Passion Week

[Julian of York]

On Sunday of last week the Christian Church celebrated "Palm Sunday". This is the traditional beginning of the Passion Week. I fear that many of our members have no idea what happened during this pivotal time period almost 2000 years ago. I humbly offer a little view of the most important event of all recorded time.

SUNDAY Jesus and His closest Disciples approach the city of Jerusalem, the religious and political capital of the Roman Provence of Palestine. They enter into the city.They are recognized by the crowds, who are aware that this Man raised the well-known Lazarus of Bethany from the dead during the past few days. It would seem that Lazarus may have accompanied Jesus ,which would have added to the excitement. The entry, called "The Triumphal Entry", was recorded in Matthew chapter 21,Mark chapter 11, Luke chapter 19, and John chapter 12.
1) The crowd bring a donkey and the colt, or baby donkey, for Jesus to ride on. The Disciples take their outer coats off and place them on the donkey.Jesus is then placed on the donkey. This is in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. The crowd ,not to be outdone, actually take their coats off and throw them in the street for the donkeys to walk on. Royal treatment. The crowd yells "Hosana", a word of welcome to royalty, and they also sing the prophecy of David from Psalm 118:25-26. And they cut down palms and strew them into the street as well as waved them in celebration. Thus,"Palm Sunday".
2) From the religious aspect, the Man Jesus is offering Himself to the Jewish Nation as the promised, prophesied Messiah.
3) On the SPIRITUAL plane, Jesus is entering into the city on Nisan 10, which was the traditional day that the Jewish People brought their paschal lambs to the Temple ,in order that they may be examined and authorized as an acceptable sacrifice without blemish or fault.
This is the week when Jesus will be examined by the leaders of the Jews and Romans, who will find nothing of blemish or fault, but will reject Him anyway.
The traditional little lamb was put up for days,to be routinely examined, because only the best, purest lamb would be acceptable to God. This week will be Jesus' setting aside for the examination,and He will be the Lamb that takes away the sin of all who believe, just like the traditional Jewish lamb had died during the past thousands of years as an example of what Jesus would do Himself.

MONDAY The Disciples and Jesus return to Bethany, a local town four ,miles outside of Jerusalem. Jesus enters into prayer and spends the whole night praying. Monday morning they go back to Jerusalem. Jesus goes directly to the Temple, which He cleans again. This is a fulfillment of Malachi 3:1, where the Messiah would come suddenly to the Temple and take over the Temple. While traveling into Jerusalem that morning, the Man Jesus hungers after being on His face in prayer all night. They see a fig tree, but when it is examined, it is found to be fruitless. Jesus curses the tree. (The fig tree in the Bible is a TYPE of Israel)
Reference the story in Matthew chapter 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19)
Peter writes about it in Ist Peter when he says"For asmush as ye know that tou were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold received by tradition from the fathers, but with the Precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for YOU."

Happy Passion Week!

Julian of York
"For thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11

 

[Julian of York]

TUESDAY On the way from Bethany to Jerusalem on Tuesday morning, they find the fig tree withered. Peter brings this to the attention of the others. Jesus gives a short lesson on prayer and forgiveness. This is very interesting, as fig trees in the Bible are pictures and examples of the Nation Israel. We see that:
1) The fruitless fig tree is cursed
2) The fig tree withers, but DOES NOT DIE OR CEASE TO EXIST
3) Jesus uses the fig tree as an example of forgiveness.
Now, we know from prophecy that Israel WILL be forgiven and restored to fruit-bearing in the future.(See many references in the OT Minor and Major Prophets)

Upon arrival at the Temple, we see that the chief priest, scribes, and elders are waiting for Jesus. They are incensed over His cleansing of the Temple, and ask "By whose authority do you do these things?"Matthew 21:23-37 ,Mark 11:27-33 , and Luke 20:1-8
Jesus ,in turn, asks them a question concerning the authority of John the Baptist..of men, or of God? They cannot answer without facing the wrath of the crowd. All hold John as being sent from God.(John chapter 1)
There is then much teaching in the Temple ,which concerns the future and Israel's judgement.
At this time, Judas meets with the priests and conspires to deliver Him into their hands.(Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16)

The Disciples and Jesus depart, once again to Bethany. He is leaving an official Jerusalem that has rejected Him and chosen conspiracy and murder.

