Paul T Reynolds

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he knew that he was going to his death.

Here’s what his last week looked like:

Monday:

Encounters blasphemous treatment of the temple – clears the temple.

Plots to kill him continue, failed attempt to arrest him.

Tuesday:

[Matthew devotes five of his 28 chapters to this day alone (most of chapters 21-26).]

Jesus is teaching, and pushing back against ongoing attempts by his opponents to trick him into saying something self-incriminating.

Jesus prophecies about heaven and hell, the fall of Jerusalem (70AD) and his own Second Coming.

Wednesday:

Probably stayed in Bethany, just outside Jerusalem.

Thursday:

Last Supper. Judas Iscariot, possessed by Satan, leaves the meal and betrays Jesus.

Jesus arrested and taken to the house of the High Priest deposed by the Romans.

Beaten and mocked.

Friday:

Hearing before Caiaphas (Roman-approved High Priest)  – false testimony made against Jesus, accused of blasphemy.

Trial before the Sanhedrin (Pharisees & Sadducees); accused of blasphemy.

Tied up and taken to Pilate.

Trial before Pilate, accused of treason.

Taken to Herod.

Trial before Herod.

Mocked and ridiculed, sent back to Pilate.

Crowds call for Jesus to be crucified.

Pilate has Jesus whipped, then hands him over to be crucified.

Jesus stripped, crown of thorns pushed into his scalp, mocked, beaten repeatedly on the head with a large stick.

Crucified. Nails through outstretched wrists and ankles meant Jesus had to push against those wounds constantly in order to be able to breathe.

Jesus dies.

Jesus wasn’t a masochist – he didn’t want to go through ANY of that.

But greater than his desire to avoid those things was his love that provoked a desire to honour and glorify his Father in heaven, and to save his people.

Bring on Sunday.