Wednesday, March 27, 2013

busy and then quiet


Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
of Holy Week finds Jesus
very busy and then strangely quiet.

On Monday He returned to Jerusalem where He
cursed the fig tree...
"And seeing a fig tree by the road,
He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves,
and said to it,
"Let no fruit grow on you ever again."
And immediately the fruit tree withered."
Matthew 21:19

He also cleanses the Temple for the second time....
the first cleansing took place on Palm Sunday.
"Then Jesus went into the temple of God
and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple,
and overturned the tables of the moneychangers
and the seats of those who sold doves."
Matthew 21:12

On Monday night he returned to Bethany,
to his friends,
to rest and take nourishment.
He was fully human you know and He needed
these things just as we do.

On Tuesday
Jesus returned to Jerusalem 
where He revisited the withered fig tree 
and taught a lesson of faith to the disciples.
"Now when the disciples saw it,
they marveled, saying,
 'How did the fig tree wither away so soon?'
So Jesus answered and said to them, 
'Assuredly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, 
you will not only do what was done to this fig tree,
 but also if you say to this mountain,
 'Be removed and cast  into the sea,'
 it will be done."
Matthew 21:21

Jesus taught extensively in the Temple on Tuesday,
and on the way back to Bethany,
He gave the Olivet Discourse.
(Matthew 24)

An amazing day for Him who would die in just a few hours.

Nothing is recorded in the Gospels 
about Jesus' activity on Wednesday of Holy week.
More than likely,
 he spent the day in Bethany with His disciples
 preparing and praying for what God had willed Him to do...
pay the ultimate sin debt for mankind.

Also,
 Wednesday 
was the day when the plot for the betrayal of Jesus began to take shape.

(much of this information is from a sheet 
that David passed out to us last year in church.  
There is no indication of its source.)
Picture by Lamar Gale.
Tybee Pier ~ Tybee  Island

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