A Slave For Christ Part 6
Palm Sunday
Scriptures: Isa. 52:13-14; John 12:1-6; 12-15; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 23
Introduction:
This is part six of my series “A Slave for Christ”. This morning I want to depart slightly from my covering of the parables that Jesus told relating to slaves and focus on how He walked in the submission of a slave during His last week on earth. I want to provide you with this time-line in hope that we will understand that what Jesus went through during His last week took all the strength and will power that He had. I have shared with you earlier in this series that Jesus lived a life of a slave to His Father in how He served His Father hear on earth. As we enter into the last week of His life, I want to share a Scriptural reference with you from Isaiah 52:13-14: “Behold, My Servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men.” The word “servant” in verse thirteen is the Greek word “ebed” and it means manservant, bondman, bondage or bondservant. In other words, it means slave. The use of this word indicates that the servant was not a free man; he was subject to the will and command of his master. Jesus served the Father as a slave (bondman/bondservant) here on earth. This becomes extremely clear in the Garden of Gethsemane. First let’s begin with the Friday a week before the Friday He was to be crucified.
I. Friday - Seven Days Before The Crucifixion
Seven days before He was to be crucified, Jesus came to Bethany where His friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha lived. Let’s read from John 12:1-6. “Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to be tray Him, said, why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people? Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.”
On this Friday before He was crucified, Jesus came to town early so that He could spend some time with His friends. From how I read it, I guess He wanted to be around people that cared about Him because He knew that this would be His last week on earth. Jesus was following the will of His Father – being obedient even unto death. While He was visiting His friends, Mary took some expensive perfume and poured it on His feet and wiped it with her hair. Judas, who would later betray Him, complained stating that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. What is interesting is that he was not concerned about the poor, but what he could possibly have stolen from it had it been sold and given to Jesus’ ministry. Jesus in verses seven and eight told him to leave her alone so that she could save the rest of the perfume for His burial. Even while He was fellowshipping with His friends, the knowledge of His impending death still weighed on His mind.
The next day, Saturday, was the Sabbath and the Gospels do not mention any activity of Jesus on this day. It is believed that He probably spent the day in the traditional fashion with His friends. This would be the last Sabbath that He would participate in and He knew it. We all live our lives not thinking that whatever we are doing right now might be the last time we do it. We think in terms of always having more time to get things right and do more things. But the time will come when our time has run out and then what will we do? Jesus knew His time was winding down and He chose to spend some quality time with His friends. Let’s move on to Sunday.
II. Palm Sunday – Five Days Before The Crucifixion
Today is Palm Sunday, the last Sunday prior to Jesus crucifixion. We call this Sunday Palm Sunday because of what happened when Jesus entered Jerusalem on this day. Look down at verse twelve of John the twelfth chapter. “On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.’ Jesus finding a young donkey, sat on it, as it is written, ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” (Vss. 12-15)
On the first day of the week (Sunday) Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling an ancient prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9. The crowd welcomed Him with “Hosanna” and the words recorded in Psalm 118:25-26, thus ascribing to Him a Messianic title as the agent of the Lord, the coming King of Israel. In this crowd were many believers of Jesus as well as some who were probably neutral to outright non-believers in Him. Some in this crowd who were yelling “Hosanna” were probably in the same crowd a few days later yelling “kill Him.” If nothing else clears it up for us this story should. There are many people out there trying to please the crowds, but the crowds will change on you. Jesus understood this as He knew He was fulfilling a prophecy which also included His death. During these first three days I am sure Jesus often thought about His death, even though He knew He would rise again, the thought of the pain He would endure in the mean time weighed on Him. But He remained obedient. Let’s move on to Monday.
III. Monday – Four Days Before The Crucifixion
Mark 11:15-18 records the following: “Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling dove; and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. And He began to teach and say to them, ‘Is it not written, My house shall be called a hour of prayer for all the nations? But you have made it a robbers’ den.”
The area within the temple where this incident took place was the court of the Gentiles, the only part of the temple in which Gentiles could worship God and gather for prayer. It was customary that Pilgrims coming to the Passover Feast needed animals that met the ritual requirements for sacrifice and the vendors set up their animal pens and money tables in the court of the Gentiles. The Pilgrims would also change their currency to the local currency because the annual temple tax had to be paid in the local currency so there were money changers on hand to handle these exchanges. To understand why Jesus was so upset we need to read Isaiah 56:7 which states the following: “Even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the people.”
Isaiah 56:7 assured godly-non-Jews that they would be allowed to worship God in the temple. By allowing the court of the Gentiles to become a noisy, smelly marketplace, the Jewish religious leaders were interfering with God’s provision. Not only were they robbing the temple of its sanctity, but they were also robbing the people who were exchanging their money and purchasing the animals for their sacrifices. Jesus drove them out of the temple. As you read the remaining verses in this chapter, you will find Jesus actions angered the chief priests and the scribes who immediately began seeking how they could destroy Him. Some would come to believe that this act signed Jesus’ death warrant.
IV. Tuesday – Three Days Before The Crucifixion
On Tuesday, the Gospel records Jesus continuing His teaching and having His authority questioned. On this day (Luke chapters 20-21) Jesus told the parable of the vine-growers which I will talk about more in a couple of weeks. In this story He describes what was going to happen to Him. On this day the scribes and chief priest tried, unsuccessfully, to trap Him asking Him questions about paying tribute to Caesar and the resurrection. Jesus also took time on Tuesday to further discuss some of the things that would eventually come to past. His last lesson to them concerned His return. He described what would take place when He returned.
