Holy week is a very active period of time in the gospels that was well recorded between all the gospel writers. It is the week between our modern day Palm Sunday and Easter. This period is the center of the Christian faith for if resurrection didn’t happen then there is no point in following Jesus as the Messiah. If He didn’t die and become resurrected after three days, then that proves the Pharisees and Sadducees right in what they were saying at the time. This is a period of time in the Bible where Jesus’ life was accelerating and transforming, because soon He would be coming into His gory once again — but only after He gave His flesh as a perfect sacrifice.

This week I have spent time in the word and prayer, and am compelled to share about this important time in history. Jesus gave His life, knowing that it was for humanity’s greater good, two-thousand years ago at this time of the year. Join me in this study as I explore this story that has shaped our history.

Palm Sunday

The Sunday before our Lord was crucified was one of victory and glory in the eyes of the people of Jerusalem. It is one of the stories that is recorded in all four gospels and is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey colt; the people threw their clothes down and waved palm branches, hailing the proclaimed King with shouts of ,”Hosanna!” Hosanna is Hebrew for save. Many of the people present at this event misunderstood what He was coming to save them from, believing that He would free them from the Romans with His army. They let their expectations and assumptions of Jesus get in the way of scripture and reality, refusing to be accountable for their sins, which was what He was really there to save them from!

Zechariah 9:9

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

• The colt is significant for a couple reasons: back in these days, a servant would normally ride a donkey, or it would carry objects, not a professed King. A king would normally ride a regal horse with the servants following behind. And yet here we see Jesus Christ, the Word, our God, our Savior riding atop a humble young colt.
• Our God was showing His humility in this moment, as He has so many times. How else would the Lord show that He is so different from our prideful enemy, the deceiver. While the devil rears his head within the principalities of this world and darkness, perched among his riches and greed, with the masses flocking to serve him; our Lord God Almighty rode into His capitol city upon a donkey, prepared to serve the masses as a living sacrifice.
• The colt is also significant because it has a black stripe on its back that forms the shape of a cross — so Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a cross and went out on a cross.

Mark 11:1-3

“Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, ‘Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, Why are you doing this? Say, The Lord has need of it, and immediately he will send it here.”

• To follow prophecy, God knew exactly what to do to make that happen! He is God Almighty: He can pull the necessary strings to make His point clear.

Mark 11:4-10

“So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. But some of those who stood there said to them, ‘What are you doing, loosing the colt?’ And they spoke to them just as Jesus commanded. So they let them go. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’”

• The people revered Him, tossing their robes and palm branches down as was customary for hailing kings at the time.
• This was a scene that fulfilled Zechariah 9:9, a prophecy of a King, a descendant of David, coming to save Israel in the name of the Lord.
• Imagine being the disciples and being told to go borrow a stranger’s donkey, then that stranger basically saying, “Okay bruh, I totally get that you want our colt! Go right ahead and take it!” To walk up to a donkey and take it like that in obedience to the Lord must have taken a lot of boldness, something those men had to get used to in those three years of Jesus’ ministry.

Mark 10:32-34

“Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. As they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day, He will rise again.’”

• Now picture it: You’re one of the disciples on your way to Jerusalem with Jesus and the rest of your bros, when Jesus pulls you all aside to drop this bomb on you. This lingers over you during Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, and all the days in between.
• That’s a huge bomb to drop on a person! Now, imagine being Jesus: the center of it all. He knew what would happen that week when He entered that city. He still did it though, bravely going to give His body as a living sacrifice.

This was how much God wanted to spend eternity with us: that He was willing to give a piece of Himself to be human for thirty years(I’m only twenty-one while writing this and THAT feels like a long time!), teach people, and lead a revolutionary ministry for three years, then die an excruciating, humiliating death. All this for you. For every person who would life after that, He gave the opportunity for the consequence to be paid so that we could be reconciled and our connection to the Heavenly Father restored. God made a way, fulfilled the law, and was willing to forgive so that we could live in the light. He loves us that much! Our God is truly an awesome God.

