EVENTS LEADING UP TO CRUCIFIXION
The celebration of the Feast of the Passover was nearing. This was a time when all Jews gathered together and remembered when God had delivered the children of Israel out of Egyptian
slavery. At the time of the original Passover, they were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and eat it. They were to take the blood of the lamb and apply it over the windows and doorposts of their homes.
They did not know it at that time that it was a type and foreshadow of what Jesus would one day do for all the world, becoming the sacrificial Lamb, shedding His Blood to make atonement
for our sins.
The Jews were to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. So, Jesus began to make His way to Jerusalem, as well.
When they came to Bethphage which is near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent 2 of His disciples to go to a nearby village. He instructed them as to where they would find a donkey with
her colt. (Mt 21:1-16 + Mk 11:1-16 + Lk 19:28-40 + Jn 12:12-19)
They were to loose them and bring them to Jesus, and if anyone asked what they were doing, they were to respond, “The Lord hath need of them.” so that Zechariah 9:9 would
be fulfilled: “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting on a donkey, and a colt the foal of a donkey.”
The disciples put their clothes on the donkeys before setting Jesus on them. Many spread their garments in the way while other cut down branches off the trees and strawed them in the
way. Some went before Him and others followed crying, “Hosanna; Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Blessed be the Kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest!”
Everyone thought Jesus was riding into Jerusalem to kick the Romans out and re-establish the rule and throne of David. Everyone was excited - except the Pharisees. They told Jesus He
needed to rebuke His disciples, but Jesus answered, “I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would IMMEDIATELY cry out.”
I do not want any stone to cry out in my place!
God has done so much for me that I can’t stop praising and worshipping Him!
Jesus began to weep as He looked at the city. He knew they would reject and crucify Him not many days later.
Jesus continued His procession into Jerusalem, but He did not head for the palace as some anticipated He would. Instead, He went into the Temple. A righteous indignation rose up within
Him as He began to kick out all those that were buying and selling inside the Temple. In His wrath, He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those that sold doves. (Mt 21:12-13 + Mk 11:15-17 + Lk 19:45-46)
He said unto them, “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves!”
If Jesus did this today, many would accuse Him of not being Christ-like.
The blind and the lame came to Jesus in the Temple, and He healed them. The children in the Temple cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” The chief priests became upset
and asked Jesus, “Hearest Thou what these say?”
Jesus asked them a question in return, “Yea; have ye never read, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise?” Then He left them and went out of Jerusalem
into Bethany where He lodged.
The town of Bethany was near to Jerusalem - John 11:18 says it was 15 furlongs which is approximately 2 miles. Bethany is the town where Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, lived.
Lazarus was a good friend of Jesus who had died and been closed up in a tomb for 4 days before Jesus finally arrived. Jesus wanted them to roll the stone away, but Martha had protested
knowing his body was now decaying and there would be a great stench. Jesus performed a miracle like none had ever seen calling Lazarus back to life after that many days in the grave. Because of this, many believed on Jesus.
(John 11:1-45)
A certain Pharisee, named Simon, invited Jesus to come to his house to eat. This Pharisee had a lot to be thankful for - Jesus had healed Simon, the Pharisee, of leprosy. (Mt 26:6 +
Lk 7:36 + Mk 14:3)
There were many present at Simon’s house - Jesus was there with His disciples. One of Jesus’ disciples was His future betrayer, Judas Iscariot, who was the son of Simon
the Pharisee. (Jn 12:4 + 13:2) Lazarus was there, also, along with his sisters, Martha and Mary.
Several more began to converge to Simon’s house - not just because Jesus was there, but because they wanted to see Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead. The Bible lets
us know they were seeking the miracle more than the Miracle Worker. (Jn 12:9)
Mary was busy rushing around serving and taking care of the guests. (Jn 12:2) It was a festive time with the holiday fast approaching. I can only speculate that perhaps the atmosphere
was buzzing as many anticipated that Jesus would soon take His rightful place as King of Israel.
But Mary was a little more serious.
She approached Jesus with a pound of very costly ointment of spikenard which she poured on Jesus’ head then wiped His feet with her hair. It caused the house to be filled with
the odor of the ointment. (Jn 12:3 + Mt 26:7 + Mk 14:3)
Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, and some of the other disciples became indignant and asked why the ointment wasn’t sold for 300 pence and the money given to the poor? (that
would be equal to $45 back then - in modern times, it would be $300-400)
The Bible explains that Judas didn’t ask this question because he was thinking of the poor - it was because he was a thief and yet he was also the one in charge of keeping money
for Jesus. (John 12:4-6 + Mk 14:4-5 + Mt 26:8-9)
Jesus knew the purpose of Mary’s anointing, even if she nor anyone else understood fully what she did. He asked them why they were bothering her? Then He revealed the purpose
for the anointing was in preparation for His burial. (Jn 12:7-8 + Mk 14:6-7 + Mt 26:10-12)
It was custom in those days to wash and anoint a body with expensive perfumes before wrapping the body in a shroud and placing in a tomb.
