Palm Sunday (Nissan 10 : Saturday Sunset - Sunday Sunset)

Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem

According to the Biblical record

On this day almost 2000 years ago

“...when the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, indeed, the King of Israel!” Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: “Do not fear, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” ” John 12:12-15(NASB)

Why is this important?

It is stated in the verses above. This fulfilled a prophecy of the Messiah.

This kind of welcome signifies a few things:

• That they all knew Christ as the Messiah (see Psalm 118:25-26)

• That they recognized that Christ is King (see 2 Kings 9:13)

• They all honored Him as both King and Messiah (see Zechariah 9:9)

• He is openly acknowledging that He IS the Messiah by accepting the way the crowds honor him.

"And yet some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!” Jesus replied, “I  tell you, if these stop speaking, the stones will cry out!” " Luke 19:39-40

This sets the stage for everything else that happens in the following week.

Jesus visits the temple briefly and returns to Bethany for the night. (Mark 11:11)

Monday (Nissan 11 : Sunday Sunset – Monday Sunset )

According to the Biblical record

On this day almost 2000 years ago

Cursing the Fig Tree

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus curses a barren fig tree, symbolizing judgment on unfruitful Israel (Matthew 21:18–19; Mark 11:12–14).

Cleansing of the temple

“And Jesus entered the temple grounds and began to drive out those who were selling, saying to them, “It is written: ‘And My house will be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to put Him to death, and yet they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.” Luke 19:45-48(NASB)

The Jews had profaned the Temple and perverted its purpose. Jesus came to bring everyone a way to be right with God. The old had to be done away with to make way for the new. The Lord had previously dwelt within the Temple. In the coming days He chose to make his dwelling within the believers where ever they might be. It was a shift from the corporate to the personal relationship. Instead of relying on a human priest to intercede for us, Jesus himself becomes our High Priest and the Holy spirit our intercessor. Jesus was teaching the people with authority; something that the Jewish leaders could no longer do. Jesus was speaking truth and they could not say otherwise. With every word, he called into question the legitimacy of the very people who were charged with leading the community.

Jesus Speaks to a group of Greeks (Gentiles) and predicts his death.

“ “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.” John 12:27-33(NASB)

God spoke and EVERYONE heard. He was pronouncing judgment upon the whole of the Earth and it’s ruler Satan.

Jesus returns to Bethany for the night (Mark 11:19).

Tuesday (Nissan 12 : Monday Sunset -Tuesday Sunset)

According to the Biblical record

On this day almost 2000 years ago

Questioned by Jewish Leaders

Jesus was teaching the people and day by day the people grew to respect Him more and more. The Jewish leaders saw what was happening and tried to stop Him. They tried to turn the people away from the influence of Jesus and back to themselves. Jesus responded in a way that the leaders could not refute and it infuriated them. The leaders tried to entrap Him with His own words. They called on him to answer questions of Jewish and Roman law but He answered in ways that adhered to both while at the same time protected him from legal consequence. They were even afraid to use their own authority to seize him in from of the crowds because of the sentiment of the crowds. Thus they began plotting in secret how and when to take him.

Jesus was confronted by the Chief Priests and Elders of the people

“When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.” And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Matt 21:23-27

Parable of Two Sons

"“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went.The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They *said, “The first.” Jesus *said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him."" Matt 21:28-32

Parable of the Landowner

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” They *said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”

“Jesus *said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,

‘The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the chief corner stone;
This came about from the Lord,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.” Matthew 21:33-46

Parable of the Wedding Banquet

“Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he *said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matt 22:1-14

Tribute to Caesar

“Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They *said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away.” Matt 22:15-22

Jesus denounces the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23).

On the Mount of Olives, Jesus delivers the Olivet Discourse, prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem and his second coming (Matthew 24–25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5–36).

The Passover feast is tomorrow. Peter and John are sent to make preparations for what is later to be known as The Last Supper; the last time Jesus would eat and drink with his disciples before He dies.

Wednesday (Nissan13 : Tuesday Sunset – Wednesday Sunset)

According to the Biblical record

On this day almost 2000 years ago

Passover and The Betrayal

Jesus and the rest of the Disciples arrive at the upper room where the meal is to be served.

Jesus washes the Disciples feet and teaches them many things.

