Holy Week: Wednesday

Holy Week: Wednesday
4/16/2014

Yesterday Christ visited Jerusalem and discussed much with His disciples. We were reminded of the withered fig tree, learned about the parable of the talent and are made knowledgeable of the signs concerning the end of times.

However, the events today are much different. Today, Christ spends the whole day in “Bet Ania” and tells the disciples what is to happen to Him in order to strengthen their faith. During this day, Christ did not go to Jerusalem.  Why is this so significant?

Let us recall the Israelite's passover tradition, In Deuteronomy 16:5-6 “You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates which the Lord your God gives you; but at the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide.." 

Christ stayed outside of the city. This was done to remind us that the lamb was kept outside the city during the Israelite’s Passover. Golgotha, the cite of Christ's crucifixion was not withing the gates, rather outside of Jerusalem. Likewise, Our Savior, as the lamb, stayed outside the city, and after Passover, he gave the ultimate sacrifice… His blood for the remission of our sins.

If I could revisit any biblical event, I would chose to walk the streets of Jerusalem and then spend the day with Christ in "bet ania" on Holy Wednesday. As Christ was with his disciples, many filled the streets of Jerusalem conspiring against Him. John 11:53-54 "Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews." 

I wonder what they were actually saying...what arguments were so persuasive that caused those who proclaimed "Hosanna in the Highest" to shout "Crucify Him". What about those who were healed, raised from the dead, or touched by the word of God... did they defend him, or stand from afar fearing their own death? Truth is, we all stand afar when asked what role Christ plays in our lives because at times, He is not involved.

I wonder how my dear Lord Jesus Christ was feeling. In less than 48 hours, He would be subjected to humiliation and taste the bitterness of death for my sake. What thoughts were running through His head as He first thought about me, and then about His crucifixion? Was I worth His pain, His suffering, His blood and above all His life? 

I have always been so perplexed at how quickly Judas betrayed Christ. But in reality, I am no different. Luke 22:6 "So he (Judas) promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude." Of all the promises that God has given me, of eternal life, salvation, hope, love and healing, my promise to Him was betrayal because my loyalty to sin was far more important. 

As I followed Christ through this day, I wonder what the disciples reactions were when Mary took the fragrant oil and anointed the feet of Christ with. John 12:7 "But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. Christ explicitly tells them that He is to die soon, but his words are unnoticed. How many times a day does Christ reach out to us and we fail to realize His message?

Moreover in John 12:32-33 Christ explicitly explains to His disciples how He will be put to death "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” This He said, signifying by what death He would die.  Their response was "‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”. This goes to show that if we are preoccupied with the thoughts, feelings, dreams and worries of the world, we will miss the important cues that God gives us.

This is like traveling from your home to a destination far off that you are unfamiliar with. You initially prepare yourself, yours bags, food, money, clothes and take the navigator. Along the road, you miss the first stop and are rerouted, there you encounter a detour. You begin to get frustrated and eventually ignore the navigator's directions. You are physically prepared to drive to this destination, yet you are absent, mentally and cognitively. 

Likewise, our common destination is heaven, how we individually arrive there is different. Christ may allow for heavy traffic to test our patience, detours to change our path and road closures so that we make taken an alternate route. If we constantly ignore the cues that God provides us with (our navigator), me may never arrive to the final destination before the tank runs out of gas.... or for our sake, before our biological clock stops ticking.