When Jesus was crucified, it was on the eve of a holy day and they would not have time to wash and anoint Him until a few days after He was placed in the tomb.
This is why the women went to the tomb after He had already been dead for 3 days. They were unsure how they were going to roll the stone away, but they knew they somehow needed to get
inside so they could anoint His body as was their custom.
They didn’t understand until after His resurrection that Mary had already anointed His body for His burial - even though Jesus tried to tell them that was the purpose. Their mind
was on establishing an earthly Kingdom with Jesus ruling as King so they could not understand the correlation Jesus was making between the anointing and His burial until after He was resurrected.
There were poor all around them and always would be. How much did they try to help the poor at other times? Or even after this? Sometimes it just takes one disgruntled person to stir
others up against someone.
Judas already had something in his heart against Jesus or he wouldn’t have betrayed Him. Jesus - the sinless one Who had done nothing but good for others - and yet we find Judas
is sowing seeds of resentment and bitterness into the hearts of the other disciples over what began as a good deed.
Jesus knew what Judas was doing, yet we never see where Jesus told him that he could no longer be a disciple.
Because Judas’ heart was not right, the Bible says satan entered into Judas. (Lk 22:3) Judas slipped away and went to the chief priests asking them, “What will you give me,
and I will deliver Him unto you?” The chief priests made a covenant to give Judas 30 pieces of silver, so from that point on he looked for the right opportunity to deliver Jesus to them. (Mt 26:14-16)
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus gathered with His disciples to keep the Passover. When it was evening, Jesus sat down with the 12 disciples. As they ate, Jesus
revealed shocking news as He said, “One of you shall betray Me.” (Mt 26:17-21)
They became very sad as each one asked, “Lord, is it I?”
Jesus tried to reveal who it was without directly naming names. “He that dippeth his hand with Me in the dish, the same shall betray Me.” Then Judas asked innocently, “Master,
is it I?” Jesus let Judas and everyone know that He knew what Judas was about to do as He said, “Thou hast said.”
Jesus looked at Judas and said, “What thou doest, do quickly.” Judas didn’t deny anything. He quickly got up and left. No one understood that Jesus was calling Judas
out. They thought that perhaps Jesus was sending him to buy things they needed for the Feast since he had the money bag. (Jn 13:27-30)
Jesus continued on with the Passover commemoration in attempt to teach and reveal to His disciples the connection between the Passover meal and the Blood He was about to shed for our
Redemption.
He took the bread and gave it to His disciples saying, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you.” (Mt 26:26)
He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of it; for this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
(Mt 26:27-28)
Then when they had sung a hymn, they went out in the Mount of Olives. Jesus warned, “ALL of you shall be offended because of Me this night...”
Jesus knew what was about to transpire. He knew Judas was about to betray Him into the hands of those who sought to kill Him. He knew what He was about to go through to purchase our
salvation.
The 11 disciples who were with Him did not understand this was not an ordinary night and their lives were about ready to be turned upside down.
The one thing Jesus asked of them at that moment was to PRAY.
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Easter is less than 2 weeks away. Easter, the time when we remember and commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus on that cruel cross of Calvary to make atonement for our sins.
And yet, Jesus is not the first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about Easter. They think of the family gathering to have a special dinner with kids squealing
in delight as they hunt for Easter eggs afterward.
They all exlaim excitedly about what the easter bunny left for them to find.
There will be lots of candy and decorations with Easter eggs and bunnies and chickies and vibrant spring colors.
Rarely will you find any symbols that commerate the true reason for what Easter is about. Rarely will you find anything that reminds a person of the Cross, the Crown of Thorns, the nails, the
empty tomb or the intense suffering and excruciating pain that Jesus went through to purchase our salvation.
Sadly, there are many who will not go to Church rarely or at all - yet on Easter they will seek out a Church that has fun things going on for the kids. And Churches are glad they come,
even if for that one day out of the year.
But....I wonder how it makes Jesus feel?
It should have been each of us hanging on that Cross. We deserve to die for our sins, but instead Jesus took our place.
He went through hours of pain beyond the threshold of what normal flesh can endure, and yet He did it because He loves us.
I often wonder how it makes Jesus feel when the focus of Easter is centered more-so around eggs and bunnies than about the Lamb of God who died in our place.
I really wonder how it makes Jesus feel?
We must never allow the focus of Easter become more about anything other than Jesus and His sacrifice.
