Tag Archives: Holy Week Thursday

Passover to Pentecost – Lord of the Sabbath

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Lord of the Sabbath

In Matthew 12:8, Mark 2: 28, and Luke 6:5 is the story of the disciples harvesting and eating grain on the Sabbath.  Jesus’ replied to those complaining, “The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.”  Then not much more is said about this passage/idea. In John’s story of the crucifixion that statement is made very clear!

John’s Gospel has the most references to Passover, especially the three that Jesus spent with His disciples, but the last one, John 12 -20, will be our focus for this blog.

  • John 12: 1 timestamps the action as “six days before Passover.” This is when Mary anointed Jesus’ feet.
  • John 13: 1 is “just before Passover” and it would have been the Thursday of that week.Jesus sends Peter and John off to prepare for the eating of the Passover meal.  But Thursday is before what the Jews would call the “Day of Preparation”, when they would kill the Lamb and paint the doorframe.
  • John 18: 28 is early on Friday morning the “Day of Preparation” and the Jews are trying to stay “Clean” so they can eat the Passover.
  • John 19: 14, 31, and 42 again mentions the “Day of Preparation.” Christians now call this Good Friday.  This is when the Jews would have killed the lambs and is when Jesus died.
  • John 20: 1 is “early on the first day of the week.” Christians call this Easter!

So why does this make Jesus Lord of the Sabbath?  Is our communion really the same as the Passover sharing of wine and bread?  Is Easter and Passover the same thing?

I will answer these questions this way: Jesus and the disciples broke tradition and ate the “Passover Meal” and shared communion twenty-four hours to soon. So even though these things happen around Passover they did not happen ON Passover!  Jesus did something new but He had to so that He could fulfill the requirementsof Passover.  It is probable that He died just as the lambs were being killed in the Temple for the Passover meal.

I see this as Jesus doing what had to be done to fulfill all things of the Law!  I am not sure that for us it should cause a major change in traditions, but it does show that Jesus is Lord over the Sabbath and all of our holidays.

SECOND THOUGHT – Did the disciples understand what was happening when they ate early?  If they did were they questioning Jesus as to why?

pic : http://clipart.christiansunite.com/1395312061/Communion Clipart/Communion005.jpg

Holy Week – Thursday

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Thursday of Holy Week was a powerful for Jesus.

Matthew 26:17-75, Mark 14:12-72, Luke22: 7-65, John 13:1 -18:27

See Holy Week 2014 – Thursday – Jesus Eagerly Desired

WOW! What a week. Put on Jesus’ shoes for a few minutes; treated like royalty, symbolically killed the old system (the fig tree), taught and defended your teachings in the center of your religion and started to prepare for your death. The emotions of the man Jesus because of the knowledge of the God Jesus must have been overwhelming.

The new continues as He changes the Passover meal and the concept of who is the “greatest.”

The Garden Prayers have always fascinated me because the few lines have never seemed like enough to last for hours. Luke 24:44 says Moses, Psalms and the Prophets have things that had to be fulfilled. Jesus prayed three times and each time it seems like He was more intense until Judas showed up. I will grant that this is my imagination but I put together scriptures that might sound like those prayers. Due to the length I am going to list only parts of the first prayer, this one is about six pages long. (All of these are from the NIV version.)

  • Ps 8:1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
  • Ps 18:1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
  • Ps 9:7 The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.
  • Ps 9:8 He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.
  • Ps 9:9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
  • Ps 9:10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
  • Ps 36:5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
  • Ps 36:6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.
  • Ps 36:7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
  • Ps 36:8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
  • Ps 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

The middle of the prayer.

  • Ps 56:1 Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack.
  • Ps 56:3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
  • Ps 56:4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
  • Ps 61:1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
  • Ps 61:2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
  • Ps 61:3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
  • Ps 61:4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
  • Ps 60:5 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.
  • Ps 91:2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
  • Ps 91:3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
  • Ps 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

The end of the prayer.

  • Ps 119:28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
  • Ps 119:29 Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through your law.
  • Ps 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.
  • Ps 119:31 I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD; do not let me be put to shame.
  • Ps 119:32 I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.
  • Ps 42:1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
  • Ps 42:2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
  • Ps 42:3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
  • Ps 42:4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.
  • Ps 42:5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
  • Ps 38:9 All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.
  • Ps 38:10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.

Then to go from hours of prayer to a trial that you know will not end good.