HOLY WEDNESDAY

 Holy Wednesday

On this day, Jesus experienced beautiful devotion and devious betrayal.

Mary Anoints Jesus

14:3-9

The setting for the story is the little village of Bethany on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. (3) Jesus and his disciples spent the nights there after days of confrontations in the city of Jerusalem. Bethany was the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. 

A man named Simon the Leper hosted a dinner for Jesus and his disciples. (3) Simon would have been healed from his disease, or otherwise could not have been in such a gathering. Maybe Jesus healed him previously and so the dinner was in his honor. 

To the surprise of the men, a woman entered the room. Mark does not name her, but John’s account tells us it was Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. (John 12:1-3)

Mark may have omitted her name to keep the reader’s focus on Jesus. He presents this event as the beginning of the end of Jesus’ earthly life as he is anointed for death. 

We know Mary from two previous encounters with Jesus. First, she sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his teaching despite her sister wanting her to help her serve dinner. But Jesus told Martha “one thing is necessary” and “Mary has chosen n the good portion, which will not be taken away from her”. (Luke 10:38-42)

Mary’s desire to be near her Lord and to concentrate on his teaching was far more beneficial than being very busy preparing and serving with a meal. So, Jesus further said that would not be taken away from Mary.

The second time we see her is after the death of her brother, Lazarus. When Jesus got there, Mary said Lazarus would not have died if Jesus had been there. While that sounds like a reproach, it shows that Mary believed in Jesus’ divine power to heal. 

Mary’s entrance into the room where the men were gathered around the table was practically walking into the lion’s den. It was inappropriate in that culture for a woman to come into such a gathering of men except to serve them food and drink. As soon as the men realized she was not carrying a picture of wine or a platter of food, they would have begun to sit up and watch her, maybe even say: “what is she doing here?”. 

Mary knew this and knew the men would not approve. But, she went anyway because she thought only of Jesus, not of the opinion of others. She was compelled to go because of her love for Jesus and devotion to him. 

Imagine the shock of the men when Mary held up a beautiful alabaster flask. It was probably translucent white with artistic carvings on it. It was valuable and undoubtedly contained something valuable.  

In fact, it contained pure nard, an expensive, perfumed, ointment that came all the way from India.  It was worth around a year’s wages. It may have been a family heirloom or an investment.

Their eyes would go wide as she broke the top off of the flask. Mary was all in with her love for Jesus. She was not going to just pour a drop on him and then put the top back on the flask. No, she intended from the beginning to use the whole thing.

As Mary poured the contents of the flask on Jesus’ head, the room was filled with the fragrance of pure nard. Mary continued pouring until the flask was completely empty. It probably held 12 ounces or more. 

The ointment ran down Jesus’ hair and dripped down even to his feet. The men must have looked on in shocked silence for a few minutes as the enormity of her sacrifice for Jesus became apparent. 

You know, most of us are practical. We count the cost of things and we order our activities and expenses according to our priorities.  The disciples were practical too. They complained. They scolded her! They said the flask should have been sold and the money given to the poor. They said it was wasted! (4)

I suspect they were not that concerned about the poor. Judas certainly had ulterior motives. But I think the others might have been embarrassed or ashamed. While they had the unique privilege of being with Jesus all day every day, they bickered about who was he greatest, they tried to exclude others from getting close to Jesus.   

But here is this woman who is not even supposed to be there, who was not one of the inner circle, but who came to Jesus with no motive other than to express her love for him and to honor him, even at the expense of her own humiliation. 

Notice also that Jesus did not join the complaining chorus. He received this extravagant gesture of love and honored the woman who gave it. He jumped to her defense, interrupting the scolding, and saying: “leave her alone”. (6) 

Jesus also said that Mary had done a beautiful thing to him. His time was short and Mary had done what she could by preparing his body for burial in advance. (8)Mary seemed to understand what the disciples did not, that Jesus was going to die soon and they would likely not have time to prepare his body for burial when it happened. 

Jesus was not minimizing the needs of the poor. He always advocated for the poor. But he was saying he would not be with them much longer and acts of love and devotion were completely appropriate. (7) Again, Mary chose the better thing. 

Jesus even said that what Mary did would be told everywhere the gospel is preached in the whole world. What an honor! That prophecy has been fulfilled thousands of time and it is fulfilled here today. 

What Jesus said here is not new. God has always expected his people to love him extravagantly. The book of Deuteronomy records Moses giving the law to the Israelites again as they are about to enter the Promised Land. Moses said “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might”. (Deuteronomy 6:5) 

Jesus called this the great and first commandment. (Matthew 22:38) In other words, the first and greatest thing believers should do is love the Lord extravagantly, with every part of their being and everything they have. 

