Holy Week Reading
Monday:
Matthew 21:18-21
“Now in the morning as he returned into the city (Jerusalem), he hungered.
(Mark 11:12)
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
(Mark 11:13)
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
JESUS KNOWS
Here we see that Jesus had a distinct advantage over us. HE KNEW before he came into this world that He came, purposely, to die on the cross.
On many occasions He either said or indicated that “His time had not yet come” therefore He either did or did not do some things.
However, during this week (HOLY WEEK) everything that He did and said was in preparation for His death out on Calvary.
In other words, He is seen here operating with a sense of urgency!
I have often thought how differently we might live our lives IF we KNEW (for sure) that our time of death was imminent. Not because the doctors said so- BUT because God had shown us that “Our time of death was now at hand”.
Are there places we would not go – or things that we either would or would not do?
In this season (last week) of earthly life- Jesus was getting His assignment completely/absolutely DONE!!
To me- this week is reminiscent of a person summoning their family to stand at their death bed and saying what needs to be said BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!
In that season, there’s no time for small-talk or idle gossip. We need to “Be about our Father’s business” and Get it Said and Done!
Wouldn’t it be grand if we lived every day/week that way?
We need to ask ourselves: Are We Bearing Any Fruit? He’s coming Back….
Holy Week Reading
*** Monday Continued
*** One of the things that I somehow omitted in Monday’s reading (and it is a critical part of the lesson) was the FACT that Jesus “Cleansed theTemple” of the Money Changers according to Matthew 21:12-17. This happened prior to His cursing the fig tree.
(This is one of the dangers of not being inclusive of the overall picture of the Gospel lessons on a particular subject.)
We remember that Jesus went directly into the Temple (the place of worship) and there at the Outer Courts of the temple he found people selling animals/beast that the people needed for sacrifice.
Some of the people had come from a long way- and it was more convenient and sensible for them to purchase the animals that they needed to offer for the sacrifice when they arrived in Jerusalem.
Now, there was absolutely nothing wrong with them buying and selling animals FOR the Holy sacrifice IN JERUSALEM -BUT it was not to be done INSIDE of the Temple.
(Jesus had once before cleansed the temple of the money changers (Bankers-if you will), those that sold animals for sacrifice and overturned the tables inside of the temple - as recorded in John 2:13-16. This was when He had just begun His ministry. (Approximately 3 years earlier)
_________________________________________________________________________
*** How many times have we been told not to do something because it was wrong- BUT when the authority figure is not there, or not looking, we went right back to doing it our way?
He told them the first and the latter time “My Father’s House shall be called a House of Prayer- but you have made it a den of thieves.”
They were doing just what is happening in our communities and this world today (PPE supplies, testing kits and ventilators)- they were robbing the people through charging them outrageous prices for the things that the people were in need of.
Jesus then healed the blind and the lame INSIDE of the temple
______________________________________________________________________________
Holy Week Reading
Tuesday:
This is the busiest day of the week for Christ’s last week of earthly ministry- as he was headed on His way to the cross at Calvary.
As we were reminded on yesterday Jesus approached this week with a sense of urgency.
*** These are some companion scriptures to the words of Encouragement that Minister Bookert shared with us. Please go to the church’s webpage and Facebook page.
It was on Tuesday that Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees (chief priest and elders). These were the leaders “Big Dog’s” of/in the Temple.
They were angry with Jesus because they felt that He was undermining their authority. He was clearly doing things that they had never seen done before- and THEY COULDN’T DO THEM. Jealously is nothing new to the church.
They confronted Jesus about the following issues (trying to trap him and back him down):
- Matthew 21:23-27 They asked him about where he got his Authority to do the things that He was doing?
- Matthew 22: 15-22 About the paying of tribute. (VERSE 17).
- Matthew 22:23-33 Regarding the Resurrection
- Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus explains what is the Greatest Commandment? (VERSE 36)
Matthew Chapter 23 Teaches us about Jesus’ denunciation of the Pharisees. In this chapter He is teaching against religious hypocrites and those that think their POSITION make them “All of that and a bag of chips”.
John 12:20-50 Explains the request by the Greeks
Matthew - 24:1-42 and 25:1-46 is called the Mt. Olivet Discourse. This is Jesus’ longest, and third from the last, sermon before His crucifixion. In this sermon He takes great pain/time to explain the Signs of the end of time (chapter 24) and about the Final Tribulation (Chapter 25).
