The Passion Week Series

The Passion week

1900 years ago this week was the last week of Jesus on Earth as God and and man. He ministered for three and a half years in Jerusalem this week was the last week and there were many things happened in this whole week.

The 1st day : Sunday

It was called Palm Sunday Jesus went into Jerusalem as a conqueror. During three and a half years He went to Jerusalem several times but this Sunday was different He came in on the colt not a horse. A horse is a symbol for battle and Hero came back on a hoarse but Jesus rode on a colt.

A colt is the symbol of humility Jesus was not victory over the battle but over the pride of whom didn’t believe is Him. He came in as Zechariah 9: 9 See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a donkey. There were many people came out with palm leaves and shout Hosanna.

Hosanna does not mean praise but its meaning is safe now. Why did people use this word to greet Him instead of Hallelujah. In the past when Israeli faced problems they went to see the king for help and called out “Save Now, I beseech you (Psalm 118:25-26)

People came out and shout like this meant that they accepted Jesus as king He revealed Himself as a king the Messiah. After riding on a colt into Jerusalem He went into the temple to take a look and then went back to Bethany to spent the night there with Mary Martha and Lazarus which is about 3 km. from Jerusalem

The 2nd Day: Monday, cleansing the temple and cursing the fig tree.

Next morning, Monday Jesus came back to Jerusalem again and went into the temple and saw the merchants selling animal for sacrifice and money changers at the outer court where God provided for gentile to pray and worship.

But the priest and Sadducee who controlled the temple made money by giving permission to merchants to trade at outer court that's why Jesus said people had to buy expensive sacrifice for their home prepared sacrifice were often claimed unclean and had some blemish by the priest so people had to buy the new ones which was twenty times more expensive than outside the temple so Jesus said it was the robbers' Den.

These businesses occupied the outer court so the gentile had no place to pray and worship God the temple of God should be the place for prayer. After cleansing Jesus walked with his disciple and saw a fig tree with plenty of leaves but when he went closer He saw it baring no fruit then he cursed it.

The 3rd Day Tuesday

Jesus went back to Jerusalem the disciple saw the fig tree withered they were astonished and ask Him “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” Jesus answered if you have faith and do not doubt….you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

He used the fig tree to teach his disciples two things.

1 Pray with faith

2 The fruitless life could be judged in the future God didn't accept fruitless life as Pharisees and scribes. The priests and Pharisees came to trap Him by asking 4 questions it was the day of questions.

The first question: About the authority of Jesus in cleansing the temple.

After Jesus cleansing the temple the priests and scribe was angry and disappointed, they came to ask Jesus. “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them if they could tell from what source the baptism of John then He would tell them. They talked to each other and answered “We do not know.” Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

It showed their hypocrisy after that Jesus used three parables to teach them, the parable of two sons, the parable of the landowner and parable of the marriage feast, but they didn't repent.

The second questions : About the Tax

They asked Jesus about paying poll-tax for Caesar. At that time Israel was under controlled by Roman Empire she had to pay tax 33% for Roman government Israeli felt bitter so they asked Jesus that they should pay poll-tax or not. Jesus was at dilemma if He said “yes” they would arouse the crowd to against Jesus if said “no” they would tell the Roman government that Jesus was a rebel, Jesus asked them to show the coin used for the poll-tax.” Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then Jesus said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” They were stunt with His answer for it was out of their thinking