Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. It is Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem as Savior and King. He came in on a foal, one never ridden before, fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. In ancient Israel, a king would come riding in on a horse if he was coming to make war and conquer, but if the king was riding a donkey, he was coming in peace. In riding a donkey, Jesus was declaring that his reign was one of peace and humility, not of war and violence. The crowd welcomed him, crying “Hosanna” meaning “Save Us”. That was Jesus’ intention, but not in the way that the people thought. They wanted him to save them from their enemies and oppressors. He had an eternal intention.

On Monday, Jesus cleansed the temple. He had found that a place intended for worship had been turned into a den of thieves, lies, and greed. Sacrificial animals were being sold, and money was changing hands, but the intent was not what it was supposed to be. Jesus kicked them out, declaring that His house was meant for worship and prayer. He also knew that, by the end of the week, sacrifices of this kind would no longer be needed. He would be the sacrificial lamb.

Looking back on Sunday, this would have been the day that the Jewish people would have been selecting their lamb that would be sacrificed on Passover. They would take it home on Sunday and for four days, they would inspect it to make sure that it was without blemish. Interesting how Jesus presents himself, the Lamb, to the people of Jerusalem on the same day they would be selecting their sacrifice. Tuesday brings questions, challenges, and “inspections” from the religious leaders as they try to trap him. But through it all, Jesus proves that he is without reproach, without blemish. Through his parables, Jesus rebukes the religious leaders, stating that they are blind guides, righteous on the outside, but inside filled with all sorts of impurity. Even though he was speaking in parables, the religious leaders knew exactly what he was saying to them.

Not much is said about Jesus’ activities on Wednesday. Many think that after the exhausting events of the past few days, Jesus and his disciples rested in Bethany in anticipation of Passover. It was there that Jesus was anointed with expensive perfume.
This is also the day that Judas negotiates his price with the religious leaders to betray Jesus: 30 pieces of silver. In Hebrew culture, this was the same amount of money that a master would be paid if their slave was accidently killed. That is what they deemed that Jesus was worth. Jesus knew what was happening. He knew where Judas was and what he was doing. He knew that the following day would be ending in betrayal. And yet he continued.

If you had 24 hours to live, what would you do? Jesus washed feet. Thursday marks the first Lord’s supper, the prayer, a betrayal, the arrest, and another betrayal. In all of this, Jesus humbled himself. First, when washing the feet of his disciples, he performed the duty of a servant. No exactly the posture one would think for the King. He did this knowing that he would be betrayed and denied. He did this while the disciples argued about who was the greatest. He did this to set an example and told his disciples to do likewise, to serve others. Second, He humbled himself to the will of the Father. In the garden, during intense prayer and knowing what was in store, he asked for the cup to pass over him. He asked for another way. But he knew this was the only way and submitted to the coming pain and death.

By 9am on Friday, Jesus had endured the shame of false accusations, condemnation, mockery, beatings, and abandonment. Pilate found no reason to crucify Jesus, but the crowd was adamant. They were willing to release a killer, Barabbas, in order to kill Jesus. He was mocked with a crown of thorns, whipped and beaten, spit on, and made to carry his own cross up the hill of Golgotha. There he was crucified between two criminals. Jesus bore the full weight of humanity’s sins, and so he had to be treated as though He were a sinner. He cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” as God judged the sin in him followed by “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit!” The veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, and the new covenant through Jesus’ blood was brought in. We no longer have a barrier between God and us. We have direct access to the Father through the Son. The joy of Resurrection Sunday would not be possible if there was not the agony of Good Friday.