There is much to be gleaned from Tuesday of HOLY WEEK.
God bless you one and all.
______________________________________________________________________________
Holy Week Reading
Wednesday
Since, Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem, on Sunday, He has been going back and forth from Bethany to Jerusalem every day.
Tuesday was a very long day of defending the faith and who He was/is.
Further He spent a great deal of time teaching his Disciples and others. Therefore, it has been a long week for his flesh already- but He had to endure until the end.
I ask that you also recall that Jesus was the perfect explanation of what is called the “Hypostatic Union” which means that He was both Perfectly Human and Perfectly Divine at the same time.
Keeping that in mind the human side of Jesus needed REST. Therefore, he “socially distanced” himself from everyone, on Wednesday. Hence, there is nothing recorded in scripture as to what he did that day.
It is believed that He went away from the people to Pray to the father and to Rest and to Recover as he would need his physical strength in order to endure all that laid ahead.
This was nothing new as Jesus would do this from time to time- while he was robed in his earthly body ad engaged in earthly ministry.
Readings on some of the times when Jesus pulled away (from people, places and things) in order to Rest, Recover and Meditate:
- Luke 4:1-2i, 14-15;
- Mark 6:30-32
- Matthew 4:1-13
- Luke 6:12-13
- Luke 22:39-44
- Luke 5:16
Could it be that during this 2020 season of LENT God knows that we need to be “Self Quarantined” and “Socially Distanced” so that we can clearly hear what He has to say to us in times like these? (IJS)
________________________________________________________________________
Holy Week Reading
Thursday
As we look at “Maundy” Thursday we come to a place where Jesus makes His final earthly journey, prior to His Death on the cross.
How must he have felt KNOWING that His death is just around the corner. Even though many of us say/think we want to know everything about everything – we are extremely blessed that God does not share every detail of life/death to us before hand.
Here it is that Jesus knew that “His time had now come” and Mark 14:12-16 tells us of the Instructions that were given, by Christ, to two of His disciples about where they were to prepare that they should eat the Passover meal together with Him.
While Mark 14: 17-26 teaches us of the events that happened at the table of “The Last Supper” with Christ - John chapters 13-14 and Matthew 26:30-35 teach us about their accounts of what happened at the table.
John, the book of the Bible that teaches us about the Sonship/deity of Christ, in chapters 15-17 gives us a very detailed account of the events that took place as Jesus was preparing to go to “The Garden of Gethsemane”.
While all three of the above chapters are very important- it is noteworthy for us to not overlook what is called the “High Priestly Prayer” as it is capture in John 17:1-19.
In Verses 1-6 Jesus prays for himself. In Verses 7-19 Jesus prays for His disciples. In Verses 20-26 He prays for us -the Future Believers.
What a loving, caring and merciful Savior He is that even on His “last mile of the way”- He took time out to pray for you and for me.
In Matthew 26:36-56 the writer tells us of the events that happened in the Garden of Gethsemane.
He told 8 of His disciples to “sit here while I go yonder”.
He then took Peter, James and John (His inner-circle) a little further with Him but when He became exceedingly sorrowful – He (Distance Himself) went alone to pray.
He told his inner circle “Tarry here and watch with me”.
The weight is now getting heavy to bear – so He PRAYED!
When he returned, twice, he found his disciples asleep and on the third time Verses 45-46 says; “Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.”
Luke 22 teaches us about how that Judas betrayed Jesus for a few pieces of silver. How that Jesus was arrested and how that the right ear of one of the servant’s of the high priest was cut off.
In John 18:10 we learn that it was Peter that cut off the ear of Malchus and Jesus , in a final miracle before the cross, touched and healed the ear of Malchus.
The trials began.
Strange thing is that Jesus eventhough He was arrested and taken from Judgment Hall to Judgment Hall- He was never placed in jail or a dungeon.
*******************************************************************
The question may be asked, WHY is Thursday of Holy Week called “Maundy” Thursday?
Good question. The word Maundy means “commandment”.
So, it points us to the fact that one of the greatest things that was done on that Thursday was done at the table of the Last Supper. (After Judas had left the table headed to betray Jesus.)
