What A Week

The time of year is upon us. You know the one. Easter. The time to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There had to have been times in your life that you try to think about what was going through Jesus' head during his last week on Earth. Let's start from the beginning.
Palm Sunday. The day Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a lowly donkey. The people see Him coming and they begin to lay their cloaks on the ground at the donkey's feet and say "Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, Hosanna.
Monday. Jesus enters the temple. He sees the people selling goods, as if the temple was just another place to make money. He gets a little angry and begins to flip the tables of the vendors and says to them," This house is a house of prayer, yet you have made it a den of thieves.
Tuesday. Jesus is teaching to the people on the Mount of Olives. Here he gives the parable of the sheep and goats.After these things, he curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit. The tree immediately withers away In the evening, A prostitute woman comes to where Jesus and the disciples are staying and she anoints his feet with costly perfume. He tells his disciples that in two days, the Passover celebration, He would be delivered up to be crucified. It is at this point that Judas Iscariot goes to the chief priests and asks them how much they would pay for him to deliver Jesus into there hands.
Wednesday. Jesus is back in the temple and the priests question by what power he does these things. He responds back by asking them," John's Baptism, was it of man, or of God?" The priests were stuck and could not answer. "Neither will I tell by what authority I do these things." He goes on that day to teach the crowd many parables.
Thursday. Passover. Jesus tells two of his disciples to go into town, and a man carrying a water pitcher will lead them to an upper room where they would prepare for the Passover feast. Before the meal, Jesus washes the disciples feet, and commands them to do likewise to one another. During the feast, Jesus takes the bread and breaks it, saying,"This is my body, take and eat." then he takes the cup and says,"This is my blood, take and drink." This is the first communion. After the disciples take the cup, He looks at Judas and tells him that the time to do what must be done is now. The disciples don't realize how soon their leader will be taken from them. it is at this time that Jesus takes his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. 3 times, he goes a stone's throw away from the disciples and prays this prayer, "Father, take this cup from me, but not my will, but your will be done Lord." His praying gets so intense, his sweat becomes drops of blood. After each prayer, he comes back to his followers and finds them asleep. After the 3rd time, He commands them to rise,"See my betrayer is at hand." Judas comes with a crowd of people and hands Jesus over to them. The disciples scatter in fear of capture or death. Peter, the disciple, follows close behind and as Jesus is being questioned by the Sanhedrin, Peter denies knowing Him 3 times, as Jesus had predicted earlier that night.
Friday. After a night of beatings and scourging by the priests to Jesus. Jesus is brought to Pontius Pilate to settle his fate, and as was the custom of the day, Pilate released one prisoner back to the people. Between Jesus and the other prisoner, Barabbas, the priests convince the crowd to release Barabbas and have Jesus crucified. All the way to Golgotha, Jesus is forced to carry his cross to where he will be crucified. He is nailed to the cross and darkness falls on the land for 3 hours. It is at this point that Jesus says the most loving thing he could in this moment. "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do." Wow. These people just sent him to die, and here he is forgiving them, knowing this has to be done in order to save them all. Jesus gives up his spirit and hangs there dead until he is placed in a tomb by Joseph of Arimethea.
Saturday. Jesus' body rests in the grave. In fear of the disciples, Pilate commands guards to be placed on watch at the tomb, so no one can come steal the body and claim resurrection. The disciples are hiding, also in fear of the people who might come after them because they were followers of Jesus.
Easter Sunday. Early in the morning, a group of ladies go to the tomb to prepare Jesus' body. Upon arrival, they see the guards gone and the stone that was placed in front of the tomb now rolled away. They go in to discover that the body is gone. The women run to where the disciples are and two of them go to check it out for themselves and see it just as the ladies described it. He is risen. He rose just like he said he would.

Ever feel like you have a week like that. Lot of action some days, nothing happens on others. Jesus demonstrated his true love for us through this week. At any time during the beatings, the mocking, the crucifixion, He could have called down a legion of angels to rescue him, but instead, he endured the pain, bearing the weight of every sin, past and future, on his shoulders and gave his spirit to save ours. His purpose for coming down from Heaven was fulfilled and now we can have salvation through the one who is calling us home.
In the excitement of the egg hunts and candy this weekend brings, let us not lose sight of why we celebrate. We are celebrating way more than any chocolate bunny will bring. We remember the ultimate sacrifice given to you and me and every person in between.

Happy Easter and God bless.

Adam Semple- a young man on a mission from God.