Holy Week

Palm Sunday

Matthew 21:1–3 HCSB

1 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you should say that the Lord needs them, and immediately he will send them.”

Many had rejected that Jesus was the Lord but I love this because some have started to believe that He is Lord. Many had seen the miracles that he had performed and some were with Him when Lazarus was raised from the dead.

He instructs his disciples to go into the village and find the the young donkey and when the owner ask simply say the Lord needs them. In the Gospel of Mark, scriptures says some standing there did ask and their response was as Jesus told them to and those there let them go.

Jesus is being accepted that He is Lord and Messiah

Matthew 21:4–6 HCSB

4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: 5 Tell Daughter Zion, “Look, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” 6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them.

This fulfills scripture

Zechariah 9:9 HCSB

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I love how scripture completes itself and Jesus fulfills what Zechariah spoke many years before that Jesus would come riding on a donkey, a colt.

I also love the humbleness of Jesus. He did not come riding in with a huge entourage it was a simple donkey that our Savior came to save.

The Focus is Jesus

Matthew 21:6–8 HCSB

6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their robes on them, and He sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their robes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.

They take their own robes and place it on the Donkey so Jesus can sit on them. The crowds take their robes and lay them on the road so that the donkey can walk on them. Some are running to cut branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.

All of the focus is on Jesus. People are not thinking about what they can get from Jesus, but they are giving everything they have to Jesus.

May our posture be this when it comes to Jesus and may our worship for Jesus reflect this. Jesus I am willing to give everything for you.

I again love the humbleness of this. Jesus does not have the best red carpet and the greatest saddle but he has what the people had to give to enter the city.

Matthew 21:9–11 HCSB

9 Then the crowds who went ahead of Him and those who followed kept shouting: Hosanna to the Son of David! He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One! Hosanna in the highest heaven! 10 When He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds kept saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee!”

Everything to this point did not raise any eyebrows or cause any problems with the rulers and authorities. The people started to shout Hosanna and this starts to cause some problems.

Hosanna: Save us, we pray.

They are quoting from Psalm 118 declaring that he is the Messiah. The word Hosanna means Save us, we pray.

Psalm 118:21–25 HCSB

21 I will give thanks to You because You have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This came from the Lord; it is wonderful in our eyes. 24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us success!

The Gospel of Luke tells us that they told Jesus to tell the crowds to be quiet and not say this about him.

Luke 19:39–40 HCSB

39 Some of the Pharisees from the crowd told Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!”

When the people shouted Hosanna, they were praising Christ as King. They had finally came to grips that Christ was the Messiah.

The Messiah they longed for was someone to deliver them from their earthly situation.

Crosswalk.com

Man looked for someone to fight their battles in the present day world. Yet God had the ultimate plan of sending His Son to fight the final battle over death.

It’s interesting that some who were here welcoming Jesus to come and save them were the same ones who were mocking Jesus on the cross.

Bonus thought: If I were honest, then there are times in my life when I want God to rescue things on this earth physically and I lose the fact that Jesus defeated death for me. My prayer this week is that I worship the victory over sin and death and not just what Jesus does for me on this earth.

Last Supper

Thursday

John 13:1–5 HCSB

1 Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 Now by the time of supper, the Devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Him. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands, that He had come from God, and that He was going back to God. 4 So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. 5 Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him.

John 13:12–15 HCSB

12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you.

Matthew 26:26–30 HCSB

26 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.” 27 Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 But I tell you, from this moment I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way in My Father’s kingdom with you.” 30 After singing psalms, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Crucifixion

Friday

Matthew 27:27–56 HCSB

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into headquarters and gathered the whole company around Him. 28 They stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet military robe. 29 They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a reed in His right hand. And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spit on Him, took the reed, and kept hitting Him on the head. 31 When they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. 32 As they were going out, they found a Cyrenian man named Simon. They forced this man to carry His cross. 33 When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Skull Place), 34 they gave Him wine mixed with gall to drink. But when He tasted it, He would not drink it. 35 After crucifying Him they divided His clothes by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and were guarding Him there. 37 Above His head they put up the charge against Him in writing: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Then two criminals were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 Those who passed by were yelling insults at Him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “The One who would demolish the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked Him and said, 42 “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 He has put His trust in God; let God rescue Him now—if He wants Him! For He said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ” 44 In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with Him kept taunting Him. 45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, and offered Him a drink. 49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him!” 50 Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. 51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “This man really was God’s Son!” 55 Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to Him were there, looking on from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

In the Grave

Saturday

Matthew 27:57–61 HCSB

57 When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Then Pilate ordered that it be released. 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, 60 and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.

Joseph prepares the body to be buried he does not know what is going to happen.

What would the world be like without the resurrection? What would it be like without the grace of God? What would your future look like if Jesus had stayed in the grave?

Crosswalk.com

Man looked for someone to fight their battles in the present day world. Yet God had the ultimate plan of sending His Son to fight the final battle over death.

My prayer for you this week is that you will take some time to worship Jesus on this Holy Week. My desire is that you will see Palm Sunday today as Jesus being called the Savior He is and being worshipped.

Thursday it’s my prayer that you will reflect on the Last Supper and Jesus’s command to serve others in the way he served us.

Friday: May we reflect on the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus blood being shed so that we might know the forgiveness of sin. Jesus took the place for me. I should have died on the cross for my sin but Jesus took my sin for me.

Saturday: Reflect and meditate on what would the future hold if Jesus had remained in the grave and let this drive your heart to gratitude for all he has done.

I pray that this leads you to connect with God and worship Jesus.

We worship Christ not just because he was meek. And not just because he was mighty. But because no one in history has ever united them the way he did. Sovereign might in sacrificial meekness. Terrible majesty through tender mercy. Infinite lowliness because he descended from infinite heights. Infinite worthiness because he never murmured in the pain of his appointed path. Infinite exaltation because he perfectly finished what the infinite Father sent him to do.

John Piper