JoY

 

[Julian of York]

WEDNESDAY Our Lord Jesus spends the day in Bethany. Today is a day for rest and prayer. When thinking of this, I can almost see the Master with a look of love for His friends and a look of determination, knowing what He must endure starting tomorrow night. The Bible says that He set His face like a flint towards the Cross, exuding determination to fulfill the Father's plan.
Could anything have happened to PREVENT Jesus from going to the Cross? Could He have been like Isaac on the Mount with Abraham, when God held back Abraham from killing his son? But,no, the "prophecies must be fulfilled." Isaiah 53 :"And the Lord hath laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all..." "But we beheld Him smitten, stricken of God..." Whereas father Abraham held his hand,and Isaac escaped the death as a sacrifice, the Scripture says that God the Father smote His only begotten Son, to be a ransom for many.
No. This was God's plan for the Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world. But the agony was unimaginable. Some day , in heaven, God will show us how much Christ suffered. When the writer of Hebrews speaks of a "cloud of witnesses", he likely refers to those of us that will be allowed to "look back" on scenes of Christ's passion, showing us how all was done for the redeemed, and done solely by grace. Of course, we will also be able to see the very real,eternal scars of the Man,Christ Jesus, who will ever bear testament of His love for the Father and His love for us. Remember, this same Jesus is now on the "right hand of the Father, making intercession for YOU."
No, there were no miracles or great teachings on Wednesday. But a day of preparation by the Son, who looked down through history and saw YOU, which He would ransom BY NAME SELECTED before the foundation of the world. I Peter chapter 1 is a good chapter to read today.
Remember, brother Peter was there.

JoY

 

[Julian of York]

THUSDAY Jesus and the Disciples return to Jerusalem. A place has been readied by persons unknown in an "upper room" so that they may eat the Passover together. The supper began at about 6 PM, which is the end of Thursday and the beginning of Friday according to the Jewish reckoning. Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22,John 13-17

Christ girded Himself with a towel and washed the Disciples feet, even though some were embarased and Peter even refused until Christ informed him that it was for his good.Many years ago, as a member of a Free Will Baptist church which still practiced old fashioned foot washing, I remember my first foot washing service and I remember it as being intensely moving. What must the washing have been like with the Christ?
John 13:1-20

During the meal, the betrayer is revealed. Christ gives Judas a sop of bread, signifying who would betray Him. He then says,"What thou doest, do quickly." And Satan entered into Judas.

After the supper, they sang a hymn and went out, heading for the Mount of Olives, to a place of isolation that Jesus often used , namely the Garden of Gethsemane.
There He agonizes in extreme mental ,emotional and physical pain. As you recall that "paschal lamb" of sacrifice from the Old Testament, which was looking forward to the Christ as the True Sacrifice, the priest and the elders laid their hand on the lamb, symbolically transfering the sins of the people onto the sacrifice. In the Garden, the sins of those that would be saved throughout earth's history were placed on the Lamb. Isaiah says,"And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." John said "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." Peter said "With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish or without spot."
Thus the Sacrifice was readied for the Altar on Golgotha.


JoY

 

[Julian of York]

FRIDAY I can add little to the sacred Record when it comes to Friday. He spent Thursday night under illegal arrest by the Jewish authorities.Friday morning, a case was cobbled together by His enemies, working toward a speedy and sure conviction. His audience with Pilate , the august representitve of Rome, was a sham, and recognized by Pilate as such. Christ is sent on to Herod; though Holy Writ does not mention chains, one supposes the Christ was chained. Besides mocking Christ, Herod realizes his own liimitations and sends Christ back to Pilate.Pilate condemns the Sacrifice on behalf of all those that would believe throughout history.
Pilate has turned thumbs down,as has Herod, the high priests, the people of Israel, and the Romans present. He has been rejected and sent to His slaughter.
In keeping with OT typology, we see that the "Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world" cannot be slain except by a True and Pure Official. Isaiah says "But we beheld Him wounded, smitten of God..." God,the Father, personally offers His Son as the Sacrifice, the Lamb, for all who would believe.
And He was nailed to a cross, beaten beyond recognition(Isaiah again in chapter 52:" As many were astonished at Him; His visage was so marred, more than any man, and His form, more than the sons of men; SO SHALL HE SPRINKLE MANY NATIONS."
and He said,"It is finished". and died.
LEGAL POINT! Christ was said that He "Was tempted in all ways such as we are, yet without sin." The Bible is clear that Christ died sinless! But the LAW that covers this situation is Romans 6:23,"For the wages of sin is death..." So,it would be impossible for Jesus,the Christ, to die, because He had never sinned in thought,word or deed! This fact brings us right into the Soverreign Grace and Eternal Purpose of God: This same Jesus was loaded down with the sins of all that would, like the OT people, lay their hand on the Sacrifice, the Lamb, and admit their sinfulness and the gracious ability of the precious blood of Christ to PAY FOR THAT SIN IN THEIR BEHALF.
And because of this legal transference of penalty and payment, God the Father is pleased to ,without ANY merit on our part, view us as RIGHTEOUS (right in His sight) with the debt of sin paid for.

Oh...and three days later this was proven.
SUNDAY Christ can no longer be held in death, as the sins He was carrying for us was paid for in full. "The wages of sin is death..."law is satisfied. The rest of that verse says"but the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." He arose from the dead. And He then made eternal life a gift for all who would make His death their own sacrifice for sin.

JoY