The text is recorded in John 13:31-35:
“Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
Monday:
Matthew 21:18-21
“Now in the morning as he returned into the city (Jerusalem), he hungered.
(Mark 11:12)
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
(Mark 11:13)
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
JESUS KNOWS
Here we see that Jesus had a distinct advantage over us. HE KNEW before he came into this world that He came, purposely, to die on the cross.
On many occasions He either said or indicated that “His time had not yet come” therefore He either did or did not do some things.
However, during this week (HOLY WEEK) everything that He did and said was in preparation for His death out on Calvary.
In other words, He is seen here operating with a sense of urgency!
I have often thought how differently we might live our lives IF we KNEW (for sure) that our time of death was imminent. Not because the doctors said so- BUT because God had shown us that “Our time of death was now at hand”.
Are there places we would not go – or things that we either would or would not do?
In this season (last week) of earthly life- Jesus was getting His assignment completely/absolutely DONE!!
To me- this week is reminiscent of a person summoning their family to stand at their death bed and saying what needs to be said BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!
In that season, there’s no time for small-talk or idle gossip. We need to “Be about our Father’s business” and Get it Said and Done!
Wouldn’t it be grand if we lived every day/week that way?
We need to ask ourselves: Are We Bearing Any Fruit? He’s coming Back….
Holy Week Reading
*** Monday Continued
*** One of the things that I somehow omitted in Monday’s reading (and it is a critical part of the lesson) was the FACT that Jesus “Cleansed theTemple” of the Money Changers according to Matthew 21:12-17. This happened prior to His cursing the fig tree.
(This is one of the dangers of not being inclusive of the overall picture of the Gospel lessons on a particular subject.)
We remember that Jesus went directly into the Temple (the place of worship) and there at the Outer Courts of the temple he found people selling animals/beast that the people needed for sacrifice.
Some of the people had come from a long way- and it was more convenient and sensible for them to purchase the animals that they needed to offer for the sacrifice when they arrived in Jerusalem.
Now, there was absolutely nothing wrong with them buying and selling animals FOR the Holy sacrifice IN JERUSALEM -BUT it was not to be done INSIDE of the Temple.
(Jesus had once before cleansed the temple of the money changers (Bankers-if you will), those that sold animals for sacrifice and overturned the tables inside of the temple - as recorded in John 2:13-16. This was when He had just begun His ministry. (Approximately 3 years earlier)
_________________________________________________________________________
*** How many times have we been told not to do something because it was wrong- BUT when the authority figure is not there, or not looking, we went right back to doing it our way?
He told them the first and the latter time “My Father’s House shall be called a House of Prayer- but you have made it a den of thieves.”
They were doing just what is happening in our communities and this world today (PPE supplies, testing kits and ventilators)- they were robbing the people through charging them outrageous prices for the things that the people were in need of.
Jesus then healed the blind and the lame INSIDE of the temple
______________________________________________________________________________
Holy Week Reading
Tuesday:
This is the busiest day of the week for Christ’s last week of earthly ministry- as he was headed on His way to the cross at Calvary.
As we were reminded on yesterday Jesus approached this week with a sense of urgency.
*** These are some companion scriptures to the words of Encouragement that Minister Bookert shared with us. Please go to the church’s webpage and Facebook page.
It was on Tuesday that Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees (chief priest and elders). These were the leaders “Big Dog’s” of/in the Temple.
They were angry with Jesus because they felt that He was undermining their authority. He was clearly doing things that they had never seen done before- and THEY COULDN’T DO THEM. Jealously is nothing new to the church.
They confronted Jesus about the following issues (trying to trap him and back him down):
- Matthew 21:23-27 They asked him about where he got his Authority to do the things that He was doing?
- Matthew 22: 15-22 About the paying of tribute. (VERSE 17).
- Matthew 22:23-33 Regarding the Resurrection
- Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus explains what is the Greatest Commandment? (VERSE 36)
Matthew Chapter 23 Teaches us about Jesus’ denunciation of the Pharisees. In this chapter He is teaching against religious hypocrites and those that think their POSITION make them “All of that and a bag of chips”.
John 12:20-50 Explains the request by the Greeks
Matthew - 24:1-42 and 25:1-46 is called the Mt. Olivet Discourse. This is Jesus’ longest, and third from the last, sermon before His crucifixion. In this sermon He takes great pain/time to explain the Signs of the end of time (chapter 24) and about the Final Tribulation (Chapter 25).
