Holy Week Reflections
This is Holy Week. Holy Week began for Jesus with great celebration and fanfare as he was welcomed into the city of Jerusalem with shouts of “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Just a few days later the shouts changed to “Crucify Him!” Then Jesus was nailed to a cross, where he died in our place for our sins. I think it is important to familiarize ourselves with what happened each day of Holy Week. We learn what Jesus’s priorities were before his crucifixion, as well as what led to his betrayal. I will cover Sunday to Wednesday in this blog post, then Thursday to Sunday in a subsequent post, as well as mention some applications for each of us.
Sunday- Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem as the Messiah, the Anointed One. Jews had long looked forward to His coming. The Jews believed the Messiah would come save them from the Romans and reestablish Israel to prominence as it was during the days of King David and King Solomon. But what many didn’t realize is that Jesus came to save them from something far worse than the Roman army. He came to save them from their sins. When Jesus didn’t meet their expectations, many in the crowd turned on Him. When Jesus doesn’t meet your expectations, do you turn away from Him and reject Him? Or do you trust Him to do what he knows is best for you? Even when we don’t understand, we can always trust God to do what is best for us.
Monday- Jesus comes to the temple and finds that a section of the temple reserved for non-Jews to worship God had been turned into a market. People were selling animals while money changers were charging exorbitant rates to change Roman money into money that was used at the temple. Jesus turned over the tables and said, “Is it not written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves’” (Mark 7:17). Jesus was upset that a place meant for prayer and worship had been turned into a market. All of what was going on would have been a hindrance and a distraction to those who had come for worship. Is there anything hindering your worship? It could be unconfessed, unrepentant sin. Or maybe you are so distracted by other things going on in your life that it keeps you from really focusing on God, experiencing his presence, and hearing from Him. Deal with any sin by confessing it, turning away from it, and seeking God’s forgiveness. Before you worship, prepare your heart by asking God to remove any distractions and to help you focus your heart and your mind on Him.
Tuesday- First, Jesus confronts the Jewish religious leaders about their hypocrisy: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of bones of the dead and every kind of impurity” (Matthew 23:27). The point is that you can look very spiritual on the outside, but it’s what is on the inside that matters. Be genuine, be real, connect with God, and ask Him to change your heart so you don’t have to pretend. Second, Jesus teaches His disciples about future events, which include the destruction of Jerusalem and His second coming. His primary message is to “be prepared.” Live a life of faithful obedience because Jesus could return at any time. “Therefore, be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13).
Wednesday- This day is significant not for what Jesus did, but for what someone else did. It is believed that on Wednesday of Holy Week, Judas agrees to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Judas could have been motivated by greed, unmet expectations of what he thought the Messiah should be, or just a simple lack of saving faith. Satan likely used all these factors to influence Judas to do what he did. Whatever faith Judas may have had, it did not endure to the end, which is necessary for saving faith. This lack of faith made him more susceptible to temptation and moral compromise. Make sure your faith is genuine. Don’t let it waver based on changing circumstances and make sure you are always committed to following Jesus wherever He leads.
Blessings,
Pastor Randy
Leave a Reply