Jesus predicts his betrayal by Judas.

Jesus institutes the practice of communion with the breaking of bread and drinking of wine.

"When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood." Luke 22:14-20

After the meal Jesus and his Disciples travel to the Mount of Olives and He predicts his imminent death and resurrection.

Jesus and his Disciples arrive a the Garden of Gethsemane. While there, Jesus tells his Disciples “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death” and goes farther into the garden alone to pray to God about the events soon to occur. After Jesus finishes praying and returns to His Disciples He is confronted by Judas Iscariot along with the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees.

Jesus is arrested and hauled away to be tried by the Sanhedrin in the dead of night…

The Trials of Jesus Christ:

(The first 3 trials were all for the offense of Blasphemy and judged by the Jews)

First trial, before Annas [nighttime hours]; Annas is looking for an accusation, biding time till Sanhedrin is gathered at High Priestly villa.
Second [and primary] trial before Sanhedrin, Jesus is condemned.
Third trial, immediately at dawn: the condemnation repeated, then Jesus taken to Romans

(The last 3 trials were for the offense of Treason against Rome, because Blasphemy was not a capital offense under Roman Law, and judged by Roman Authorities)

Fourth trial before Pilate

Fifth trial before Herod

Sixth trial before Pilate

The Crucifixion:

• Jesus is scourged, but this is not enough for the mob that the Sanhedrin had paid off, so the crowd yells, "Crucify Him or we will tell Rome!"

• Jesus is finally turned over to be crucified.

• Jesus mocked by Roman soldiers and a crown of thorns is forced into Jesus's head

• Jesus bears His cross to gate on north of city and is crucified around 9 am

• The sky turned dark from about noon until 3 pm.

Jesus Dies (about 3 pm):

"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”  Matt 27:50-54

• Roman Soldier pierces Jesus' side side with a spear to ensure that he is dead.

• The veil outside the Holy of Holies, a 20-30 foot tall piece of fabric 3-4 inches thick, torn in two from the top to the bottom.

• The Earth Shakes

• Some graves opened and many holy people who had previously died were raised to life and seen throughout the city by many people.

• Passover lambs slain in temple

Finally just before sundown Jesus's body was wrapped in linen cloth and laid to rest in a tomb. A large stone was rolled in front of the tomb's opening.

Jesus had committed no crimes, had not sinned against God, and had followed all the rules of the old covenant. In short, He was perfect.

The Jewish priests of that time felt threatened by his teachings. They had tried to turn the public against Him many times in the past with no success. Finally they arrested Him in the dead of night, brought Him to a trial (in a way that violated their own rules) before a prejudiced court, and found Him guilty, all of this while the rest of the city slept. They then turned Him over to the Roman Authorities and threatened a revolt if he was not executed.

He was beaten, whipped raw, and forced to carry his own cross through the city and up the hill to Golgotha. There, His hands and feet were nailed to this wooden cross. It was then raised up for all to see. Jesus hung there on the cross between two other crucified men for about 6 hours, slowly weakening and suffocated to death.

Witnessed by hundreds if not thousands, 

verified with a spear through His side by the roman soldiers,

and buried in donated grave,

The man who claimed to be the Son of the God Most High, 

The man claiming to be The Maker of the Heavens and the Earth,

Jesus was Dead...

___________________________

Now, here are some of the illegalities of the Jewish trials.

1. If a man was arrested for a capital crime, he could never be arrested at night. It had to be in broad daylight. Jesus' arrest took place between 1 and 2 o'clock at night.

2. If a man was arrested for a capital crime, no one cooperating in the arrest could be in any way connected to the one who is accused. No arrest for a capital crime could be made based upon information given by a follower or colleague of the accused. Because they felt  if the accused was guilty so were his followers. But the entire plot revolved around Judas, one of the followers. This law was blatantly and openly ignored.

3. No Jewish trial could ever be held at night. The law stated that it must be held in the daytime. Listen to the code, which is taken from the Talmud: “The members of the court may not alertly and intelligently hear the testimony against the accused during the hours of darkness.” But, if you check the record, both before Annas and before Caiaphas, these trials were held in darkness.
   

