Matthew 27:1-61, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:66 – 23:56, John 18:28 – 19:42

See Holy Week 2014 – Friday – Jesus Asked For a Drink

Exodus 12:3-6 is the story of the Passover. The Israelites were to pick a one-year-old sheep or goat on the 10^th day and take care of it until the 14^th day when it was to be killed at twilight. (God started a “new month” for them; so there was a civil calendar and a religious calendar.) This shadows the last five days. The “darkness over the land” now makes sense because His time before Pilate and the trip with the cross was done in the morning. There needed to be “twilight.”

Moses as a type of Jesus ate the Passover lamb and then led the people to freedom; so Jesus ate the lamb and then led us out of sin to freedom. The Gospel of John makes so many connections between Jesus and the lamb – His silence during the trials and no breaking of His bones. The only questions Jesus answered were ones that directly dealt with His kingship and His relation to the Father.

Jesus trials are even shadowed when Moses had his meetings with Pharaoh. Pilate, however, was at least making an attempt to let Him go (it was a weak attempt). As I read John I wondered how the Gospel writers got conversations between Jesus and Pilate; another question that has to wait until Heaven.

I wish I could remember whose sermon this came from but here is something to hold on too – It maybe Friday but Sunday is coming!