Also on Tuesday Mark 14:10 records the following: “Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.” The Gospels do not tell us what took place on Wednesday so we will move to Thursday, the day before the crucifixion.
V. Thursday – The Day Before The Crucifixion
Thursday, the day before the Crucifixion, several things happened. The Passover was observed on this day and this was the last meal that Jesus had with His disciples prior to His death. We know this meal as “the Last Supper” which became our “Lord’s Supper or Communion.” As we continue in Mark the fourteenth chapter, in preparation for the Passover feast, Jesus sent Peter and John ahead to find the location and prepare the place where they would eat the Passover feast. They met in the upper guest room of a man’s home. In the upper room Jesus prepared both Himself and His disciples for His death. He gave the Passover mean a new meaning. In Mark 14:22-26 the following is recorded: “While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is My body.’ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, ‘This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of olives.” The loaf of bread and the cup of wine represented His body soon to be sacrificed and His blood soon to be shed. And so He instituted the Lord’s Supper. After singing a hymn they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony, knowing what lay ahead of Him. Look down to verse thirty-four and we will begin reading there. “And He said to them, ‘My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.’ And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. As He was praying, ‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” (Vss. 34-36)
Thursday evening in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to His Father for the “cup” to be passed from Him. Some have the idea that since Jesus was the Son of God that He willingly went to the cross. Yes He chose to go to the cross, but He did not do so looking forward to it. He was very much grieved at the thought of what was about to happen to Him. Jesus had served as a slave and He knew He was about to die a slave’s death and as it would any of us, it grieved Him sorely. When Jesus had completed His praying, He rose up ready to face what He knew was coming. Before they could leave the garden, Judas appeared with a crowd and betrayed Jesus with a kiss. He had a crowd with him and they were armed just in case Jesus resisted. Jesus was arrested; His disciples scattered; and he was taken before the chief priests, elders and scribes and other accusers. For hours they brought testimony against trying to find a reason to kill Him. This went on throughout the night and into the early hours of Friday morning – the day they would kill Him.
VI. Friday – The Day of The Crucifixion
Shortly after midnight, Jesus stood before His accusers while they brought forth witnesses against Him. They beat Him, spit on Him, and subjected Him to other forms of abuse. After all of this, at daybreak they brought Him before Pilate. Pilate had the authority to order Jesus put to death. In Luke chapter 23, we find that Pilate wanted nothing to do with Jesus and sought to find a way in which to release Him. When Pilate found out that Jesus was actually under Herod’s jurisdiction being a Galilean, he sent Jesus to Herod. Herod was glad to see Jesus because he had wanted to meet Jesus for some time after he heard of Him, hoping that Jesus would perform some miracle for him. Herod mocked Him and then returned Him to Pilate who once again tried to release Him. When Pilate made his last attempt to release Jesus, the crowd shouted “Crucify, crucify Him!”
Luke 23:24-25 states: “And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.” Let’s jump down to verse 33. “When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, ‘Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. (Vss. 33-34)
Pilate had placed a crown of thorns on His head and an inscription that read “This is the King of the Jews.” This inscription offended the chief priests and scribes and they tried to have Pilate change it, but Pilate refused. As you may recall, an inscription primarily indicated the crime for which a person was dying. Pilate was letting everyone know that they were crucifying the King of the Jews and thus mocking the Jewish leaders. Truly they were crucifying the King of the Jews. Let’s pick the story up at verse forty-four.
“It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour because the sun was obscured; and the=veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.” (Luke 23:44-46)
Jesus was on the cross from approximately noon on Friday until around three o’clock when He died. He had been awake all night, being beaten and abused and hauled back and forth between Pilate and Herod. He had been whipped with whip that held fragments of bones and metal on the end so that every time it stuck it pulled off pieces of His back. He was dehydrated, bloody and weak. They nailed stakes in His wrists and feet to hold Him to the cross and then stood the cross up and let Him hang there. He hung there for three hours, dying. When Jesus took His last breath around three o’clock on Friday afternoon several things happened. First the veil in the temple tore in two. This is significant because one of the veils (being 4 inches in thickness) was so heavy that it took 300 priests to move it. Also the dead came up out of the grave and began prophesying and there was darkness over the earth.
Joseph or Arimathea went before Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. He was a high-ranking member of the Jewish court in Jerusalem who was a secret follower of Jesus. Nicodemus, another member of the Sanhedrin, was with him. The Roman custom was to leave the body on the cross until it rotted or until the vultures ate their fill. They would sometimes bury the dead in a pauper’s grave. Joseph could not imagine allowing this to happen to Jesus’ body. Also, in Jewish customer, the human body was held in great honor because it was fashioned after the image of God and therefore no Jew’s body would be allowed to remain on a cross after sunset or to be left to rot or for birds to devour. Joseph took Jesus to a tomb that had never been used and purchase expensive myrrh and aloe to prepare His body for burial. All of this was completed in fulfillment of what was written in Psalm 16:10 which states “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”
Before 6 p.m. on Friday evening (before the Sabbath began and all work stopped), Jesus body was placed in the tomb where it lay throughout the Sabbath. His body remained there while His Spirit was elsewhere. We will continue next week.
As you go through this week looking forward to Easter next Sunday, think about what Christ was going through some 2000 years ago. At noon on Friday, take time to reflect on Christ being on the cross for our sins from noon till around 3 p.m. Next Friday night, think about His body being moved to a tomb prior to 6 p.m. Spend some time this week in His shoes. May God bless and Keep you.
