Following Jesus to the Cross
An article that observes the main events of Holy Week and the passion of Christ.
In the last article, we saw how our Savior, Jesus, humbly came into the world – born in a stable, in a manger. We awaited the arrival of Jesus into this world to live for you and me. Now, we have passed through the seasons of Christmas (where we celebrated his birth), Epiphany (where we observed how Jesus manifests himself as being the true God), and Pre-Lent (where we observed how Jesus comes to us by grace, through faith, in His Word alone). Now, we have entered a much different season called Lent, a season of repentance, prayer, and fasting. We are such sinners in need of a Savior which is why God gave us just that in Jesus who nailed our sins to the cross.
Read Luke 19:28-44 – Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” These are the words that the people shouted out with joy as Jesus, their King, entered Jerusalem. This may cause us to pause and wonder why these people were shouting their “hosannas” in the first place. Why were they praising Jesus? They knew that he had done many miracles and caused a large commotion throughout the entire land of Israel. Everyone knew about Jesus, so it should be no surprise that they knew Him (as the long-expected King) and where He was going (to celebrate the Passover). Despite their good intentions, some of the people who praised Jesus on Palm Sunday were disappointed when his actions didn’t match up with their expectations. See Luke 19:38-40. There is no doubt that these people thought of Jesus as an earthly King, one who was coming to overthrow Roman rule so that the people would no longer have to fulfill their earthly obligations and duties to the established government (such as paying taxes – Mark 12:17).
The Bible teaches us that Jesus’ first advent was humble and lowly. He was born as a baby in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth, for the purpose of being our Savior and King. We should see Him not as an earthly king who will bring us material prosperity but one from whose power we are saved and to whom we belong spiritually. His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36); He came for the purpose of saving us from sin, death, and the devil.
Read Matthew 26:26-30 – The Institution of the Lord’s Supper (Maundy Thursday)
Here, on the night in which our Lord and Savior, Jesus, was betrayed, He instituted one of the most important and greatest gifts and blessings of all – The Lord’s Supper or the Sacrament of the Altar. In this, He gives us His Body and His Blood as a means of showing us His grace and forgiveness which was won for us on the cross. On Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the institution of this blessed gift that we receive at the altar. In faith, you and I receive the true Body and Blood of Christ for “the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
Read Luke 23:26-49 – The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (Good Friday)
We often celebrate Good Friday in a silent, somber way in which we remember the way that our Savior died and bore all of our sins to the cross. It may seem counterintuitive that we call it “Good Friday” – how was Jesus’ death good? It is because it was good for you and me, as the promised Savior fulfilled the first Gospel promise of Genesis 3:15. He carried our burden, and took on our shame so that we could become reconciled with God and once again enjoy an eternal relationship with Him. The first Adam lost paradise, but the second Adam (Jesus) restored paradise. The blood of Jesus, as that of the blood of the Passover lamb, has spared us from death — just like the blood on the doorposts saved the firstborn sons of the Israelites from death (Exodus 12). This is because Jesus is the fulfillment of Passover, who fulfilled God’s great promise to Abraham when He said “All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you” (Genesis 12:3).
Jesus spoke seven times while he was on the cross, but I want you to note one of these times specifically which is most important. Jesus spoke three simple yet powerful words: "It is finished" (John 19:30). These words were a devastating blow to Satan. The power of the devil was destroyed by these words because they marked the completion of our salvation. The tempter no longer has power over us because God has called and marked us as His own and made us His children. By these words, our salvation was sealed in a way that cannot be undone. Satan can attempt to deceive us in vain, but God tells us otherwise – He told us that we have sinned, but that we are loved because of what Jesus did on the cross. All of this is ours through faith in the perfect death of our Savior.
Jesus came into this world to save us from our problem – sin. Through His humble birth, perfect life, and death on the cross, Jesus did just that. He saved us from our transgressions and claimed us as his own. We know well the Easter account; our Savior rose from the dead to show us how we will also rise again to live with Him in eternal joy forever as His dear children. May God ever keep us in such saving faith in the death of Jesus, until we see our Savior face-to-face in eternity.