Welcome to Holy Week.
Depending on when you get the chance to read this devotional, Holy Week is happening, and that is a good thing. No, that is a great thing.
It is also a difficult, and painful, and heart-wrenching time. After all, this is the week where we should be spending some time remembering all that Jesus went through on our behalf. Let’s do a brief recap. (Just so we are aware, there is some disagreement/ambiguity over the exact details of each day. This is one possible timeline based primarily on the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark & Luke, but readings from John are not excluded.)
Sunday ~ Palm Sunday. Things started off great! Jesus enters into Jerusalem with his disciples, and people are excited. The crowds gather. The palm branches are waved. Cloaks are laid on the ground to cover the path that Jesus is traveling. People cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9)
Monday ~ Jesus clears the Temple. In some sense, this is to be expected, right? After all, what do you do when a party is over at your house? I know what happens at mine. We clean up. The celebration of Palm Sunday has ended. Jesus does some cleaning of his house.
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he 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 robbers.’”
Tuesday ~ Time for class. On this day, Jesus teaches in the Temple. Just the day before, Jesus had cleaned it up so now it is time for him to instruct, to teach, to guide. (Just as an aside, this is the last time that Jesus would teach in the Temple before he was arrested.) So, what does he teach? He teaches that he has authority, and that he has no need of telling the Pharisees where he gets his authority. (Matthew 21:23-27) He teaches of two sons, one who said that he wouldn’t obey, but did. The other that said he would obey, but didn’t. (Matthew 21:28-32) He taught about tenants, who were wicked and evil, beating and killing the landowner’s servants who had come to collect what was owed. They proceeded to kill the landowner’s son as well. Not a good group. (Matthew 21:33-46) He taught about a wedding banquet, paying taxes, marriage, the greatest commandment, the Son of David, hypocrisy, warnings against the teachers of the law, and more. (See Matthew 23-25) These words of Christ were important, were valuable. They taught many lessons and provided insight into the kingdom of God for the people who sat at the feet of Jesus and listened. They will do the same for us today…if we are willing to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen. I encourage you to spend some time in these Scriptures. Listen to Jesus. Sit at his feet.
Wednesday ~ Jesus returns to Bethany. Not much is known about what Jesus did on this day. More is known about what two others did on this day…we will get to that later.
Thursday ~ The Last Supper & the Garden of Gethsemane. Here is where the week gets exceptionally emotional. Throughout the day on Thursday, Jesus displays love in ways that go beyond words as he stoops to wash his disciples’ feet. (John 13:1-17) He shows a willingness to have fellowship with those who would betray him as he dips his bread into the bowl and eats with Judas. (Matthew 17:20-25) He establishes a new covenant with his followers. His body, the bread. His blood, the wine. Broken and poured out. (Matthew 17:26-30) He remains loyal, even when he knows that those who are closest to him will not do the same. (Matthew 17:31-35) He shows what it means to be surrendered to the will of the Father, anguished to the point where his sweat became droplets of blood. (Luke 22:44) In addition to ALL of this (plus more that I did not mention in this brief summary), Jesus demonstrates humility, allowing himself to be arrested, to stand trial, to be spit upon, mocked and struck. (Matthew 17:47-67)
Friday ~ Good Friday. The Cross. (Matthew 27:11-44) So much could be said about this day. I’d prefer for you to spend time in the Scripture or time in prayer. Read the Word about Good Friday. Thank Jesus for this day.
Saturday ~ The Quiet. For those who were there during that week, Jesus is presumably gone. Dead and buried. The story is over.
Sunday ~ The Resurrection! The day that changes everything. Life out of death. Light out of darkness. Victory over defeat. Sin has been vanquished. Life is offered to all who would believe in Jesus, the Christ, the Living One, the Lamb who was slain to take away the sins of the world, the King, the Lord, the Savior!
Right now. It’s Holy Week. Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, is coming. It is on the way and there is great cause for celebration! But, I offer a word of caution. Don’t skip over all of the other days just to get there. Yes, I know, we are Resurrection People, Easter People. The resurrection never goes away, and we can’t possibly erase it from our minds to experience things apart from this truth. However, don’t just skip through the other stuff. Spend some time in the Word. Spend some time reading, remembering, reflecting, praying, thanking Jesus for all that he did on our behalf. It is good to do. It is beneficial for our soul.
Now, that all of that has been said, I want us to jump back to mid-week and take a look at Wednesday. Two things likely happened on Wednesday by two, different people. Two different people responded in two completely different manners to Jesus as he took a day of waiting, of rest.
One, Judas.
He couldn’t wait any longer. Judas needed action, and he needed it now! After all, what was Jesus doing just sitting around? When was he going to establish his kingdom? (One theory as to why Judas betrayed Jesus is that he was trying to force Jesus’ hand. People theorize that Judas held to a more military view of the Messiah, a conqueror of the Roman people. If he betrayed Jesus, that would force him to act, to fight in that manner. Whether or not this was truly his motivation, I do not know. Regardless of his motivation, Judas acted upon his own will as the Lord rested and waited for the Father’s will.) (Matthew 26:14-16)
Two, the woman.
The alabaster jar. The expensive perfume. The value? A year’s wages. An exorbitant, perhaps excessive, offering. A gift of love. Poured out in devotion even though she couldn’t possibly know that this act was being used to prepare Jesus for his burial. (Matthew 26:6-13)
One day. Two extremely different responses.
One sought his own will, his own way, his own success, his own future, his own prosperity.
The other poured out what she had for Jesus.
Friends, sometimes in life it seems as if we are in a perpetual Wednesday of Holy Week. Jesus is seemingly absent from the scene, relaxing at Bethany. He doesn’t appear to be cleaning things up or teaching. He’s not washing feet or feeding. At times, we don’t even realize or see the way that he has surrendered and died for us. Sometimes it seems as if he has just retreated to Bethany and is doing very little.
In those times, in those times where we wait, in those times where it seems like it is a Wednesday of Holy Week, I encourage you…be careful how you respond. Be careful how you act. Be careful what you do.
Learn from Judas. Don’t step outside of God’s will or God’s timing. Don’t try to force an issue. Don’t seek selfish gain, betraying the Lord. Instead, trust God. Wait for God to act. Wait for Jesus to answer. Wait for the Lord to do that which he desires to do in your life. Don’t push beyond God’s plan for you.
Instead, learn from the woman and pour. Pour out your life. Pour out the gifts that you have been given. Pour out your heart. Pour out your love.
Jesus is faithful. Jesus is kind. Jesus is trustworthy. Jesus is compassionate. Jesus is passionate. Jesus is caring. Jesus is loving. Jesus is life. Even in times when it seems like Jesus is doing nothing, we can trust that his “nothing” will accomplish far greater than our “something” that is done outside of his will. So, friend, remember. Do not push. Pour. Especially this week.
~ Pastor Chris