Passover Meal — The Last Supper

After Judas was planning with the chief priests to betray Jesus, they all ate the Passover meal together a night that is now commonly known as the Last Supper. This was one of the last things Jesus got to experience with His disciples before His crucifixion. Put yourself in His shoes for a moment: You are about to step in as a willing sacrifice after being betrayed by one of your closest friends. Jesus must have been terrified, knowing the pain would be great. But He still glorified God with His courage and humility! He knew that defeating darkness and seizing back the keys of death for our sake, and paying the terrible fine for our sin would be worth it.

Jesus was well aware that Judas would betray Him, and yet He chose to show him love and eat meals with him, walk beside him on long trips, teach him, let him witness miracles, and live with him. He washed Judas’ feet, even knowing that His disciple would stab Him in the back. Jesus told us to love our enemies, and He showed us exactly how to do that.

Luke 22:7-13

“Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.’ So they said to Him, ‘Where do You want us to prepare?’ And He said to them, ‘Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’ Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.’ So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.”

• Here is another example of God making everything fall into place how He wills. He made sure there will be a place for Jesus and His disciples to dine.
• Imagine being that man who prepared that room for the Passover meal and hosting the Lord of Hosts Himself in the flesh. Imagine how he must have felt: the honor to have the Messiah choose your home to dine. Picture the grief he must have felt just the next day while Jesus was being crucified by the very people who He had come to lead and save from the weight of sin.
• This night was another marker in the lives of the disciples, because that Friday would change everything.

Luke 22:19-23

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. But behold, the hand of my betrayer is with Me on the table. And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!’ Then they began to question among themselves which of them it was who would do this thing.”

• Jesus gave His body as a sacrifice, His innocent flesh, turned to sin and decimated for our sakes. He walked to that cross with joy, likely bittersweet, knowing that He would be paying the fine for us to spend eternity with Him.
• Jesus’ blood was shed to create a new covenant between our God ans man. We now have a covenant of grace under the law, so all we must do is dedicate ourselves through faith in the sacrifice Jesus made to God. Like Abraham’s faith that saved him from his sin, our covenant with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the same: one of faith and love.
• We share in communion as a ritualistic reminder of the flesh and blood Jesus gave for us: by partaking in the bread and wine, we remind ourselves of God’s eternal grace and the purpose of our faith. I hope that the Holy Spirit feeds the flame that burns within you this Resurrection Sunday as you are reminded of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Good Friday

Jesus’ crucifixion was prophesied hundreds of years before the event actually occurred. I can be seen as far back as Exodus 12, when the Israelites smeared the blood of the Passover lamb over their doorways. Jesus is now the eternal Passover lamb. The crucifixion of the Messiah was also predicted in Psalm 22, 118, and Isaiah 53. Many of these scriptures (like the Psalms) were written before crucifixion even existed as a practice. God knew what He had to do to fully redeem the sins of humanity. The thorns to redeem the soil that man had cursed with weeds and thickets. Nails in the hands to redeem the hands that had stolen the fruit in the garden. A spear stab wound in His side to redeem the woman who had come from Adam’s rib. An innocent body in place of a guilty one hung on a tree: the object that had started it all.

Psalm 22:16-18

“For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Psalm 118:21-22

“I will praise You for You have answered me, and have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”

Isaiah 53:5-6

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His striped we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own ways; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Matthew 27:26

“Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.”

• If you have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, then you are Barabbas in this situation. Jesus has just taken the cross that you deserved in return for your freedom.
• I encourage you to read Matthew chapter 27 in its entirety and pray for you to understand the extent of the sacrifice that Jesus made for you.

John 19:17-20

“And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgatha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross and the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.”

• Imagine that you’re one of the spectators on this day. As you are heading on to Jerusalem for the Passover, you are forced to walk past this gruesome scene. You can hear the moans, cries, and wheezes of these three writhing men on the crosses. Two of these men are very guilty of their transgressions, while the on in the middle, a jagged crown of thorns atop His bloody head is very innocent.
• Jesus’ mother was present during her Son’s death. The woman who was chosen to birth God Himself from her own womb that He had made for that purpose, also watched Him die with the very eyes He had made. Then she was there when the tomb was found empty, her Son resurrected from the grave. This woman was chosen by God to be a witness to His glory in the most intimate way.

