Passion Week

Hook:

Have you ever...

Introduction:

Today is the start of Passion week. Millions of Christians around the world are celebrating the final week of Christ’s life. This morning we are going to go through the week leading up to Christ’s death, something I feel we can easily gloss over. So this morning we will start with Sunday and go through Thursday. This message will naturally lead us to our Good Friday service later in the week, and of course, our Resurrection Celebration.

We want to remember the most important week of the most important person to have every lived.

Context:

Jesus knowing that His time on earth is coming to an end starts to make his way to Jerusalem for Passover. John’s Gospel also tells us that He was also heading to Bethany, where we see Him resurrect Lazarus from the dead. Earning Jesus a death sentence from the religious rulers.

Harmony of the gospel can be a difficult to parse through. It is important to note that each Gospel is has it’s bent. Showing and demonstrating a different aspect of Christ.

Matthew reveals Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, their rightful king. Matthew shows how the OT prophesies are fulfilled in Jesus.

Mark is not writing to the Jew or to those who are familiar with the OT. His audience is basically those people in the Roman Empire who are unfamiliar with the religion of the Jews. Mark’s is a Gospel of action. Jesus is portrayed as the servant of the Lord doing the work that God sent Him to accomplish. Mark’s gospel also records more miracles of Jesus than the others.

Luke was written to those more intellectually minded. He states his purpose in the books prologue:

Luke 1:1–3 ESV

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

Luke is not writing as an eyewitness but as one who is recording eyewitness testimonies. His portrayal of Jesus is as the perfect man. Hence, Lukes focus on the events in Jesus’ life that stress His humanity. The Greeks in their art and literature were alway looking for the perfect man. This Gospel reveals that man.

John’s gospel is unlike the others. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the synoptic gospel because of all their similarities. John was an eyewitness to the life of Jesus. The things he recorded were for the purpose of establishing the fact that Jesus was the eternal God who became man. John wanted his readers to exercise faith toward Jesus:

John 20:30–31 ESV

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

When John states his purpose he also states that he is selective in what he has recorded.

We could sum up the testimony of the four Gospels like this:

Matthew, Jesus is the Son of David.

Mark, Jesus is the Son of Man.

Luke, Jesus is the Son of Adam.

John, Jesus is the Son of God.

Sunday, March 29 A.D. 33: The triumphal entry [Matthew 21:1-11]

Matthew 21:1–11 ESV

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

[1-3] On the way up from Jericho, Jesus came to the east side of the Mount of Olives where Bethany (Lazarus, Mary, and Martha live) and Bethphage were located. From there the road skirted the south end of Olivet, dipped into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, crossed the Brook Kidron and climbed up to Jerusalem.

[Picture of Mount of Olives]

Jesus sent two disciples to Bethany with the foreknowledge that they would find a tethered donkey, and a colt with her. They were to untie the animals and bring them to Jesus. If challenged, they were to explain that the Lord needed them.

If they were to be challenged, they were to explain that the Lord needed them. Perhaps the owners knew Jesus and had perviously offered help, or this incident could be the omniscience and supreme authority Jesus had, and still does. Everything happened just as Jesus had predicted.

[4-5] This simple act of requisitioning of the animals fulfilled prediction by Isaiah and Zechariah.

Jesus fulfills every prophecy of the Messiah. Even some of these obscure and lesser known prophecies that one wouldn’t think much of. We worship a God that operates in the details. He does this even in our own lives.

[6-8] The disciples had laid their cloaks upon the colt and Jesus rode onward to Jerusalem. This is a historic moment! [Daniels prophecy]

This date of entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is pinpointed with amazing accuracy in Daniel. Sir Robert Anderson, Chief inspector of Scotland Yard.

Daniel 9:25–26 ESV

25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

Prophecy was being fulfilled here:

Command to rebuild Jerusalem: March 4th, 444 B.C.

(69x7= 485 years = 173,880 days)

Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem: March 29th, 33 A.D.