There is much to be gleaned from Tuesday of HOLY WEEK.
God bless you one and all.
______________________________________________________________________________
Holy Week Reading
Wednesday
Since, Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem, on Sunday, He has been going back and forth from Bethany to Jerusalem every day.
Tuesday was a very long day of defending the faith and who He was/is.
Further He spent a great deal of time teaching his Disciples and others. Therefore, it has been a long week for his flesh already- but He had to endure until the end.
I ask that you also recall that Jesus was the perfect explanation of what is called the “Hypostatic Union” which means that He was both Perfectly Human and Perfectly Divine at the same time.
Keeping that in mind the human side of Jesus needed REST. Therefore, he “socially distanced” himself from everyone, on Wednesday. Hence, there is nothing recorded in scripture as to what he did that day.
It is believed that He went away from the people to Pray to the father and to Rest and to Recover as he would need his physical strength in order to endure all that laid ahead.
This was nothing new as Jesus would do this from time to time- while he was robed in his earthly body ad engaged in earthly ministry.
Readings on some of the times when Jesus pulled away (from people, places and things) in order to Rest, Recover and Meditate:
- Luke 4:1-2i, 14-15;
- Mark 6:30-32
- Matthew 4:1-13
- Luke 6:12-13
- Luke 22:39-44
- Luke 5:16
Could it be that during this 2020 season of LENT God knows that we need to be “Self Quarantined” and “Socially Distanced” so that we can clearly hear what He has to say to us in times like these? (IJS)
________________________________________________________________________
Holy Week Reading
Thursday
As we look at “Maundy” Thursday we come to a place where Jesus makes His final earthly journey, prior to His Death on the cross.
How must he have felt KNOWING that His death is just around the corner. Even though many of us say/think we want to know everything about everything – we are extremely blessed that God does not share every detail of life/death to us before hand.
Here it is that Jesus knew that “His time had now come” and Mark 14:12-16 tells us of the Instructions that were given, by Christ, to two of His disciples about where they were to prepare that they should eat the Passover meal together with Him.
While Mark 14: 17-26 teaches us of the events that happened at the table of “The Last Supper” with Christ - John chapters 13-14 and Matthew 26:30-35 teach us about their accounts of what happened at the table.
John, the book of the Bible that teaches us about the Sonship/deity of Christ, in chapters 15-17 gives us a very detailed account of the events that took place as Jesus was preparing to go to “The Garden of Gethsemane”.
While all three of the above chapters are very important- it is noteworthy for us to not overlook what is called the “High Priestly Prayer” as it is capture in John 17:1-19.
In Verses 1-6 Jesus prays for himself. In Verses 7-19 Jesus prays for His disciples. In Verses 20-26 He prays for us -the Future Believers.
What a loving, caring and merciful Savior He is that even on His “last mile of the way”- He took time out to pray for you and for me.
In Matthew 26:36-56 the writer tells us of the events that happened in the Garden of Gethsemane.
He told 8 of His disciples to “sit here while I go yonder”.
He then took Peter, James and John (His inner-circle) a little further with Him but when He became exceedingly sorrowful – He (Distance Himself) went alone to pray.
He told his inner circle “Tarry here and watch with me”.
The weight is now getting heavy to bear – so He PRAYED!
When he returned, twice, he found his disciples asleep and on the third time Verses 45-46 says; “Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.”
Luke 22 teaches us about how that Judas betrayed Jesus for a few pieces of silver. How that Jesus was arrested and how that the right ear of one of the servant’s of the high priest was cut off.
In John 18:10 we learn that it was Peter that cut off the ear of Malchus and Jesus , in a final miracle before the cross, touched and healed the ear of Malchus.
The trials began.
Strange thing is that Jesus eventhough He was arrested and taken from Judgment Hall to Judgment Hall- He was never placed in jail or a dungeon.
*******************************************************************
The question may be asked, WHY is Thursday of Holy Week called “Maundy” Thursday?
Good question. The word Maundy means “commandment”.
So, it points us to the fact that one of the greatest things that was done on that Thursday was done at the table of the Last Supper. (After Judas had left the table headed to betray Jesus.)
The text is recorded in John 13:31-35:
“Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
