Palm Sunday is when we remember the day our Savior entered Jerusalem. Jesus knew what He was up against in the week to come, and still He rode confidently towards His death and payment for our sins.
We are also reminded of God’s good and faithful plan, as prophecy found in the Old Testament in Zechariah 9:9 was fulfilled here!
Read more about the events of Palm Sunday here:
Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19.
The day after Jesus arrived in Jerusalem is honored as Holy Monday. When Jesus went to the temple courts that day, He found people selling animals that could be used as sacrifices.
But these businesspeople were adding extra charges in their sales as a way to fill their pockets and profit off of the poor. This infuriated Jesus; the people were so focused on following the rules of sacrifices when all God wanted was their hearts. And sure enough, God had a plan to pay the price for all of our sins because none of us can afford the debt we truly owe.
To read more about Holy Monday, see Matthew 21:12–22, Mark 11:15–19, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-17.
Obviously after calling people out in the temple courts yesterday, religious leaders were mad at Jesus, furious at His claims of spiritual authority. But He avoided their attempts at arrest for a few more days. On Holy Tuesday, Jesus and His disciples went to the Mount of Olives, where Jesus spoke in parables regarding his impending death and the end times. Even with these warnings, His disciples were still shocked by what was to come.
Read more about Holy Tuesday and Jesus’ teachings that day here: Matthew 21:23–25:46, Mark 11:20–13:37, Luke 20:1–21:36, John 12:20–38.
After several hectic days in Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples took time to rest back in Bethany. Jesus knew, but little did everyone else know, that Judas was back in Jerusalem making the deal to betray Him - that’s where some get the name “Spy Wednesday” for today.
We pray that you, too, take time to rest and reflect on the events of this week. It’s an overwhelming, meaningful, series of events that eventually leads to the death of our Savior. But there is hope in what happens on the coming Sunday...
To read more, see Matthew 26:1-16, Mark 14:1-11, Luke 22:1-6.
The Thursday of Holy Week is called Maundy Thursday. “Maundy” comes from the Latin word "mandatum”, meaning "commandment”, referring to Jesus' command at the Last Supper to "Love one another as I have loved you".
In addition to their Passover meal, on this day, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane in agony over what was to come. He modeled what it means to submit to Our Father’s will. And the night culminated with his betrayal and arrest.
Read more about the events of Maundy Thursday here: Matthew 26:17–75, Mark 14:12-72, Luke 22:7-62, John 13:1-38.
Good Friday might not seem very good. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died an excruciating death on a cross. He was mocked, beaten, and ridiculed. He was given the maximum number of floggings, a crown of thorns was pierced into His head, and nails were driven into His hands and feet.
But Jesus knew. Jesus knew this was His purpose. He asked God to forgive us and He paid the final price for our sin. The temple curtain was torn in two, bridging the gap between us and our Father. With one last breath, it was, and still is, finished.
To learn more about the event of Good Friday, read Matthew 27:1-62, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:63-23:56, John 18:28-19:37.
As Jesus let out His last breath on Good Friday, darkness filled the sky, and the curtain hanging in the temple was torn in two. We remember Holy Saturday as the day our Savior laid in His tomb - dead. The fate that we, as sinners, deserved. Imagine the feeling of confusion the disciples must have shared as they observed the Sabbath, knowing their dear friend was gone. But now we know that the veil ripping from top to bottom was one of the many signs that Jesus bridges the gap between man and God. He is our Savior and we have hope because of what’s to come tomorrow…
To read more, check out Matthew 27:62-66, Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56, and John 19:40.
The tomb is empty and Jesus is ALIVE! Not only did Jesus pay the price for our sins, but He overcame death and showed us it is not the final answer. We, too, are promised an eternity in heaven with our Father - a future we don’t deserve. But because God loves YOU, He worked this plan out since before the beginning of time. He sent His Son to die and come back to life for YOU. What a miracle!!
To read more, see Matthew 28:1-13, Mark 16:1-14, Luke 24:1-49, and John 20:1-23.
