The week of the cross

Eleven men sat in a darkened room. The doors were bolted shut. Certainly, those who had killed Jesus would be coming for them. The deafening silence was broken by every cough and creaking chair echoing throughout the room. The shuffling feet and the heavy sighs served as reminders of the tension. Along with the darkness was a mixture of hopelessness and confusion. All their dreams and hopes were bound in grave cloths, lying cold in a guarded tomb.

Saturday was silent. The One who promised them life was dead. The One who spoke of saving others could not even save himself. How would he prepare those promised heavenly mansions when his body lay in a cold, dark tomb?

We call it Good Friday. But “good” hardly describes what was happening, especially as Jesus’ mother stood at the foot of the cross.

Thursday was the last day Jesus would spend with his disciples before the cross. It was the day of Passover, the time when Israel remembered God’s faithfulness in delivering them from slavery in Egypt.

On the Wednesday before the cross, Jesus told his disciples that he was going to be crucified. The religious leaders made plans to seize and kill him. And it was on Wednesday that Judas met with the High Priest and bargained for the sum of thirty silver pieces to betray Jesus. However, one encounter with Jesus stands out as an extravagant act of worship.

The Tuesday before the cross was a busy day for Jesus. Three groups of people came to him with questions. Their queries aimed to trap Jesus in a contradiction or statement they could use against him. Jesus' popularity was getting out of hand, and the religious leaders planned to put a stop to it.

After what we now call the Triumphal Entry, Jesus spent Sunday evening in Bethany, a small town just outside of Jerusalem. On Monday morning, he returned to Jerusalem and went straight to the temple.

There was no shortage of “Messiahs” in the days of Jesus. In Acts 5, a prominent Jewish leader named Gamaliel noted two Jewish leaders whose large followings had “scattered” after the self-proclaimed “Messiahs” were killed.