Step-by-Step with Jesus:

A Holy Week Timeline

Ask each day: What did Jesus DO?

What does that teach you about Jesus? 

[or Why is it important, especially to you right now?]

Thursday/Friday(?) before Palm Sunday [This probably happened on Thursday/Friday, because there was no travelling on the Sabbath.]

·         Jesus tells disciples what will be happening.  He KNEW.

o   Mark 10:32 (TLB) ³² Now they were on the way to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking along ahead; and as the disciples were following they were filled with terror and dread. Taking them aside, Jesus once more began describing all that was going to happen to him when they arrived at Jerusalem.

·         Coming to Jericho (about 12-15 miles from Jerusalem), Jesus heals 2 blind men (Bartamaus & another?)

o   Luke 18:35 (NIV) ³⁵ As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

o   Matthew 20:29-30 (TLB) ²⁹ As Jesus and the disciples left the city of Jericho, a vast crowd surged along behind. ³⁰ Two blind men were sitting beside the road, and when they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, "Sir, King David’s Son, have mercy on us!"

·         In Jericho, goes to eat with Zacchaeus

o   Luke 19:1-2 (NIV) ¹ Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

·         After Jericho

o   They went to Bethany and (primarily) Bethphage – ON the Mt of Olives, at the limit of the Sabbatical distance for traveling to Jerusalem (about 2 miles)

o   The disciples borrowed a donkey and its colt – so Jesus could ride the colt the following Sunday (Mt 21:1-6, Mk 11:1-6, Lk 19:29-34)

§  Luke 19:28-30 (NIV)  ²⁸ After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ³⁰ “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.”

o   Arrives in Bethany, stays in the home of Mary, Martha, & Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, during the Sabbath (Saturday).

§  John 12:1-2 (NIV) ¹ Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

§  John 12:9-10 (NIV) ⁹ Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well…

Palm Sunday

·         Descending Mt. of Olives/ Triumphal Entry on the colt (Mt 21:7-11, Mk 11:6-10, Lk 19:35-44, Jn 12:12-19)

o   A king, coming in peace, rode a donkey foal. [A king coming for war would ride a horse.]

§  Matthew 21:4-5 (TLB) ⁴ This was done to fulfill the ancient prophecy, ⁵ "Tell Jerusalem her King is coming to her, riding humbly on a donkey’s colt!"

§  Zechariah 9:9 (NIV) 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.

o   It was approximately a two-mile journey from Bethany to Jerusalem

§  Luke 19:36-37 (TLB) ³⁶ Then the crowds spread out their robes along the road ahead of him, ³⁷ and as they reached the place where the road started down from the Mount of Olives, the whole procession began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles Jesus had done.

o   The Pharisees didn’t accept him

§  Luke 19:39 (NIV) ³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

·         Close to Jerusalem – within sight

o   Luke 19:41-44 (NIV) ⁴¹ As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it ⁴² and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴ They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

·         Entered into Jerusalem

o   Cleansed the Temple – knowing it would soon be destroyed

§  Luke 19:45 (TLB) ⁴⁵ Then he entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants from their stalls,

o   Healed people at the Temple

§  Matthew 21:14 (NIV) The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.

o   And allowed his Messiah-ship to be proclaimed

§  Matthew 21:15 (NIV) But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.

·         Went back to Bethany (where Lazarus, Mary and Martha lived)

o   Mark 11:11 (TLB) ¹¹ And so he entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple. He looked around carefully at everything and then left—for now it was late in the afternoon—and went out to Bethany with the twelve disciples.

Monday

·         Wakes up in Bethany with 12 Disciples (and almost certainly again with Mary, Martha, & Lazarus)

o   Mark 11:11 (NIV) ¹¹ 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.

·         Heads to Jerusalem

o   Curses fig tree

§  Matthew 21:18-19 (NIV) ¹⁸ Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

o   At Temple –

§  drives out buyers and sellers

·         Mark 11:15-18 (NIV) ¹⁵ On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. ¹⁷ And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" ¹⁸ The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

·         Leaves the city with Disciples (Mt. 21:17)

o   Mark 11:19 (NIV) ¹⁹ When evening came, they went out of the city.

Tuesday

·         Disciples see the withered fig tree on the return to Jerusalem

o   Mark 11:20-26 (NIV) ²⁰ In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" ²² "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. ²³ "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him."