4. The members of the Jewish court, after hearing the testimony of true witnesses (none of which were ever brought before Jesus) in a capital crime, could not immediately act and judge. They were to go home and remain alone and separate from one another for two days (at the least, one full day), thinking about the testimonies they had heard. During that time, here's what they were to do. Here's the language of the code: “Eat like food, drink like wines, sleep well. And once again return and hear the testimony of the accused. Then, and only then, shall you render a vote.” They didn't do that. They Jewish court never left the presence of Caiaphas!
   

5. In fact, even the method of voting was specified! They never took an “all in favor say I, all opposed say no” kind of vote. Their vote was supposed to be taken from the youngest to the oldest so that the youngest wouldn't be intimidated or influenced by the older votes. This never happened.

6. No trial could be held before only one judge, and never without a defense attorney. All of that was overlooked, openly, willfully ignored and disobeyed. They didn't follow their own rules.

(http://www.ecclesia.org/Truth/trial-jesus.html)

Thursday (Nissan14 : Wednesday Sunset – Thursday Sunset)

According to the Biblical Record

On this day almost 2000 years ago

Yearly Sabbath - High Day

Romans Soldiers Guard Jesus’s Tomb

The world is in shock.

Jesus is dead and buried.

Nothing is happening this day because of Sabbath restrictions. 

The Disciples mourn their teacher and sit in disbelief. 

Their messiah is gone and with Him, their hope. 

Mary grieves for her son.

Satan thinks that he has won. 

The leaders of the Jews claim victory. 

It is as if the whole world has taken a deep breath in expectation of something that it can’t understand.

DAY 1 ends with Christ still in the tomb.

Friday (Nissan 15 : Thursday Sunset – Friday Sunset)

According to the Biblical Record

On this day almost 2000 years ago

The women buy embalming spices to prepare Jesus body properly.

They were unable to do this before because of Sabbath restrictions.

They spend the rest of the day making preparations for Sunday when they would finally be able to observe the rituals and traditions associated with the death of a loved one.

Jesus is still dead and buried. 

The world mourns in disbelief.

DAY 2 ends with Christ still in the tomb.

Saturday (Nissan 16 : Friday Sunset – Saturday Sunset)

According to the Biblical Record

On this day almost 2000 years ago

Weekly Sabbath

Nothing is happening this day because of Sabbath restrictions.

The disciples and the women continue to mourn their fallen friend, teacher, & son.

He was supposed to be their Messiah. 

What happened?

How could they have been so wrong?

What were they going to do now?

DAY 3 ends with the tomb still sealed and tears still flowing.

Sunday (Nissan 17 : Saturday Sunset – Sunday Sunset)

According to the Biblical Record

On this day almost 2000 years ago

Early Sunday morning, when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Salome, and Mary the mother of James traveled to the tomb Jesus’s body had been laid in.

As they arrived:

“And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men. And the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” ” (Matthew 28:2-7)

“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said”

JESUS WAS ALIVE!!!

On the day of his resurrection, Jesus Christ made at least five appearances. Mark's Gospel says the first person to see him was Mary Magdalene. Jesus also appeared to Peter, to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and later that day to all of the disciples except Thomas, while they were gathered in a house for prayer.

The eyewitness accounts in the Gospels provide what Christians believe to be undeniable evidence that the resurrection of Jesus Christ did indeed happen. Matthew 28:1-13, Mark 16:1-14, Luke 24:1-49, and John 20:1-23.

I can't say it better than this song: 

Alone in my sorrow and dead in my sin

Lost without hope with no place to begin

Your love made a way to let mercy come in

When death was arrested and my life began

Ash was redeemed only beauty remains

My orphan heart was given a name

My mourning grew quiet my feet rose to dance

When death was arrested and my life began

Released from my chains I'm a prisoner no more

My shame was a ransom He faithfully bore

He canceled my debt and He called me His friend

When death was arrested and my life began

Our savior displayed on a criminal's cross

Darkness rejoiced as though heaven had lost

But then Jesus arose with our freedom in hand

That's when death was arrested and my life began

Oh, we're free, free

Forever we're free

Come join the song

Of all the redeemed

Yes, we're free free

Forever amen

When death was arrested and my life began…

You should watch this. It will help you understand a little bit more of what He went through...

The Passion of The Christ. (Full Movie)