The last week of Jesus’ life is often referred to as the “Holy Week.” Let’s look at His last eight days.

Day Eight - Friday: Jesus is in Bethany with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus

John 12:1–11:

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

What does Mary do at this dinner?
Why are the chief priests planning to kill Lazarus?

Day Seven - Saturday: The Sabbath

Genesis 2:2–3:

2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Exodus 20:8–11:

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Mark 2:27:

27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Hebrews 4:9–11:

9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

🛑 1. “There remains a Sabbath rest…” The writer is not just talking about taking a weekly day off. He’s pointing to a spiritual kind of rest—a rest that still remains for God’s people. This rest is not just about ceasing physical labor; it’s about entering into God’s finished work through faith.

In other words, Jesus is our ultimate Sabbath. Through Him, we can stop striving, stop earning, stop proving ourselves—and rest in the grace and work that He has completed.

🙌 2. “Whoever has entered God’s rest…” Just like God rested on the seventh day after creation, we are invited to rest from our works—from trying to save ourselves or find identity in our own effort. This is not laziness. It’s faith in action: trusting Jesus fully, even when we’re tempted to rely on our own strength.

🏃‍♂️ 3. “Let us strive to enter that rest…” At first glance, it seems like a contradiction: strive to rest?

But the point is, it takes intentionality to enter into God’s rest. We must push back against the pull of self-reliance, legalism, busyness, and unbelief. The people of Israel failed to enter the Promised Land because of unbelief (Hebrews 3), and the writer of Hebrews is warning us not to repeat that mistake—don’t harden your heart.

💬 In Short: Hebrews 4:9–11 is calling us to trust Jesus fully—to stop striving and start resting in His finished work. It’s not just about a day; it’s about a lifestyle of faith, surrender, and deep soul-rest in the presence of God.

📖 Understanding the Text

What do you think the writer of Hebrews means by “Sabbath rest” in verse 9?
How is it similar or different from the weekly Sabbath day?

Verse 10 says, “Whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works.”

What “works” do you think we’re being invited to rest from?

In verse 11, we’re told to “strive to enter that rest.”

Why might resting in God require effort?
What does this tension teach us about faith?

🪞 Personal Reflection

How easy or difficult is it for you to rest—physically, emotionally, or spiritually? Why?
Where in your life do you feel like you’re still striving or performing rather than resting in Christ? (e.g., work, relationships, church, identity)
Have you ever experienced a moment of deep rest in God—where you felt totally at peace, secure, and not trying to earn anything? What was that like?

✝️ Connecting to Jesus

How does Jesus fulfill the Sabbath for us?
What does it mean to say that “Jesus is our Sabbath rest”?
What spiritual rhythms or habits help you rest in Jesus more deeply?
Are there any that you’d like to explore or re-establish?

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Group Application

What would it look like for our group (or families) to model Sabbath rest in our culture of busyness?
How can we encourage each other to live out Hebrews 4:9–11—not just knowing about rest, but actually stepping into it?

Day Six - Sunday: Palm Sunday - Jesus enters Jerusalem

Matthew 21:1–11:

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

  5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
  ‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
  humble, and mounted on a donkey,
  on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Mark 11:1–10:

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

Luke 19:28–44:

28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” 41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Why is the Sunday before Easter called Palm Sunday?
Who is praising, shouting and adoring Jesus?

Day Five - Monday

Mark 11:12–14: Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

What is the significance of the fig tree?

Mark 11:15–18: Jesus Cleanses the Temple

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.

🔍 Symbolic Meaning – A Living Parable Jesus is using the fig tree as a prophetic symbol, especially in the context of what happens next: Right after this moment, He cleanses the temple (Mark 11:15–19).

Here’s how it all fits together:

🌿 The Fig Tree = Israel (especially its religious leadership) The tree looks fruitful from a distance (lots of leaves),

but up close, it bears no fruit—no real spiritual life, only empty religion.

🧹 Temple Cleansing = Judgment on Hypocrisy Jesus is showing that the temple—meant to be a house of prayer—has become a place of corruption and show, lacking real fruit. So the fig tree curse is a visual sermon about spiritual barrenness and the coming judgment on the old religious system.

✝️ Deeper Application God looks for fruit, not just outward signs of life.

It’s not about religious activity, but true faith, love, justice, mercy (see Micah 6:8, Galatians 5:22–23).

Jesus expects us to bear fruit in every season.

Not perfection, but a life that reflects our connection to Him (see John 15:5–8).

Warning against hypocrisy.

It’s possible to look alive on the outside and be spiritually empty on the inside.

🧠 Discussion or Reflection Questions:

What kind of “fruit” do you think Jesus is looking for in your life?
Have there been times when you’ve had leaves (activity, reputation) but not fruit (real transformation)?
How can you stay rooted in Jesus so your life stays spiritually alive?

Day Four - Tuesday: Jesus returns to the Temple and teaches

Mark 12:1–44:

1 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:

  “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected
  has become the cornerstone;
  11 this was the Lord’s doing,
  and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. 13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him. 18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. 35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared,

  “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
  “Sit at my right hand,
  until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’

37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly. 38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” 41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Parable of the Vine Grower

Lawful to Pay Taxes?

