In our Easter Bible Study, we will focus on Jesus’s experience during the few days leading up to Easter, both physically and emotionally. We tend to focus a lot on the big picture, but I find it very helpful to zoom in on the emotions and experiences my Saviour went through during the toughest weekend of his life, harder than anything we would ever have to endure.
Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday when Jesus enters Jerusalem with triumph (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:29-40, John 12:12-19). On Monday, Jesus clears the Temple of the merchants (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-46). On Tuesday, his authority is challenged, and he teaches in front of the Jewish leaders, and Judas agrees to betray Jesus (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 20). The Bible doesn’t say much about what Jesus did on Wednesday, but it is assumed he stayed in Bethany.
The Thursday before Good Friday is sometimes called Maundy Thursday which refers to the mandate (or Old French mande) Jesus gave the disciples while washing their feet: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34). Ironically, this would also be the day when all of the disciples desert Jesus after the Last Supper they celebrated together. Jesus also goes to the garden of Gethsemane to pray to the Father, he is betrayed by Judas and arrested by the soldiers sent by the Jewish religious leaders.
The story of Holy Thursday can be read in Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 and John 18.
During the Last Supper with the apostles, Jesus celebrates the traditional Passover meal commemorating Israel’s escape from Egypt. But Jesus breaks the bread as a symbol of his body and drinks the wine as a symbol of his blood, which has become the traditional Communion we as Christians in our churches today. During this ordinance, we literally commune with God and other believers in joyful fellowship and thanksgiving for Christ’s sacrifice, reflecting on Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and promise to return. Jesus attempted to explain this to the disciples, who clearly did not understand his teaching.
Furthermore, Jesus explains that one of them will betray him, identifying the betrayer as Judas. Jesus chose Judas as an apostle. In his omnipotence, Jesus must have known Judas’s true character, including that he was a thief (John 12:6), but someone had to be the instrument to fulfil God’s plan of salvation. Ye,t I’m sure Jesus must have been disappointed in his student.
Jesus predicted his death three times in the synoptic gospels (the first time: Matthew 16:21–23, Mark 8:31–32, and Luke 9:21–22; second time: Matthew 17:22–23, Mark 9:30–32, and Luke 9:43–45; and third time: Matthew 20:17–19, Mark 10:32–34, and Luke 18:31–34). Hearing that “the Son of man must die” filled the disciples with fear and anger because they were still expecting Jesus to be a natural king, releasing them from the yoke of Roman oppression. Jesus’ words were not even cold, and they were already arguing about who was the greatest among them (Luke 22:24). This would have caused exasperation and frustration in Jesus’ heart because he realized that they still did not understand and probably wondered if they have been listening to him at all during the three years they were together. In answer to their silly quarrel, he explains that the greatest among them must become the least; in other words, the greatest is the one who serves the most humbly and selflessly – exactly like he is about to demonstrate by dying on the cross.
Jesus also explains to his disciples that they are all about to abandon him (Matthew 26:31). Peter vehemently disagrees, and Jesus explains to Peter that he will deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows (daybreak). Imagine knowing you are about to face your darkest trial, the darkest moment any human can experience, and you will have to do it all alone.
After the meal, the disciples follow Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus asks John, James, and Peter to follow him to pray. He tells them that he is “crushed with grief to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). Jesus knew exactly what was about to happen, which filled him with anguish and distress. He knew the intense physical suffering he was about to go through – the lashing and beating, the crown of thorns on his head, the suffocation, and the weight of the cross he would have to carry. He knew the pain his body would endure and the slow, torturous death he was about to die. He knew the teasing and mocking he would endure. He knew his disciples would all abandon him in his deepest hour of need. But above all, he knew that he would be temporarily separated from God and that he would have to carry God’s wrath for our sins. That is why Jesus prayed earnestly “If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39). Even on the eve of his dreadful death, Jesus could still submit his will to God’s will. That is how much he loves us!
In Hebrews 5:7-9 we read, “While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.” I have never had to suffer a fate like Jesus, and I never will, but I find it so hard to be obedient and trust with my whole heart to pray “I want your will to be done, not mine”.
After his prayer, Jesus goes to his three disciples and sees that they have fallen asleep. Imagine his irritation with them, but he was still concerned for their well-being because he instructed them to ask God to guard them from falling into temptation. He knew that they were about to witness him die and that this would cause them to question if He truly was the Messiah. Yet they fell asleep a second and a third time while Jesus prayed.
As Jesus prayed the final prayer amongst the olive trees, he “was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood” (Luke 22:43). God did not relieve him of his cup of suffering, but he did send an angel to strengthen Jesus. Scientists have explained that Jesus could sweat blood. This condition is known as hematidrosis and may occur in highly emotional states or with a bleeding disorder. The capillary vessels of the skin dilate and burst, causing the blood to mix with the sweat. Luke is the only author to explain this process because he was a medical doctor.
Jesus again finds the disciples asleep and wakes them up as Judas and all the soldiers with him approach Jesus. Jesus tells Judas, “My friend, go ahead and do what you came for.” Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss, and he is arrested. First, the apostles want to defend Jesus with swords, and Peter cuts off the ear of one of the men. Jesus rebukes him and heals the man’s ear. He reprimands the apostles by explaining that God could send a legion of angels to protect him at his request (Matthew 26:33), but Jesus surrenders to the authorities. It is the beginning of the end. Jesus was also probably emotionally wounded by the betrayal of Judas and all the others as “all the disciples deserted him and ran away” (Mark 14:50).
After the arrest, Jesus is taken to the house of the high priest, followed by John and Peter. Her,e he is questioned by the Sanhedrin (Jewish council), who is looking for anyone to bear witness to Jesus’ heresy. At first, Jesus does not answer the confusing charges, when asked if he is the Messiah he answers “I am. You have said it. And in the future, you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.” (Matthew 26:64) The high priest is outraged at Jesus’ blasphemy. Jesus is blindfolded and beaten, spat on and struck on the face while being mocked by the soldiers. The irony is that the religious leaders should have known Scripture and understood that the coming of the Messiah was prophesied for centuries. They should have recognized him, but they were so concerned with their political ambition that they could not stand the threat to their natural power. This blindness probably did not surprise Jesus, but he must have been disheartened that he was arrested and rejected by the same leaders who were supposed to understand his mission.
Peter waits in anticipation for Jesus outside the high priest’s home. He is surrounded by other onlookers warming themselves around the fire. When asked if he knows Jesus, Peter denies knowing Jesus and being His follower as Jesus predicted at the Last Supper. The third denial is spoken just before the rooster crows, and “at that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter” (Luke 22:61). Imagine that moment! I imagine Peter’s lack of faith saddened Jesus and filled Peter with sorrowful regret throughout his life as he reflected on this evening. Wouldn’t our lives be so different if we could see the Lord looking at us every time we sinned?
It is easy to judge Peter and even Judas for their actions against their Master and Teacher, but don’t we sometimes do the same? All of us have been guilty of denying Jesus Christ in vital areas of our lives. We are all sinners, and we easily succumb to the temptations of the devil without regard to what that sin cost Jesus on the cross. We must use Peter’s example to repent of this denial/sin to be used by Christ in the early church, and still through his epistles today. Years later, Peter could write, “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
