Holy Week
The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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John’s gospel has a main point that runs through it all, to show the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ.
In John's Gospel, Holy Week unfolds as a dramatic climax to Jesus' ministry, culminating in his triumphal entry, the Last Supper, crucifixion, and ultimately, his resurrection, all presented as a testament to his divine and human nature and the fulfillment of God's plan for salvation. Church, today we gather not just to mark another week, but to stand at the precipice of a week that holds the very heart of our faith: Holy Week.
In the Gospel of John, we witness not just a series of events, but a carefully orchestrated drama, a quilt woven with patches of triumph, suffering, and ultimately, redemption.
Palm Sunday: A Kingly Arrival:John begins by painting a picture of Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The crowds, anticipating a king, lay down palm branches and shouted "Hosanna!" – a cry of joy and hope. Yet, this wasn't a mere political procession; it was a proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. Then at the end of the week they screamed Crucify! From Messiah, to a criminal sentenced to death on the cross.
The Last Supper: A New Covenant:As Holy Week progresses, we find Jesus in the Upper Room, not with the fanfare of a king, but in the quiet intimacy of the Last Supper. He washes his disciples' feet, a gesture of humility and service, and institutes the Lord's Supper, a new covenant of love and sacrifice. He did this knowing that he was washing the feet of his betrayer, He was eating with one who would deny him three times before the morning light, he sat with all those who would run away from the persecution, that was about to happen. Not just a Lord but a servant to all.
Good Friday: The Suffering Servant:The climax of Holy Week arrives on Good Friday. John portrays Jesus not as a victim, but as the suffering servant, willingly bearing the sins of the world. He is mocked, scourged, and crucified, yet he remains steadfast in his love and obedience to God.
Many of us know of the cross, but few get the revelation of the cross. There is a difference! One is knowing with your mind that Christ died for you, the other is getting the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what Christ experienced when he had you on his mind.
Let’s start asking the Holy Spirit to give us revelation of the cross.
A medical doctor provides a physical description of what it meant to be crucified.
The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought iron nail through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly, he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement.
The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed.
The victim is now crucified. As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain – the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet. As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them with deep relentless, throbbing pain.
With these cramps comes the inability to push upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath. Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint wrenching cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber.
Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level-the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues and the tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues. Finally, he can allow his body to die...
All this the Bible records with the simple words, "Then they crucified Him"
Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots for them to decide what each would get.
As I was studying this message, I came across an article that stated that Christ did not know He was going to die the way he did. I have to disagree with those that believe that. Our verse for today proves them wrong.
“Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour.
Many people died on crosses, but none for the same reason as Jesus. What is that reason?
For this reason, Jesus was born in order to die.
On this day that we remember the week leading up to the death of Jesus, let’s look into this reason. We’ll look at how God revealed his purposes through this scripture.
1) Jesus would crush Satan’s head
Jesus hour was to fulfill this promise
I will put hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.
What a promise. Adam and Eve’s lives had been ruined, because of Satan
Adam and Eve felt that remorse, only worse. If only we could change it. God says “I’ll change it” From that day, they began to look at their children differently “will he be the one?”
2) He would be our substitute
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
“Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
One, the Messiah
The only son of father who loved him dearly
He would be a substitute
We can’t save ourselves. We need someone else to do it for us
God’s standard is perfection, and there is just no way that we can meet that
Sin means “to miss the mark”
He would purchase us with his blood (Exodus)
Passover … Each family was to get an innocent, spotless lamb and kill it
This shows me how valuable we are to God
4) He would take our sins on himself
“When he has finished making atonement for the most holy place, the tent of meeting, and the altar, he is to present the live male goat.
That goat would never be seen again. It was the scapegoat!
Put yourself in Aaron’s sandals … there go my sins. Imagine if the goat came back … BUT THEY’RE GONE
He has removed our sins as far as the East is from the West.
Jesus is the Promised One who crushed Satan’s head; He is our substitute (dying in our place); He paid for us with His blood; He carried our sins.
Something of interest!
While Passover lambs were being declared “without blemish” by the head of the household … Pontius Pilate declared of Jesus “I find no fault in Him”
At 3pm when the Passover lambs were sacrificed, Jesus cried out “it is finished and gave up his life”
That was when the veil was torn in two … the time of symbolism was over … the Promised One had come and died and had defeated Satan.
We have access into the Holy of Holies, into the Heavenlies,
God doesn’t want us to stay out. Are you ready to go in?
