Holy Week*

Today is Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of what the Church has called "Holy Week". In Church history, this week was previously called "Great Week" because of all the Lord accomplished during this last week before His death and resurrection. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundational truth of the Christian faith. This year, Passover also occurs during this week, and Passover played a defining role in these important events in this week of Jesus' life. John the Baptist identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". As that Lamb, Jesus died on Passover, and like the lamb thousands of years previously, whose blood was applied to the doorposts and lintels of the homes of the Israelites to save them from the plague of death, the blood of Jesus delivered us from death. The great events that would occur during this last week before Christ's crucifixion had been prophesied by God generations before, and became fulfilled. Prophecies given in the scriptures, and their miraculous later fulfillment, make the Bible different from every other book. It is through these prophecies and their fulfillment, and the undeniable and unchangeable proven truth of scripture, that God seeks a relationship with man, rather than a religion. Jesus continually spoke about this personal relationship with the Father, who loved us so much that He sent and gave His Son for us, to save us. During the last week before His crucifixion, the Passover was drawing near, and Jesus and His disciples traveled towards Jerusalem. Before entering Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples stopped near the Mount of Olives in the town of Bethany. An event happened in Bethany that would be a prophetic preparation for His coming death: "Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Isariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always." (Jn. 12:1-6). The account in the Gospel of John also tells us that many Jews believed on Jesus and came to see both Him and Lazarus, because they were witnesses to the fact that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. The chief priests even plotted to kill Lazarus because he was the reason many believed in Jesus (see v. 9-11). A few days later (see Mt. 26:2), still in Bethny, Jesus dined at Simon the leper's home. This was the father of Judas, as mentioned previously. Simon must have been healed of his leprosy by Jesus, or he would not have been able to have guests at his house for a dinner: "there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat." (Mt. 26:6-7). This time, Jesus' head was anointed. Again, His disciples complained of the "waste" of such a precious ointment that could have been sold instead for the poor. Jesus corrected them saying that this woman "hath wrought a good work upon me." (v. 8-10). [Note: Scripture also tells us that Jesus corrected Simon for his condemnation of this woman who had anointed Jesus in this manner. Simon had not even given Jesus water with which to wash His feet, as was customary when a guest entered a home, yet this woman, of whom Simon disapproved, anointed Jesus with precious ointment. (see Lk. 7:44-48)]. It is then recorded that Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and covenanted with them to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, and from then on looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus (v. 14-16). After Jesus' death, Judas was sorry for the innocent blood that was shed and sought to return the silver to the priests, but they refused to deal with him. He threw the silver he had previously received from them onto the table before them, and went and hung himself (Mt. 27:3-10). That silver was then used by the priests to buy "potter's field" as a place to bury the poor. This was prophesied in Zech. 11:12-13: "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price...so they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter...And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD." While at Bethany, before Jesus was to enter Jerusalem, He gave His disciples an instruction that would be another fulfillment of prophecy. He instructed His disciples to enter into the next town where they would find "...an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightaway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass." (Mt. 21:1-5, Zech 9:9). As Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem "...a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest." (v. 8-9). They were welcoming the kingdom of their father David (see Mk. 11:10). There were those in Jerusalem who asked who this Man was that was riding into the city, and the others answered, "This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." Jesus had indeed prophesied that His disciples would find an ass and its colt available in the nexrt town. Many in Israel, when Messiah came, expected Him to throw out the occupying Romans, the oppressors of the people. However, they overlooked the redemptive purpose connected to the promised Messiah. As Isaiah prophesied, the Messiah would come to die for the sins of others, and for their healing. After Jesus entered Jerusalem, He went directly into the temple of God, "and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." (Mt. 21:12-13). In a similar account of the same event in Luke 19:28-40, the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke the crowd who was shouting, "Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." Jesus answered the Pharisees saying, "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." An event ordained and appointed by God according to His prophetic Word, will be fulfilled, and there will be a witness to proclaim it. The Shroud of Turin is an example of a witness which testifies to the ordained and fulfilled suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. As we continue to read in Luke, Jesus beheld the city, Jerusalem, and He wept over it, saying, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." (v. 41-42). He prophesied over the city that their enemies would attack and besiege them, surround them, and utterly destroy them, "...because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation." (v. 43-44). Does the Church know the time of the coming visitation of Christ, or will it remain unaware, ignoring all of the signs as Jerusalem did? There is another prophecy from Zechariah, not yet fulfilled, which says that the LORD will destroy the nations that come against Jerusalem. The world is already persecuting those who hold the Word of God to be true, and that the Spirit of God would be poured out upon the house of David, and Jerusalem, and they would look upon "me whom they have pierced", and they shall mourn for Him (Zech. 12:9-11). Isaiah tells the people of God "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put n thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city...So shall he sprinkle (Nazah - startle, sprinkle, the blood of expiation) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.", and Isaiah also asked the question, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?" (Isa. 52:1, 15, 53:1). On the morning of resurrection, such a powerful event happened that the stone was hurled away from the opening of the tomb of Jesus, and the Roman guards who had been assigned to guard the tomb had passed out. All tht was left inside the tomb was an empty burial cloth, which, when John entered the tomb and saw it, caused him to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. These are the events of "Holy Week" that changed the world. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 4/2/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