·         Temple debates in Jerusalem (Mt. 21:23-23:39, Mk 11:27-12:44, Lk 20:1-21:4)

·         Leaves Temple for Mt of Olives

o   Matthew 24:1 (NIV) ¹ Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.

·         On Mt of Olives

o   Olivet Discourses (Mt 24-25, Mk 13, Lk 21:5-36)

§  Matthew 24:3 (NIV) ³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

§  Jesus answers in Parables

·         Ten Virgins – Mt 25:1-13

·         Talents – Mt 25:14-30

·         Sheep & Goats – Mt 25:31-46

o   Matthew 26:1-5 (NIV) ¹ When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ² "As you know, the Passover is two days away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." ³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴ and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. ⁵ "But not during the Feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."

·         Back in Bethany

o   Dinner at Simon the Leper’s house, where a woman anoints him with expensive perfume

§  Matthew 26:6-13 (NIV) ⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, ⁷ a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. ⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. ⁹ "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." ¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

o   Judas agrees to Betray Jesus

§  Matthew 26:14-16 (NIV) ¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. ¹⁶ From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Wednesday

·         Continues Daily Teaching, while spending his nights on Mt of Olives (at Bethany)

o   Luke 21:37-38 (NIV) ³⁷ Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, ³⁸ and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.

·         Sanhedrin plots to kill Jesus

o   Matthew 26:3-5 (NIV) ³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴ and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. ⁵ "But not during the Feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."

Thursday (Maundy Thursday)

(Mt 26:20-35, Mk 14:17-31, Lk 22:14-38, Jn 13-17, 1 Cor 11:23-25)

·         Preparations for Passover

o   Matthew 26:17-19 (NIV) ¹⁷ On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" ¹⁸ He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'" ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

o   In the morning Jesus sent Peter and John to oversee the necessary preparations for the room where the sacred meal of the Passover victim would take place

·         Matthew 26:17-19 (NLT) ¹⁷  On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” ¹⁸  “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹  So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.

o   At noon all religious Jews gathered at the Temple for the sacrifice of the second Tamid lamb

·         There were 2 daily sacrifice of a perfect lamb for the atonement for the sins of the community and for restoration of fellowship with God

·         Known as the Perpetual sacrifice or Standing sacrifice

·         (like a ‘standing order’)

·         Tamid may be derived from the word to stand

·         it happened every day, twice a day

·         according to ancient Jewish sources outside the Bible, the morning offering of the Tamid took place at 9 a.m., while the evening offering took place at 3 p.m.

·         The offering of the Tamid sacrifice was the most important of all the blood sacrifices of the Sinai Covenant

·         so important that the entire day of the covenant people was structured around the sacrifices

·         The Jewish priest/historian, Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD), recorded that the day the Babylonians destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple on the 9^th of Ab, 587/6 BC, the offering of the Tamid was so crucial to the covenant obligations that the priests continued to prepare the Tamid sacrifice as brother priests were being slaughtered and the Temple was burning down around them

·         3PM - the sacrifice of the Passover lambs began, lasting until about 5PM

·         Attending the Passover sacrifice wasn’t mandatory

·         But partaking in the feast that evening was

·         The Passover lamb was to be roasted and eaten in the evening, and before midnight

·         Passover was yearly

·         Focused on deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians

·         Tamid was daily

·         Focused on atoning for sins and restoration of relationship with God

o   At Sundown, the 15^th of Nissan began: the Festival of Unleavened Bread

·         7 days of celebration to remember that they left Egypt so quickly that they didn’t have time for their bread to rise

·         So all day yesterday the final yeast was found in homes and shops and was thrown out

·         Because anyone who still had yeast in their home come sundown (the start of the new day) was supposed to be cast out of the community

·         It was a big Deal!!!

·        In the evening/night

o   Jesus gathered with his disciples

·         Matthew 26:20 (NLT) ²⁰  When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the twelve disciples.

o   Washed their feet

·         John 13:2-5 (NIV) ²  The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. ³  Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴  so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

o   Ate the Passover meal

·         Luke 22:14-15 (NIV) ¹⁴  When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. ¹⁵  And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

o   Judas left to find the guards who would arrest Jesus

·         John 13:27-30 (NIV) ²⁷  As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. "What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, ²⁸  but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹  Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. ³⁰  As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

o   Everyone else went to a garden called Gethsemane on the hill across from the city called the Mt. of Olives

·         Matthew 26:36 (NIV) ³⁶  Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."

o   Jesus was arrested by the Temple Guard (under the control of the High Priest and the Sanhedrin, and different from the Roman soldiers), the disciples all fled

·         Matthew 26:50-56 (NIV) ⁵⁰  Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.  ⁵⁶  …Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

o   First Jesus was taken to the former High Priest, Annas  

·         John 18:12-13 (NIV) ¹²  Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him ¹³  and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.

o   From Annas' house Jesus was taken to Caiaphas' palace where He was tried on the testimony of false witnesses. 