Luke 23:34

“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots.”

• This is another example of Jesus doing exactly what He preached by showing love to His enemies. These men had just whipped Him, made Him drag a cross up a hill, pinned Him down, nailed Him to the cross, and then cast lots for HIs clothing right in front of Him, and yet here our Messiah was, praying in advocacy for them.
• I imagine the pain, betrayal, fear, and terror that Jesus must have felt in those moments. But I also imagine the love that He felt as He stared into their sweat drenched faces while they held His wrists to that cross. The love He must have felt for the people who wished death on Him, to not call on Heaven’s angels to free Him, must have been astronomical.

Resurrection Sunday

He was pronounced dead and buried in a rich man’s empty tomb. For three days He lay shrouded in that dark room, His soul in Sheol defeating the devil and taking authority over death back from the dark principalities. Jesus awoke on the third day, and I wonder what it was like after the experiences He had just had. The Holy Spirit woke Him up and the joy in Heaven must have been great! The grave couldn’t hold down the Son of God. The Son of Man became a lamb for our sake and was resurrected as the Lion of Judah! He was named “King of the Jews” on that Calvary’s cross, and was resurrected as the King of the Universe!

John 11:25

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.’”

• Our flesh may be appointed for death one day, but we will be resurrected anew with a body that is not tainted with the craving to sin.
• We are no longer held down by the shadow of the valley of death; we, like Jesus, now will be resurrected and harpazoed with the rest of the saints!

John 20:1-2

“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene want to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’”

• The fact that the gospel writers included that the women had found the tomb empty is a testament to how they cared more about truth than humiliation. Women in these days were seen as lesser than man ant their testimonies weren’t valued. Jesus showed Himself to Mary Magdalene first, showing His love and respect for women as well as His other disciples.
• Even though the Jews had guards stand watch over the tomb, Jesus’ body still turned up missing! He was seen later by five hundred people, proving He was resurrected from the dead!

Matthew 28:16-20

“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”

• Jesus commanded His disciples to go into all the world and teach what He had taught them. The movement began and it spread over all the continents in the world over the span of two-thousand years.
• All authority was given to Jesus Christ in the universe, things bow to His name… they know who their King is! Soon every tongue will confess and every knee will bow to the name above every other name!

When Jesus uttered, “It is finished,” the ground quaked, the sky grew dark, and the world noticed that the Son of God had died. He had paid the fine for the sins of the world and would take back authority over death. God would see justice played out because He is just, but He would also see grace and mercy because those are also His attributes. He tells us He is with us always because He is! He will be living with, in, and through us because we were born again in His Spirit! He has the authority to be our advocate between us and the Father, and He is gracious and might to save!

Psalm 16:10

“For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”

• The Lord was resurrected before His body began to rot, just as this verse said. Jesus conquered the grave and fulfilled every promise and prophecy!

Daniel 12:2

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

• Eventually, all who died in the flesh will be resurrected; we will all experience judgement from God one day.
• Some will have eternal life with the Lord, living in light, love, and joy. Those are the ones who chose to obey God and seek His face.
• Many will end up in eternal death, condemned for the sins they continuously chose to walk in. “That’s cruel!” You may say, or, “How can a loving God allow hell?” Well, a loving God would not allow evil to go without justice. He will have justice on those who cause torment, willfully disobeyed, and rejected Him. Darkness needs to be vanquished and if you contribute to darkness, you will follow it into the pit.

Jesus made a way for us to be forgiven and given grace. Jesus has the authority to be our advocate and King. By walking as He walked to the best of our ability, we choose the way of light. By choosing Jesus, we choose life. By obeying God we choose love. Choose love this Resurrection Sunday! Choose Jesus and experience true life!

Thanks for reading this Bible study! I hope it was educational and enjoyable for you readers! I pray that I may help teach and inspire others to share the word of the Lord. He tells us to preach the gospel to all the world, and this is the best way I know how! Keep Israel in your prayers and the lost in your hearts as you go about your day. If you have any testimonies, prayer, or study requests, please DM or email me using the provided links!