Seven Days

We are partaking of communion on Palm Sunday, a seven days before we celebrate Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. This is the most difficult and the most glorious time of the year on the church calendar. We should remember that week.

• On Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey and many hailed Him as the Messiah. “They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’” (John 12:13, with a quote from Psalm 118:26)
• On Monday Jesus cursed the fig tree and cleansed His Father’s house for the second time.
• On Tuesday He taught on Mt. Olivet and Judas agreed on a price for betrayal.
• On Wednesday we don’t know exactly what Jesus did.
• On Thursday Jesus ate the Passover Meal with His men, washed their feet, gave them the command to love each other as He loved them, prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, was betrayed by Judas’ kiss, and tried.
• On Friday Jesus was tried again and again, beaten over and over, crucified, and buried.
• There is no record of events on the Sabbath, but by early the following Sunday the tomb was empty. The angel said to Mary and Mary, “I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said” (Matthew 28:6).

Here’s one of my favorite images that gets posted a lot during this time of year. Palm branch, thorns as crown, tree as cross, stone rolled away. A lot can happen in seven days.