·         John 18:24 (NIV) ²⁴  Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.

·         Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1 and from Daniel's messianic vision of the divine Messiah (Daniel 7:13).   

·         In quoting from these passages Jesus announced to the Sanhedrin that He was indeed the promised Messiah (Mt 26:64-66; Mk 14:61-64; Lk 22:69-71). 

o   The High Priest Caiaphas immediately tore his robes and condemned Jesus to death for blasphemy. 

·         Mark 14:63-64 (NIV) ⁶³  The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. ⁶⁴  "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death.

·         When a man was condemned to death the judge tore his robes and never repaired them as a sign of the individual's break with the covenant and the finality of the sentence

Friday

·         At dawn on Friday in the Jerusalem Temple the first lamb of the morning Tamid sacrifice was led out to the altar

o   The High Priest made or approved the selection,

·          It was inspected for one last time to be certain that it was without fault or blemish. 

·         It had to be visible for three hours prior to the sacrifice for everyone to see its perfection. 

·         At dawn on Friday morning the Jewish authorities took Jesus to the residence of the Roman governor Pontus Pilate for the Roman governor. 

o   John 18:28 (NIV) ²⁸  Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.

o   The Jewish Sanhedrin did not have the authority to carry out the death sentence they pronounced against Jesus.  Only their Roman rulers had the power over life and death

·         John 18:31 (NIV) ³¹  Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.

·         When Jesus was sent to Pilate:

o   John 18:28 (NIV) ²⁸ … to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.

·         the entire 8-day festival from the day of the Passover sacrifice to the last day of the week long Feast of Unleavened Bread was called "the Passover"

o   Jesus was selected by the High Priest Caiaphas for sacrifice.

·         Caiaphas pronounced three times that He must die (John 11:49-50, 51; 18:14)

·         and the Gentile Roman governor pronounced Him, three times, "without fault/blemish" (John 18:38; 19:4, 6).

·         Pilate bowed to the pressure to have Jesus crucified, and sent him to Golgatha

o   Mark 15:15 (NIV) ¹⁵  Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

o   Jesus was tried, condemned and crucified on Friday, Nisan the 15^th 

·         During the daytime festivities of the Feast of Unleavened Bread

·         When all righteous Jews, and Jesus' many supporters, were at the Temple attending the liturgical services. 

·         The chief priests and Pharisees had planned Jesus' arrest, trial and execution so that the people would not discover what had happened to Jesus until it was too late to intervene and save him.

·         At 9AM (the 3^rd hour Jewish time), on Friday, Nisan the 15^th, Jesus was crucified on the altar of the cross. 

o   Mark 15:25 (NLT) ²⁵  It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.

·         At the Temple at 9am, the first lamb of the daily Tamid was sacrificed, and focused on atoning for sins and restoration of relationship with God

o   Jesus was on the cross for 6 hours until his death at 3pm (or the 9^th hour to the Jews)

·         Luke 23:44-46 (NIV) ⁴⁴  It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵  for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶  Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

·         Meanwhile, back at the Temple…

·         The 2^nd Tamid sacrifice was being offered

·         A sacrifice for atonement for the sins of the community and for restoration of fellowship with God

·         So, Jesus is the true Tamid, the true ‘standing’ sacrifice

·         Before sundown (the start of the Sabbath), Jesus was removed from the Cross and buried in a borrowed tomb

o   Luke 23:50-54 (NIV) ⁵⁰  Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, ⁵¹  who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵²  Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. ⁵³  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. ⁵⁴  It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

Saturday (the Sabbath)

·         Probably on Friday evening, the beginning of the Sabbath “day”, the Chief Priests convinced Pilate to guard the tomb to keep the disciples from stealing Jesus’ body

o   Matthew 27:62-66 (NIV) ⁶²  The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ⁶³  "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' ⁶⁴  So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first." ⁶⁵  "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." ⁶⁶  So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

o   Luke 23:55-56 (NIV) ⁵⁵  The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ⁵⁶  Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.