesus and His disciples. This is often referred to as the Last Supper. It is here that Jesus shares in the first Communion with his disciples and where the Communion ritual comes from. It was here also that Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and showed them that He was a servant and not a king. During supper, Jesus tells his betrayer to go and do what he must do! What follows is time spent in the garden in prayer. Jesus is so overcome with the thought of the emotional turmoil He will endure that He sweats drops of blood. Judas and others come to the garden where Jesus is praying and they arrest Him and take Him away. Throughout the night Jesus is taken before high priests and even Pilate himself. Since Jesus has not responded the way the crowds thought He should they turn against Him. Many of the same people that waved palms in celebration of the King several days ago now determine that He should die. We don't really know if it was day or night by the time Pilate gives people the choice of releasing Jesus or Barabbas. Because Jesus did not meet their expectations and raise up an army to overthrow the Romans, the people determine that He is a fraud and that He should be crucified.
Good Friday comes in somewhere amidst the trial by Pilate and condemnation of crucifixion. Once the people make their decision, Jesus is handed over to be fiercely beaten and crucified. He is mocked, insulted, and humiliated by being forced to carry His own instrument of death. After reaching the hill upon which He would be crucified, the soldiers will lay Jesus on the cross and pound long, thick nails through His wrists and ankles. He is offered vinegar as a way of refreshing His thirst. During this time Jesus has a conversation with one of the guilty men being crucified next to Him, the One not guilty. The thief shows such faith in Jesus that Jesus declares He will take Him to heaven with Him when they die. As a storm approaches, the soldiers want a guarantee of death from these "criminals" and begin to break the legs of the two guilty men. This makes it more difficult for them to breathe and they begin to suffocate. By now Jesus already appears dead, so they pierce His side with a sword to make sure. (There are many other details I could include here, but trying to be brief). Following His death, His disciples take Him down and bury Him in a borrowed tomb.
Easter Sunday marks the most celebrated day in the Christian year. It is on this day that the women go to visit the tomb and put herbs on Jesus body and they discover that the stone is no longer in front of the tomb. As they go closer they notice that the body of Jesus is not there. The women run back to tell the disciples what they have seen. Some of the disciples also run to the tomb and find that the body of Jesus is not there. Jesus later appears to two men walking on the road. He speaks with them and shares scriptures with them and as He prays before dinner, the eyes of these two men are opened so that they actually see Who He is and then He disappears. They come to realize that Jesus truly has been resurrected!! Later He appears to His disciples and they too see that He has risen!
Be sure to catch my next blog post when I dig a little deeper into the death and resurrection of Jesus and what that means for us!
