The Most Significant Week In All Human History Ever

Sometimes we're so used to looking at bits of the Bible in isolation that we lose some of the impact that the timing of events would have had. I was struck by this as I saw a picture in my Bible of the events of passion week, from the Friday before Palm Sunday to Good Friday. When I looked at it I found that passion week is the meat of the gospels; it takes up 8 of the 28 chapters of Matthew's gospel, 6 of the 16 chapters of Mark's gospel and 9 of the 21 chapters in John. It's almost as if the authors can't wait to get around to talking about the week where it all happens. And you can't really blame them, it is without doubt 'The Most Significant Week In All Human History Ever'.

A quick summary of passion week (give or take a day or two)

• Palm Sunday: Jesus given a messiah's welcome into Jerusalem
• Monday: The clearing of the temple - the fig tree
• Tuesday: Controversies and Parables
• Thursday: Passover, The last supper, betrayal and arrest in Gethsemene
• Friday: Crucifixion
• Sunday: Resurrection

Jesus fulfills the ancient prophesy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zech 9:9). The crowd welcomed him with cries of Hosanna and the words of Ps 118:25-26 which declared him as the agent of the Lord.

Mk 11:1-10
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' "

They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

This is a pretty familiar story to many of us but to really understand it you have to see it from the perspective of the people living in and around Jerusalem when the events took place.

Jesus has been going around the countryside healing the sick, raising the dead and generally performing all sorts of incredible miracles and teaching 'with authority' - like no-one before or since. Rumours are rife that he might be 'the one', The Messiah. So with this background let's see how the days unfold from the eyes of a first century Jew.

Sunday So there is a real buzz and anticipation that when Jesus gets to Jerusalem something big is going to happen. Reading back through the passage with this perspective really made one part of the passage jump out at me,

If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' "

Given the rumours of Jesus being the Messiah what effect do you think this would have had on the people the disciples said this to?

Too right they would have gone off and told everyone and the sense of anticipation would have probably gone to 11 - and I'm sure this is what Jesus intended for when he rode in to Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, fulfilling the prophesy in Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

No wonder the crowd were going wild - after years of oppression and with no real leadership this miracle worker comes along deliberately fulfilling a prophesy and sending the message loud and clear - this prophesy is about me.

Putting yourself in the position of the crowd and populace of Jerusalem its hard to imagine a more exciting day - that is until you see what Jesus does the next day.