A Passover and Easter Special, Part 2

A Passover and Easter Special, Part 2.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal or victorious entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

Palm Sunday is the beginning occasion for reflecting on the final week of Jesus’ life and a time for Christians to prepare their hearts for the agony of His Passion culminating with the cross and the joy of His Resurrection.

The aor-act-ind of the verb epibabazo – in the active voice means that they practically forced Jesus on it, means to cause someone to mount an animal.

“Why Did Jesus Weep?” He looked at the city of Jerusalem and He saw the vanity behind their faces and He realized the emptiness of their lives. They heard it but did not perceive and understand the purpose of His coming.

They missed the day of their visitation from the King of kings and the Lord of lords. By waving palm branches they were showing that they expected Jesus to be another warlord – another general of the armies – one who would lead them to overthrow the Romans.

They were ready to pick up their swords and shields and go to war if He would lead them!

JOH 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Our Lord said, “I didn’t come for that purpose. I came to show you a more excellent way. I came to show you the way of love.”

1CO 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
1CO 13:13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

“Love even Rome – because Rome with her mighty army has seen the power of the sword but Rome has not seen the power of love.

Jesus wept over them because the opportunity would be taken away and they would never have it again.

In this Holy week beginning with Palm Sunday, don’t miss the opportunity. As He sits upon the Colt, the beast of burden, He sees the towering Temple of God against the sky. He sees the armies of Titus surrounding the Holy City. When He turns and looks into your life, I wonder, will He weep once again because of what He sees?

MAT 25:21 “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of the Lord”

The first trial was before Annas, the father in law to Caiaphas. Since Annas was not a judge, this was an illegal trial! A former high priest, Annas was now the political boss of Jerusalem. He was engaged in gangster activities connected with every system of corruption in Jerusalem, as well as with the bands of robbers in the Negev, who owed their protection to him.

You should notice at the very outset that the people who brought Jesus to trial in the first cases were all RELIGIOUS people the chief-priests, scribes and Pharisees.

The second trial, they laid hold on Jesus and led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. MAT 26:57 And those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.

Caiaphas was not a prophet, but he inadvertently prophesied the death of Christ (John 11:51-52). Thus the Romans must be made to think that the Jews were cleaning house without Roman help or interference.

1JO 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

The third trial was held early the next morning by the Jews. The religious leaders (the council) suddenly realized that the trial at night was illegal. Realizing that it was a feast period (Passover and Unleavened Bread) and they could not sentence someone on a holy day according to their law, they said, “Let’s pass Him off and let someone else do it.”

The fourth trial was His second trip before Caiaphas that morning. They wanted to keep their hands “clean” in order to eat the Passover that night the Passover which spoke of the death of Christ on the Cross.

LUK 23:2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that Himself is Christ, a King.”

This was a theological problem which would never hold up before a Roman governor. The fifth trial was before Herod. Herod was excited at seeing Jesus, for he had heard of His reputation for performing miracles. Hoping for entertainment, he attempted to induce Jesus to perform one of His miracles.

The sixth trial was before Pilate. LUK 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”