Events in the Passion Week

The Wednesday feature of the Worldly Saints blog is a Scriptural meditation whereby I take a verse or passage I have been pondering lately and seek to edify my readers with it’s promises, encouragements, warnings, rebukes, etc.

This week commemorates one of the most significant weeks in the Bible and the most important week in the life of Christ.. Scholars call it the Passion Week, because it is the last week of the life of Christ on earth. Get this: John 12 is the beginning of Jesus’ last week according to the record of John. John covers the Passion Week of Jesus with nearly half his Gospel! So we know this is a very important week to him.

But the other Gospel writers also put priority on this week: Mark contributes 40% of his Gospel to this last week; Matthew contributes 1/3 of his Gospel to this last week. Luke contributes 25% of his Gospel to it.

For your own reflection and reference, I thought I would give a brief listing of the events that took place during the Passion Week.

Saturday. Jesus’ feet our anointed at Bethany (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8).

Sunday. A crowd gathers to see Jesus in Bethany (John 12:9-11).

Monday. Jesus enters Jerusalem – for the last time (Matt 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19) and visits the temple (Matt 21:10-11; Mark 11:11).

Tuesday. Jesus curses a fig tree (Matt 21:18-19; Mark 11:12-14), and then leaves to cleanse the Temple a 2^nd time (Matt 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46).

Wednesday. Jesus debates the religious leaders (Matt 21:23-23:39; Mark 11:27-12:44; Luke 20:1-21:4). Then later that day, He preaches the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-36). It is also on this day that Judas plans the betrayal of Christ with the religious leaders (Matt 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6).

Thursday. Jesus has the Last Supper with His disciples (Matt 26:17-30; Mark 14:12, 26; Luke 22:7-30; John 13-14). From there they travel to the Garden of Gethsemane and it is here Jesus is betrayed and arrested (Matt 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-12). Later that night, Annas and Caiaphas would try Jesus (Matt 26:57-75; Mark 14:53-72; Luke 22:54-65; John 18:13-27).

Friday. In the morning, Jesus is tried by the Sanhedrin, Pilate and Herod Antipas (Matt 27:1-30; Mark 15:1-19; Luke 22:66-23:25; John 18:28-19:16). Then about 9:00am, Jesus was taken to the cross and probably died in the afternoon on that day (Matt 27:31-60; Mark 15:20-46; Luke 23:26-54; John 19:16-42).

Saturday. Jesus lay in the tomb.

Sunday. Then three days later, this week comes to a final and great climax when He rises from the dead (Matt 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-13; Luke 24:1-35).

There never was a more important week than this one.