Each year, the Church addresses that important question as to "why Jesus came". The answer is a matter of life and death on an eternal scale for everyone, and not just a few. Let's explore Holy Week together.

Each Palm Sunday we are reminded that Jesus traveled through the streets of Jerusalem riding a donkey, and greeted by a cheering and tumultuous crowd, as we are told in Matt 21:9-11 – 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." 

A few days after His welcome, He celebrated the “Last Supper” with His apostles. After Judas (one of the 12 apostles) left the room, Jesus took the bread and wine for the Passover and created a new ritual, one that we celebrate in remembrance. He held the bread and said, “Take it; this is my body” (Mark 14:22). Then Jesus took the wine and said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). 

Judas Iscariot had a sinister motive and mission—one of betrayal. He went to the high priests, as we are told in Matt 26:14-16 – 14 Then one of the Twelve — the one called Judas Iscariot — went to the chief priests 15 and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand Him over. 

Judas’ betrayal was with a kiss, as we see in  Luke 22:47-48 – 47 While He was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  Was Judas looking for a different Messiah—a political one that would drive out the Romans? The Bible doesn’t tell us his motives. After three years, he still didn't know the real Jesus as Peter and the other apostles did.

Judas expressed remorse, which led to suicide, but it did not concern the chief priests that they condemned an innocent man as we see in Matt 27:1-4 – 1 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. 2 They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor. 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4 "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."  Something they will have to stand in judgment for at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-12).

In the hours after His arrest, Jesus was subject to insults, beatings, and scourging. The apostle Peter stayed close behind but feared for his own life, as we are told in Matt 26:57-58 – 57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas , the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. When confronted, Peter denied knowing Jesus. In today's secular, increasingly anti-Christian culture, how many Christians hesitate to even acknowledge Jesus? 

After Judas betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the mob took Jesus to the house of Caiaphas [KY uh fuhs], the high priest. These were the religious leaders of the nation of Judah. They provided temple worship service to God, yet, despite temple services, their hearts were not centered on the Lord Jehovah. Their concern was for preservation of their own prestige and positions of authority.

Jesus was then taken to the Roman governor Pilate as we are told in John 18:28-32 – 28 Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" 30 "If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you." 31 Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. 32 This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled. 

Pilate offered the crowd a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, as seen in Matt 27:15-18 – 15 Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas . 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas , or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18 For he knew it was out of envy [the Jewish leaders] that they had handed Jesus over to him. The Bible doesn't tell us what happened to Barabbas after his release. 

The Bible doesn’t tell us what instigated the change in the crowd’s view of Jesus between Palm Sunday and Good Friday, nevertheless, they turned against Him as we are told in Matt 27:22-23 – 22 "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" 23 "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!“   We can be certain there were paid instigators in the crowd. They too will have to give an account for themselves at the Great White Throne Judgment. No excuse will excuse their betrayal. 

Pilate washing his hands of the situation. If word of disorderly conduct got back to Rome it would reflect on Pilate's position, as being incapable of maintaining order, which was an essential part of his duties—another example of self-preservation at the expense of righteousness. Matt 27:24-26 – 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" 25 All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. 

In keeping with Roman punishment of criminals, Pilot had Jesus flogged, as we are told in John 19:1-3 – 1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. The flogging given by the soldiers was brutal. But they weren’t finished with Him as we see in John 19:2 – 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. The flogging given and crown of thorns He wore, bore the weight of our sin, both the seen and unseen. I'm sorry Lord Jesus. 

All that He went through it wasn’t enough to satisfy the crowd. On his way to Golgotha, the soldiers forced a man, Simon of Cyrene, to help Jesus carry His cross (some translations indicate He carried it for him, either way, we know Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus). After being scourged and whipped, Jesus was likely very weak – not being able to carry His own cross was a further humiliation he had to bear.

Cyrene was an ancient Greek colony in today’s Libya. Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in three of the four Gospels as the man impelled by the Roman soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross out of Jerusalem. His place of origin has led many to wonder if he was of African descent (and therefore black), or if he was simply born there as were many others of Greek, Roman, and Jewish descent.

The spikes were driven into His hands and feet and had to bear His full weight when hanging on the cross. Contrary to popular notion, some believe the nails which held Jesus to the cross were driven into His wrists and not his palms in order to support His full weight. Jesus' nails would have been made of heavy, probably square, iron material, 7-9 inches long.

If those crucified were still living at the end of the day, the Roman guards would break their legs so their body would slump, preventing them from inhaling and breathing, thus causing death. Jesus was nailed to the cross at 9 in the morning and died at 3 in the afternoon. He spent about 6 hours on the cross before declaring “it is finished” and then died. 

John 19:28-30 – 28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."  29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30 When He had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished ." With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.   One of the Roman soldiers then drove a spear through His heart to confirm His death.

They removed His body from the cross in preparation for burial. He was laid in the tomb as we are told in Matt 27:57-60 – 57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Matt 27:62-68 -- 62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first." 65 "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. 

To ensure that none of His followers stole the body, from that Friday, when Jesus was placed in the tomb to Sunday morning, at His resurrection, the soldiers stood guard or faced the consequences of derelict of duty. 

He has risen!!!

He has risen indeed! 

Luke 24:1-4 – 1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

Luke 24:5-8 – 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen ! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"  8 Then they remembered his words.   But that isn't the end of the story as we see in the next slide...

Yes, He is risen, and He is coming back to establish His kingdom. Rev 22:12-13 – 12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 

The empty cross stands as a testimony to His resurrection. Celebrate with us this Easter Sunday. Invite a friend or loved one to Easter Sunday worship at 10:15 A.M. – Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1855 N. Orange-Olive Road, Orange, CA – web site: covp.org 

Holy Week activities and worship at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Orange.

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