The Passion of Passion Week
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Up to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus ministry was focused on meeting the needs of people, teaching and revealing the truth of who he was and who his Father was, and training His disciples. Now, beginning with the triumphal entry, Jesus was focused on one thing, the cross! Everything that happened that final week was carefully chosen by him as a preparation for the sacrifice that he was about to make.
Though the chronology of each day of Passion Week is difficult to determine (except for resurrection Sunday), some have suggested the following,
Palm Sunday (Triumphal Entry)
Holy Monday & Tuesday (Cleansing the temple, interaction with the religious leaders)
Spy Wednesday (Judas arranged his betrayal of Jesus with the Chief Priests)
Maundy Thursday (the Last Supper)
Good Friday (Crucifixion)
Black Saturday (Jesus descends into hades)
Resurrection Sunday (Jesus raises from the dead)
However, this afternoon, we want to take some highlights from each of the Gospels, from that final week and show their significance in the life of all the key players that God the Father would use to crush His Son and put him to grief ()
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Main Idea: The Passion Week Was a Preparation by Jesus for the Cross
Main Idea: The Passion Week Was a Preparation by Jesus for the Cross
1. Jesus Prepares the Jews
1. Jesus Prepares the Jews
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
A. By cleansing the Temple
A. By cleansing the Temple
Because John records this cleansing earlier in Jesus ministry, many scholars believe that there were two cleansings.
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
Matt 21:
Jesus shows his authority by commanding this action
Jesus equates himself with God the Father by quoting Isaiah 56:2
A. Jesus Shows the importance of true worship
A. Jesus Shows the importance of true worship
B. By cursing the fig tree
B. By cursing the fig tree
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
Matt 21:18-19
Jesus curses this tree for making a healthy display but having no fruit
In essence, he was equating the religious leaders of his day with this fig tree
C. By pronouncing seven woes on the scribes and Pharisees
C. By pronouncing seven woes on the scribes and Pharisees
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Matt 23:27
This series of seven woes were prophesies of judgment; bringing God’s lawsuit against His people and announcing the imminent realization of the covenant curses (cf. ; ).
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005), 1398.
D. By reminding them of the greatest commandment
D. By reminding them of the greatest commandment
A lawyer asked Jesus this question (v. 35)
2. The interaction with the Pharisees ()
2. The interaction with the Pharisees ()
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus replaces all the traditions of the elders with this one commandment.
E. By predicting Judgment on Jerusalem
E. By predicting Judgment on Jerusalem
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“ ‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
Matt 24:
1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“ ‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
matt 21:42-46
To a Jew, predicting the fall of Jerusalem, the city of David, was treason against his people.
2. Jesus Prepares His Disciples
2. Jesus Prepares His Disciples
A. Jesus claimed that their rejection of him was a fulfillment of scripture
A. Jesus claimed that their rejection of him was a fulfillment of scripture
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.
A. By declaring His death and resurrection
A. By declaring His death and resurrection
19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
Matt 17
22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.
B. This interaction with the religious leaders would lead to His arrest and crucifixion
B. This interaction with the religious leaders would lead to His arrest and crucifixion
B. By telling them the truth about themselves
B. By telling them the truth about themselves
31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
M
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
Luke 22:
C. By promising the Holy Spirit
C. By promising the Holy Spirit
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
D. By praying for them and all those who would be influenced by them
D. By praying for them and all those who would be influenced by them
9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.
John 17:9
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
E. By giving them a new commandment
E. By giving them a new commandment
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13
The visible mark of discipleship is love for one another!
3. Jesus Prepares Himself
3. Jesus Prepares Himself
A. By instituting the Lord’s Supper as a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover
A. By instituting the Lord’s Supper as a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover
Jesus prepared himself as the passover lamb before his disciples who would remember after His death.
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Mark 14:22
B. By instituting the Lord’s Supper as a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover Lamb
B. By instituting the Lord’s Supper as a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover Lamb
The Passover was at hand, which was the celebration of God protecting His people from the death angel in Egypt by the sprinkling of the blood of an innocent lamb on the door posts.
The Passover was celebrated on the 1st month (Abib - Mar-Apr), on day 14.
This was followed by the feast of unleavened bread which was celebrated for 7 days from the 15th-21st of Abib
B. By seeking consolation with His disciples
B. By seeking consolation with His disciples
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”
Jesus in His humanity sought consolation from those He loved and poured into for 3 years.
C. By submitting to the will of the Father
C. By submitting to the will of the Father
39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Jesus in His humanity cried to His Father, seeking some other solution, but in the end, He submitted to the will of the Father.
D. By looking forward to the glory set before Him ()
D. By looking forward to the glory set before Him ()
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
One Final Note:
One Final Note:
The passion week was a carefully scripted chain of events whereby the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, using the sinful wills of men, brought about the eternal design and decrees of the Godhead for the redemption and justification of a people that they would call their own from the masses of sinful humanity, as trophies for their glory!
The passion week was a carefully scripted chain of events whereby the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, using the sinful wills of men, brought about the eternal design and decrees of the Godhead for the redemption and justification of a people that they would call their own from the masses of sinful humanity, as trophies for their glory!