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Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God.
It had been established before time that the Lamb of God would die for the atonement of humanity's sins.
Jesus knew He was the Lamb of God. He knew His mission. He knew the timing.
If you knew you were going to die on Friday, how would you spend the last week of your human life?
A look at what Jesus did during His last days brings His crucifixion closer, and His Resurrection more intimate.
Be informed. And inspired.
Some of the following comments are sourced from the book "The Final Days of Jesus."
Scholars say it was likely on March 29, AD 33, that Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem and boldly predicted that he would soon be put to death―executed on a cross, like a common criminal.
So began the most important week of the most important person who ever lived.
Nearly 2,000 years later, the events that took place during Jesus’s last days still reverberate through the ages.
I'll be talking in more detail about Jesus' last days before His death and Ressurection today on the radio.
Here's how you may join me from anywhere in the world.
This is an overview of what He did, knowing He would die on Friday:
Sunday:
Jesus triumphantly enters the city of Jerusalem, mounted humbly on a donkey in keeping with prophetic messianic prediction. He later predicts his impending death and teaches at the Temple.
Monday:
Jesus curses a fig tree, symbolizing spiritually barren Israel, and cleanses the Jerusalem Temple, possibly for the second time, in a prophetic fashion. He thus acts as the one who is going to restore proper worship as the replacement and fulfillment of the Temple.
Tuesday:
Jesus teaches his followers a lesson about the fig tree he cursed the previous day. He continues to teach on the Temple grounds and engages in various controversies with the Jewish leaders. He also predicts the future preceding his return in his Olivet Discourse.
Wednesday:
Little is known about Jesus’ whereabouts at the midpoint of the week. The Gospel narratives only mention the unfolding plot by the Jewish authorities against Jesus. But this is only the quiet before the storm that is brewing and that will shortly turn into a hurricane.
Thursday:
Jesus and his followers engage in preparations for celebrating the Jewish Passover, Jesus’ Last Supper at which he institutes a new covenant with his new messianic community. Judas the Betrayer leaves the Upper Room, and Jesus instructs the remaining eleven apostles in some depth. Later, Jesus agonizes over his impending death in the Garden of Gethsemane. Subsequently, Peter denies Jesus three times, in keeping with Jesus’ earlier prediction.
Friday:
After nightfall, Jesus is betrayed and arrested. He is subjected to trials before the Jewish and Roman authorities. At the beckoning of the Jewish leaders, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, pronounces a “guilty verdict” against his better judgment. Jesus is crucified.
Saturday:
The Jewish Sabbath extends from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. Nothing is known about the whereabouts of the disciples. Most likely, they went into hiding for fear of the Jewish authorities. The latter ask Pilate for permission to secure Jesus’ tomb.
Sunday:
When several women--- disciples of Jesus, including Mary Magdalene, approach his tomb, they find it empty. Later, Jesus appears to Mary as well as ten of the apostles and several others. This is the Lord’s Day, Resurrection Sunday!
He is Risen. He is Risen indeed!
A personal note
Whether you are a person of faith---or a person of no faith, you cannot escape the fact that the last few days of this man's life---and His death and Ressurection, changed the world forever. No one can honestly deny the events in Jesus' life during His last week in fact changed the world.
His death. His Ressurection.
This has certainly changed my life. Although I grew up in a Christian church and knew all about Jesus and the Bible, it was not until I personally accepted the Risen Christ as my personal Savior----asking Him to forgive my sins and live in my heart, did I know the impact of those days in history.
I've been blessed to have had the opportunity to preach and share this Gospel in many countries of the world, and have seen thousands of people changed by the power that resurrected Christ from the dead.
But what about you?
As we remember and celebrate, do you personally know Him in the power of His Ressurection? Do you personally know that He was more than a mere man---an historical figure?
He was God in the flesh. He died because of your sin. And mine. He provided what we desperately need, but can't provide for ourselves---redemption from sin---eternal salvation. Forgiveness.
Restoration.
Do you know that He took your sins upon himself?
As the early Christians proclaimed: "There is salvation in none other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
We stand to the lyrics of George Frederick Handle's "Messiah" each Christmas as the words are sung around the world---"Hallelujah", Hallelujah", Hallelujah." But did you know Handle first performed that world-famous oratorio during Holy Week, not Christmas?
The composer conducted the first performance in Dublin during Holy Week, April of 1742.
Hallelujah. He is risen. He is risen indeed.