Holy Week: Saturday

The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment” (Luke 23:55-56). This is all the Gospels tell us about Holy Saturday. I suggest reading Isiah 53.

Today is the day after the death of Jesus. Today we mourn for Jesus. We remember Jesus was completely humanly dead. Jesus had to experience death to conquer death, but its not something we like to face. We like Easter. Not our Lord lifeless in a stone tomb. We don’t want to think of His soul being trapped in the waiting place for judgment day. Just like any other Jew. But Jesus was. He willingly was born into a mortal life. He willingly laid down his life. He willingly experienced death. Holy Saturday is the day of the year that we mourn. We remember God’s grief. We ponder our mortality, our suffering, our weakness. The only hope we have is in the dawn. So we need to be prepared.

Lord, I cry out in the darkness. I cry out from the depths of despair. My sorrow is great for the lamb is slain. My Lord Jesus today I remember the day that you were dead. Lifeless, spiritless. And I groan because I don’t want to face you in the filled tomb. I am lost. In silence I reflect upon my soul. In silence I long for you. Lord, help me. Today the world waits in mourning. I don’t want to be one of billons but one of yours. Sustain me, give me strength, and hope for a new day. Amen.

Holy Week: Good Friday

Good Friday is It is a confusing holiday. It is a day of celebration. We remember that Jesus died for us. And that is tragic. We remember the brutal beating and mistreatment of Jesus then we are faced with the awful image of Jesus suffering on the cross. That is conundrum. How are we suppose to celebrate and be in great sorrow at the same time? I think the tears of confused tears is exactly what is needed. It was a confusing time. Jesus was in the temple every day now he in a doozy. No one was arrested or tried at night. Who is ok with the lashing of a harmless rabi? No one calls for the death of their beloved rabi. But they did. And Jesus was dead by the middle of the day.

Mathew 27:50-53
⁵⁰ Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice again and died.^[al] 51 Suddenly, the curtain^[am] in the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, rocks were split open, ⁵² tombs were opened, and many^[an] saints who had died^[ao] were brought back to life. ⁵³ After his resurrection, they came out of their tombs, went into the Holy City,^[ap] and appeared to many people.

Jesus did not go quietly. He cried out. Then more confusion. The curtain in the temple split in two signifying that God was no longer in the Temple. Can you image how loud that rip would have been? (Look below for description of the curtain.) And the sound of the drop made in the temple must have been significant enough to cause an immediate uproar of even for people who did not see it rip. And maybe it injured some people. This thing was thee meters wide. Rock make loud noises when they crack and fall. Then tombs flew open. Tombs were in caves, many of which were sealed with rocks. So you have rocks exploding. Now there are deceased people roaming around. I imagine in mounding. Jews did not mourn quietly back then. They cried out loudly and they did it in community. The recently resurrected I imagine would have also been testifying and prophesying in the streets. And some screams, what would you do if your deceased grandma came home? Jesus did not go quietly.

“The veil of the temple was woven from blue, purple, crimson and white thread, and embroidered with cherubim (2 Chron.3.14); the veil in the tabernacle had been similar, (Exod.26.31; 36.35)^[2], It was a valuable piece of fabric, and both Antiochus and Titus took a veil when they looted the temple (1 Mac.1.21-2; Josephus War 7.162). In the second temple it was some two hundred square meters of fabric and when it contracted uncleanness and had to be washed, three hundred priests were needed for the job (m.Shekalim 8.4-5). https://www.marquette.edu/maqom/veil.html#:~:text=The%20veil%20of%20the%20temple%20was%20woven%20from%20blue%2C%20purple,looted%20the%20temple%20(1%20Mac.

Lets pray.
Jesus we cry out to you tonight in an attitude of sorrow. We have only stories of what it was like to be whipped with nine tails and your skin being pulled off your back. Whipped and beaten to the brink of death. Then dragging a beam of wood he would die on. Then crucified; slowly bleeding, suffocating and going into shock; finally dying. We can only imagine what happened on the moment of your passing. We are indebted to you for your sacrifice. We can never repay you for taking our sins onto you. You were lead to the slotter so we could be free. Forgive me Jesus, you died willing on the cross for me yet I am a sinner. Help us to be loud just like you, not only in our words but with mighty and loud works. Give us confidence and strength to stand up for you even when “its not called for”. All the glory and honor is His. Amen

Holy Week: Thursday

Today is Maundy Thursday. Maundy is the day that we remember that Jesus washed the disciples feet and how we are suppose so show the same servitude. But we aren’t going to talk about that. We are going to discuss Jesus praying in the Mount of Olives after the Last Super. Jesus praying is described in
Luke 22. Mark14, and Mathew 26. If you read all three you will get the whole picture of what happened. I’m going to use Luke because it describes the most of Jesus’s prayer.

Luke 22: 39-46

³⁹ Then he left and went to the Mount of Olives, as usual. The disciples went with him. ⁴⁰ When he arrived, he told them, “Keep on praying that you may not be tempted.” ⁴¹ Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray, ⁴² “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.”

⁴³ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴ In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like large drops of blood falling on the ground.^[s]

⁴⁵ When he got up from prayer, he went to the disciples and found them asleep from sorrow. ⁴⁶ He asked them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and keep on praying that you may not be tempted.”

Sweating blood is called hematidrosis, its very rare so there is not a lot of information about it. It is when you become extremely stressed. Like if you are facing death or a fight or flight mode. The capillaries around your skin and sweat glands burst making blood seep onto your skin, usually around the face. It also leave the skin tender and fragile. https://www.healthline.com/health/hematidrosis#causes. Here is a link to a journal article about a case of hematidrodsis.

Jesus was praying desperately to the Father. He didn’t want go through the toucher and death that awaited him. He was in pain and anguish. He cried out to the Father. He cried in so must distress he sweat tears. These were the first drops of blood that Jesus spilled. While praying for help. And the Father answered, my will is for you to die but here is an angel to comfort you. The angel energized him and help preparer for what was to come. Isn’t that what God does for all of us? We may not like the answer but he comforters us and gives us what we need.

God the Father, thank you for being our Father. You know our need more then we know our own. Please guide us as we go through pain, anxiety, stress, depression, and so much more. Please save us. Save us from hardship and turmoil. From pain and sufferings. But not let our will be done, your will be done. Amen

Holy Week: Tuesday

Today we are going to study the fig tree that Jesus cursed. So what makes this so special?

Matthew 21:18-22
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

¹⁸ In the morning, as Jesus^[m] was returning to the city, he became hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the roadside, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. He told it, “May fruit never come from you again!” And immediately the fig tree dried up.

²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked.

²¹ Jesus answered them, “I tell all of you^[n] with certainty, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you be able to do what has been done to the fig tree, but you will also say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. ²² You will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe.”

Fig trees and their fruit are found numerous times in the Bible. They are associated with times when their is enough to eat for everyone and the sweetness of life. And fig trees are a native tree to Israel. This fig tree has no life because it bears no fruit and cannot satisfy. So Jesus curses it and it more the dies, it withers. Jesus compare the tree and its fruit to the a person’s faith. He is saying that a person with a sturdy faith can do anything.

Lord almighty, we thankyou for this object lessons that you have given us. It gives us a firm image of what happens when doubt enters our hearts. Help us keep strong in our faith. We want our faith to be fruitful and sweet. But we need you help to shine and prosper in faith. Amen.