For a concise explanation of this we have quoted from the New American Standard Bible, the New Open Bible Study Edition, page 942:

The vision of the sixty-nine weeks in Daniel 9: 25, 26 pinpoints the coming of the Messiah.The decree of Daniel 9: 25 took place on March 4th, 444 BC (recorded in Nehemiah 2: 1-8).

The sixty-nine weeks of seven years equals 483 years, or 173,880 days (using 360-day prophetic years)

This leads to March 29th, A.D.33, the date of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem"

This is checked by noting that 444 BC to AD 33 is 476 years, and 476 times 365.24219 days per year equals 173,855 days.

Adding 25 days for the difference between March 4th and March 29th gives 173,880 days"

It should be noted that the Babylonians used a 360 day calendar, which must be converted to our current Solar Years, of 365 days.

These 360 day years are commonly called prophetic years.

This prophecy is intentionally fulfilled, as this during His time was unanimously interpreted to pertain to the Messiah.

He rode to the city on a carpet of clothes and palm branches, with the acclamation of the people ringing in His ears. For a moment, at least, He was acknowledged as King.

[9] The multitudes were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!

This is a quotation from Psalm 118:25-26

Psalm 118:25–26 ESV

25 Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.

There are a few terms i want to unpack quickly here too.

Hosanna originally meant “save now” and in all likely hood the people are crying out for Jesus save them from their Roman oppressors… Jesus Christ would do something so much better.

“Son of David” and, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” both clearly indicate that Jesus was being recognized as the Messiah. He is the Blessed One who comes by God’s authority to do His will.

This has to be a surreal moment. They are even shouting “Hosanna in the highest” mean that the very heavens are to join with the earth in praising the Son of God.

[10-11] According to Mark 11:11

Mark 11:11 ESV

11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Jesus wouldn’t stick around inside the city for very long. He looked around and went back to where he was staying in Bethany with the 12.

Meanwhile, inside the city there was bewilderment as to His identity. Those who asked were told only that He was Jesus the prophet. I believe this gives us some insight that there were only a few that really understood He was the Messiah, in less than a week, the fickle crowd would be crying, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!

Monday, March 30 A.D. 33: Curses and cleansing [Mark 11:12-18]

Mark 11:12–18 ESV

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. 15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.

We now move to Monday in the Passion Week. We will see two fascinating demonstrations of power by Jesus. The first is when Jesus curses a fig tree, the second is Jesus cleaning the temple.

[12-14] Throughout the OT, Israel is described as God’s vineyard, tree, or planing. As any agrarian Israelite knew, the firstfruits of the harvest belong to God, which helps conceptualize their relationship to God: as his own special planting, they must yield spiritual fruit as his covenant people:

Psalm 1:3 ESV

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Jeremiah 17:8–10 ESV

8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

This fruitless fig tree draws us back to prior points in Jesus’ ministry, when God’s people were called to produce spiritual fruit:

Matthew 3:8–10 ESV

8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 7:16–20 ESV

16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

You see Jesus has pursued the children of God with a zealous fervor.And the Jewish crowds- gathering to celebrate God’s past act of redemption (passover)- have just hailed Jesus as king.

Are you starting to see the eschatological restoration has arrived. Everything is being put in place. Israel’s fruit will now be harvested; blessing will now pour forth… Except there’s no fruit. The fig tree, once again has failed. The passover celebration, the tumult, the crowds, the singing- it’s all a show. which leads us into our next segment of this passage.

[15-18] Israel looks like it should have fruit… But as Jesus enters God’s house of prayer and finds it a “den of robbers” lots of action, lost of bustle, but no righteousness.

So upon inspecting the fruitless tree, Jesus pours out divine judgement.

Not all is though, when the disciples ask Jesus to explain what just transpired, he talks about prayer Why? Though they do not yet fully understand, they will be the new caretakers of God’s people. (Matthew 21:33-45).

They will be instruments by which Israel is transformed- when the Jewish nucleus of Christ-followers extends branches worldwide and brings forth fruit from all nations.

