Holy Week Reflections Pt. 2
In my last post we began looking at the different events that occurred during Holy Week. We have already considered Sunday to Wednesday, so now we take a look at Thursday to Saturday with some applications for each of us.
Thursday- Jesus has the Last Supper with His 12 disciples. It was during the Last Supper that He washed the disciples’ feet and instituted what we now call the Lord’s Supper. It was after this that He went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed for several hours, which could have extended to the very early hours of Friday morning. From the events of Thursday, we are reminded that Jesus came to serve (Mark 10:45). In the humble act of washing the disciples’ feet, He gave us an example to follow. If we call ourselves His followers, we will be alert for ways we can serve others. Jesus also gives us an example to follow with prayer. He knew what was ahead for Him and needed to spend time in prayer with the Father. He was honest in His prayers while also committed to doing the Father’s will. We can be honest with God and tell Him how we are feeling (He already knows anyway). But ultimately, our prayers need to mirror Jesus’s in that we pray “not my will, but yours be done.” We may not understand why we have to deal with certain situations in our lives, but we can always be assured of God’s love for us, and that His purposes are far greater than we can sometimes know.
Friday- This day of Holy Week is referred to as Good Friday. While it was “good” for us, it was not for Jesus. Friday was only good because of the resurrection that happened on Sunday. Jesus was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning, anywhere from 2-5 AM. He was then taken to stand trial to the Jewish ruling council, known as the Sanhedrin, where He was accused of blasphemy and spat upon. He was subsequently taken to the Roman governor Pilate, to King Herod, and then back to Pilate who wanted to release Jesus, but the crowd kept shouting about Jesus, “Crucify Him!” Wanting to please the crowd, Pilate handed Jesus over to be beaten and crucified. With the help of Simon of Cyrene, Jesus carried His cross to Golgotha where He was crucified at 9:00 AM. From Noon to 3:00 PM darkness descended upon the land. There was an earthquake, and the curtain in the temple tore from top to bottom. At 3:00 PM Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Then He said, “It is finished!” Then He died and was placed in a tomb with a large stone rolled in front of it. The events of Friday should cause us sorrow but also remind us that our salvation came at a great price. It should also cause us to be eternally grateful that Jesus would love us that much to go through all that He did. The Greek word translated “It is finished” is the word tetelestai, which means “to finish, complete, or accomplish.” The tense indicates that the action was completed in the past but has ongoing effects in the present, emphasizing that Jesus’ work on the cross was fully accomplished and remains effective. Through Jesus your sin debt and mine has been paid in full. Hallelujah!
Saturday- This day is sometimes referred to as Holy Saturday or Silent Saturday. Jesus’ body lay in a tomb guarded by Roman soldiers while his followers mourned. It is a time of waiting and reflection. On Saturday we learn that we need to trust God in times of uncertainty, and we wait in anticipation for what is to come because Sunday is coming! Just as death was not the end for Jesus, it will not be the end for those who put their faith and trust in Him, for heaven awaits.
Wishing you all a very blessed Easter!
Pastor Randy Brown
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