Palm Sunday - A Last Days Perspective*

Palm Sunday is not just a past event that happened in Jerusalem, or a church event when you receive a palm branch. It is an Old Testament prophetic event that was foretold by the Prophet Zechariah, a past New Testament event fulfilled by Jesus in His entrance into Jerusalem before His crucifixion on Passover, a current event, as it affects our hearts and our salvation today, and it is an event that has a meaning in the last days, as we will see. This is the prophecy of Zechariah: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." (Zech. 9:9). We will see that this prophecy was fulfilled exactly as Jesus came into Jerusalem. However, before this event, Jesus had something to teach about the salvation that He was bringing. Someone asked Him, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" Jewsus answered that many will seek to enter in, but will not be able. He also said, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate (one of the eight gates into the city of Jerusalem, also known as the Mercy Gate, the Golden Gate, the Beautiful Gate, and the easternmost gate)." The Greek word for "strait" is stenos/histemi, meaning "narrowed from obstacles/to stand, to be kept intact, to escape in safety, to cause a person to keep his place". Jesus warned that once the master closes this door of entrance, anyone seeking to come in afterwards will be told "I know you not whence you are." (Lk. 13:22-25). Even if they claim to have eaten with Him, and heard His teaching, if they have not come through that strait gate, the only way of mercy and salvation, they will not be able to enter in, but are thrust out. "And behold, there are last which shall be first, and first which shall be last." (v. 26-30). Jesus added that every prophet perished in Jerusalem. Jerusalem, which should have known their God, stoned the prophets that were sent to them. Jesus, who knew He also would face His death in Jerusalem, said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not? Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (v. 33-35). Jerusalem, the city of the temple of God, refused the protection of the Savior. Before entering Jerusalem, Jesus stopped at Bethphage, and instructed His disciples to enter into the village, and they would find an ass and colt tied. They were to tell the owner that the master had need of them, and the owner would send them immediately. All of this was done to fulfill what the prophet Zechariah prophesied above. Garments and branches were spread on the road, and multitudes went before and behind Jesus crying, "...Hosanna to the Son od David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest." (Mt. 21:1-9). Although this is a prophetically identifying cry, the question was asked, "Who is this?" The answer was given, "Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." (v. 11). Immediately after His entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus threw out with authority those buying and selling in the temple, and cleansed it. What are we allowing to be bought and sold in our living temple? He healed the blind and the lame there in the temple also. Do we believe in the Miracle Worker who comes in the name of the Lord? Children again cried out in the temple of Jerusalem, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David." (v. 15). When the chief priests and scribes saw and heard these things that identified the Messiah, "...they were sore displeased," and Jesus reminded them of the identifying scripture that prophesied, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise." (v. 16). How many signs of the timing of the Lord prophesied in scripture are Christians ignoring - feast days, lunar cycles - that testify of Christ and His return? Babes in Christ are re-discovering these things and accepting their prophetic truth, and rejoicing in them, more so than long-established Christians. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, multitudes followed Him, meeting Him with palm branches, and crying out as He entered Jerusalem, "Hosanna: Blessed is the king of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." However, the knowledgeable Pharisees, knowing what these cries and palms meant, became fearful, saying, "...behold, the world is gone after him." (Jn. 12:9-19). Not only would they seek an opportunity to kill Jesus, but also Lazarus, whom He raised. About these Pharisees, Jesus said, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." (Mt. 23:1-3). They sit in seats of religious authority, Jesus said. They know the scriptures. They understand the prophecies that have been given by God, but they themselves do not do them. Instead, they lay heavy religious burdens upon the people. They put on religious displays in clothing and custom, and love the places of honor given to them. They love being addressed as "Rabbi", while rejecting the only true Teacher and Master, which is Christ (v. 4-10). Jesus said that these practices of the scribes and Pharisees did not reflect the kingdom of God where "...he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (v. 11-12). Jesus further said that woe would come to the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy and pretence. He said that they make victims of the weak, and teach others to become children of hell and damnation, rather than children of God. (v. 13-15). Jesus called them "blind guides" (v. 24). They look clean on the outside, but inside, they are full of extortion, excess, and uncleanness (v. 25-28). He concluded speaking to them, saying, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (v. 33). How terrible it is if what we are showing and teaching to others, like the scribes and Pharisees, is causing them to miss God, rather than to find Him! Are we hearing and understanding in our walk what the shouts of "Hosanna: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!", really mean? The Prophet Hosea wrote the Word of the Lord concerning God's people, and the end times: "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days." (Hos. 3:4-5). While Jesus did not declare Himself an earthly king, the prophetic cries of Palm Sunday, and His entrance, declare His Kingship. This was yet another stumbling block for those like the scribes, chief priests, and Pharisees who were very familiar with the Kingship of the Messiah. It can also be a stumbling block for believers today. Who have we made kings in our lives? Have we made politicians, and government our kings? Many believers have followed after politicians making certain promises as one would follow a king. There is only one King, Jesus, the Son of David, the Son of God. We see again the attitude of the religious experts as Jesus was examined before Pontius Pilate. Jesus was accused before Pilate by the Jewish leaders of calling Himself the Son of God. This caused Pilate more fear, and he questioned Jesus again. Hearing His answer, Pilate sought to release Jesus, but again the Jewish religious leaders falsely said to Pilate, who had been appointed by the Roman Emperor, that Jesus had made Himself a king in opposition to Cesar. This was taking place as Passover approached. Pilate presented Jesus to the religious leaders saying, "Behold, your king...Shall I crucify your king?" But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him." The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Cesar." And so Jesus was delivered to be crucified. (Jn. 19:7-16). Like those religious leaders, many, including those in the church, desire a king who will give them what they want. Many political leaders come to the church to use it for political and monetary gain. As we read in Jesus' warning earlier, there will come a point in time when the master of the house will shut the door, even as God shut the door to Noah's ark, and many will knock then, but will receive the answer, "I don't know you." We only have so much time to bring the lost into the ark before the door is shut. What is Palm Sunday declaring to you? *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 4/10/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimeschool.com.