This warning of the fig tree isn’t meant for Israel alone but for all of God’s people not to look holy with out being the fruit of holiness.

What is the Lord going to find if He closely inspects us here?

Tuesday, March 31 A.D. 33: Jesus challenged [Luke 20; Mark 12:28-34]

Tuesday Jesus spend most of the day being challenged by the religious rulers. The chief priest, scribes, elders, Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees, the collected spiritual leaders of the land all challenging Jesus… All failed in their attempt to challenge Jesus.

Chief priest, scribes, and elders went first:

Luke 20:2 ESV

2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”

In a fashion we have come to love Jesus answered with a question:

Luke 20:3–4 ESV

3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”

This left them dumbfounded because if they said it was from God they would be questioned why they didn’t follow it. Yet, if they say man they were afraid of being killed because John was thought to be a prophet. Their answer was, “We don’t know.” And Jesus never gave them an answer either and would give a parable about them of the wicked tenants. Which leads us to the next challenge.

Luke 20:19 ESV

19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

Luke 20:21–22 ESV

21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”

Matthew’s gospel shares that the scribes and chief priest sent in the Herodians to question Jesus about taxes. There are only a few categories that will really start dividing people and politics are one of those topics, and the one brought before Jesus here.

Of course we know how Jesus handled it. Give to Caesar what belongs to him, and to God what is God’s.

The third question came from the Sadducees, and it was about the resurrection. According to law and the prevention of a bloodline going extinct God had set up a kinsmen redeemer. If a man died his brother was to marry the widow, and the firstborn son was to take the name of the dead brother. What is comical about the question is that the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection.

Our fourth and final question come to us in Mark 12:28-31

Mark 12:28–31 ESV

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

I take this as a genuine question from the scribe because of how well Jesus was able to answer each previous challenge. And this was likely a hot topic for this man and wanted to hear Jesus’ response.

Of course there is so much more that happens, Jesus gives more parables and examples even tells His disciples that He will soon die. Take some time this week to read through Luke 20-21 in preparation for Friday and resurrection Sunday.

Wednesday, April 1 A.D. 33: Jesus rejected [Luke 22:1-2]

As we start to wide down Wednesday, April 1st 33 AD was a quite day for Jesus. But not for His enemies. Luke 22:1-2

Luke 22:1–2 ESV

1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

The most qualified people conspiring to kill the one that they were hoping to find. Their Messiah.

Thursday, April 2 A.D. 33: Passover with the disciples [John 13:3-5, Matthew 26:26-28]

I want to bring our time this morning to a close looking at the greatest act of love up till this point in history. It is Thursday April 2 33 AD, And Jesus is about to wash His disciples feet.

John 13:3–5 ESV

3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

This is our great God, a humble servant, washing His disciples feet. These ragtag group of men: fishermen, tax collectors, big mouthed fools either trying to rebuke Jesus or call fire from heaven to consume people who wouldn’t let them pass through their land. He is washing their feet… Talk about humbling. And this is certainly the greatest act of love this side of the cross of Christ.

Jesus really loved His disciples. So much so that they were going to partake of passover together and Jesus was going to teach them something that every Christian is to observe and that is communion.

Matthew 26:26–28 ESV

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

[[worship team]]

During His earthly ministry there was a lot of misunderstanding of what the Messiah was coming to accomplish… And I believe that today there can be still a misunderstanding of Christ. He is so much more then fire insurance, so much more then a good teacher, or just a prophet. He is the only way to have true genuine relationship with God.

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

This morning let us remind ourselves of the greatness of our Messiah, and resolve to live for him whole-heartedly.

Tuesday Jesus spend most of the day being challenged by the religious rulers. The chief priest, scribes, elders, Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees, the collected spiritual leaders of the land all challenging Jesus… All failed in their attempt to challenge Jesus.

[[communion]]

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

[[Pray for the bread]]

[[Pray for the cup]]

Jesus gave everything for you… The least we can do is to serve Him with everything we have.

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.