Questions of Resurrection

Most Important Commandment

Beware of Scribes

Widow’s Mite

Things to Come

Day Three - Wednesday: A day of rest and preparation

Day Two - Thursday: Passover begins at Sundown

The Last Supper

Mark 14:12–26:

12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

See Exodus 12 for the menu of the Passover or Seder meal.

🍽️ The Original Passover Meal – Exodus 12

🐑 A Lamb “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old…” (Exodus 12:5)

The lamb was to be slaughtered at twilight (v.6)

Its blood was to be painted on the doorposts as a sign (v.7)

It was to be roasted with fire—not boiled or eaten raw (v.8–9)

None of it was to be left until morning (v.10)

Symbolic meaning: The lamb represented substitutionary protection—God’s judgment passed over every home marked with the blood.

🌿 Bitter Herbs “…and they shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.” (Exodus 12:8)

These herbs (likely things like horseradish or chicory) reminded Israel of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.

🍞 Unleavened Bread “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread…” (v.15)

The people had to leave Egypt in haste, with no time for the bread to rise (v.34, 39)

Leaven also came to symbolize sin or corruption, which they were to remove from their homes

🕊️ Additional Instructions The meal was to be eaten quickly, “with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand” (v.11)

It was a meal of readiness and deliverance

It was to be remembered annually by every generation (v.24–27)

✡️ Modern Seder Connection Modern Jewish Passover Seders have developed over centuries and now include:

A Seder plate with items like:

Charoset (sweet paste symbolizing mortar)
Karpas (parsley dipped in salt water)
Maror (bitter herbs)
A shank bone (symbolizing the lamb)
A roasted egg
Four cups of wine
The Haggadah (telling of the Exodus story)

But at its core, it still recalls Exodus 12—God’s deliverance through the blood of the lamb.

Comforting the Disciples

✨ Summary of John 14–16

Theme: “You will not be left alone.”

📍 John 14 – “Let not your hearts be troubled”

Jesus begins by comforting the disciples, who are confused and afraid.
He promises a place in the Father’s house (v.1–4).
“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (v.6).
Knowing Jesus = knowing the Father (v.7–11).
Ask in My name, and I will do it (v.12–14).
Promise of the Holy Spirit (Helper / Advocate) to be with them forever (v.15–27).
Peace I leave with you… do not let your hearts be troubled (v.27).

🔍 Key Comfort: You have a future with Me, and you will never be abandoned.

📍 John 15 – “Abide in Me”

Jesus uses the image of the vine and branches to explain how the disciples can stay close to Him.
Remain (abide) in Me, and you will bear fruit (v.1–8).
Love one another as I have loved you (v.9–17).
The world will hate you, but remember—it hated Me first (v.18–25).
The Spirit of truth will testify about Me (v.26–27).

🔍 Key Comfort: Stay connected to Me, and you will thrive—even when the world rejects you.

📍 John 16 – “I have overcome the world”

Jesus prepares them for sorrow, but also assures them of joy and victory.
The Spirit will guide them into all truth (v.13).
The Spirit will glorify Jesus and remind them of all He taught (v.14).
“You will weep and lament…” but their sorrow will turn to joy (v.20–22).
“In this world you will have trouble…” “But take heart, I have overcome the world” (v.33).

🔍 Key Comfort: You will have hardship, but I have already won.

💬 In Short: Jesus says: “I’m leaving, but I’m not abandoning you.”

He promises:

A place in the Father’s house
The Holy Spirit’s presence
Lasting peace and deep joy
A connection that nothing can break
Victory, even through sorrow

Garden of Gethsemane

Luke 22:39–46:

39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Mark 14:32–42:

32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

What is “hematidrosis”? Why do you think Luke mentions this?
What happens here in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Jesus’ Arrest and Trial

Mark 14:43–15:15

Matthew 26:47-27:26

Luke 22:47-23:25

John 18:2-19:16

There are 17 people present; 23 are required for a quorum.
There are 25 laws broken concerning trials.
Judas has disappeared; he would have been the chief witness and prosecutor.

Jesus sent to Pilate

Pilate catches them off guard by asking for the charges.
- Blasphemy; not a concern of Rome.
- Opposes Roman taxes; not true.
- Claims to be a King; this is a concern of Rome!
Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas.
- Jesus never speaks to Herod Antipas.
- Herod has Him beaten and sent back to Pilate.
Pilate has Him scourged.
Pilate wants to release Him but, he is in a corner with his back to a wall.
Pilate makes the official proclamation to “put the cross on the slave.”

Day One - Friday: Crucifixion and Death

Mark 15:16–41:

16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. 21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. 33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

Matthew 27:27–56:

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. 32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” 55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Luke 23:26–49:

26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” 32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

John 19:16–30:

16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

  “They divided my garments among them,
  and for my clothing they cast lots.”

So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Why did Jesus endure the cross? Why did He not call 10,000 angels to help Him?
Why did God turn away from Him? How does this relate to the darkness?
What does Jesus cry out? What significance does this have for us?
What is the significance of the Temple curtain being torn in two?

Wrap It Up

In this Holy Week, if you know and love Jesus, be intentional in looking for opportunities to share Jesus with others.

“Don’t pray for less fear to reach the lost. Pray for more love.” - Ray Comfort