If you love Jesus extravagantly, you might go somewhere you have not been comfortable before. Certainly, you might go to the mission field at home or abroad, or into full time ministry. But, maybe you just go and serve in Jesus’ church. Or maybe you develop a regular habit of praying and reading your Bible every day. Or, you give to his church sacrificially.  

While the beautiful expression of devotion was happening, a great betrayal was plotted. 

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

14:10-11

In contact to Mary’s act of devotion to Jesus, Judas sought to betray him. Mark specifically identities him as one of the Twelve. He was an insider, close to Jesus. Yet, he met with members of the Sanhedrin, agreed on a price, and began to look for the opportunity to betray.

Mark does not name the price as Matthew does. Instead he focused on Judas’ greed and the depth of his betrayal as one close to Jesus. 

HOLY TUESDAY

 Holy Tuesday

Mark 11:12-25

On Monday, on the way to Jerusalem from Bethany, Jesus came to a fig tree. He was hungry, so he looked for figs on it. There were none. In fact, it was not yet time for figs to have been produced. There were only leaves there. Yet, Jesus cursed the tree, saying “may no one ever eat fruit from you again. 

Since it was not yet time for figs, and since Jesus would have known that, being born and raised in Israel, we realize Jesus is setting up a lesson greater than the existence of figs.

Returning to the temple, Jesus took action. He overturned the tables of the money changers. They were changing money for those who lived outside of Judea so they would have the required coins to pay the temple tax.  

He drove out the vendors. They sold animals for the sacrifices, since it was hard to carry animals for a long distance to use for the required sacrifices. Both groups did these things for a profit. They also overcharged, having a captive audience. That is why Jesus called them thieves. They were also paying the priests for the privilege of doing so in the temple. It was a corrupt system.

Jesus also would not let anyone carry animals or other goods through the temple. You can imagine how disruptive all of this would have been to anyone who actually came there to pray. The animals would be loud. There would be haggling over prices. 

Jesus gave his reason for doing all this. This commercial practice was not the purpose of the temple. He said “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)

By saying “is it not written”, Jesus was referring them to Scripture. Jesus combined two scriptures for this saying, as he often did. First, he cited Isaiah 56:7. Isaiah 56 spoke of foreigners coming and joining themselves to the Lord, who would come to the temple as a house of prayer and offer sacrifices to God. That was the ideal. 

The second verse is Jeremiah 7:11. God pointed out Israel’s idolatry and breaking of the commandments while they pointed to the temple as the source of their deliverance from Babylon. God said “has this house, called by my name, become a den or robbers in your eyes?”. That was the reality. 

Looking one verse forward to Jeremiah 7:12, we see God referring to the destruction of Shiloh, the first residence of the tabernacle in Israel, due to the corruption of worship there. 

Instead of using the Court of the Gentiles to encourage Gentiles to come and pray, the priests and the vendors were hindering the coming of the Gentiles, who they did not want anyway.

Jesus was not cleansing the temple in a restorative way; he was showing that he judged it and condemned it for the way it was used.

The chief priests and scribes heard and understood Jesus’ words as a condemnation of their running of the temple. So, they sought a way to destroy him. They actually feared Jesus because his teaching astonished the people. (18) 

The Withered Tree

11:20-26

This is the second part of the sandwich concerning the fig tree.

The next morning, Jesus and the disciples again left Bethany for Jerusalem. They saw the fig tree Jesus cursed. It had withered away. (21) 

The fig tree is a symbol for Israel, with its religious establishment. It did not bear fruit for God, it will be destroyed. It was an enacted parable that came true about 40 years later. The use of the temple as the way to approach God would be destroyed and replaced by Jesus himself.

Jesus concluded this section with a teaching that is a call to faith. Instead of looking to the temple, the disciples should look to God in prayer, believing in the faithfulness of God to answer prayers. When we pray according to God’s will in faith, he will give us what we need. 

Prayer brings us into God’s presence. We are able to be in his presence because we are forgiven. Since we are forgiven, we must forgive those who have wronged us. Jesus said the same thing in the model prayer. (Matthew 6:12)

The next morning, as Jesus and the disciples passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. Peter noticed it and called on Jesus to look at it. 

Jesus was showing the disciples. Israel was finished as the people of God. No one would ever benefit from it again after Jesus condemned it. 

Instead of looking to the temple as the focal point of a relationship with God, Jesus gave them an instruction, saying “Have faith in God. The people of God are those who believe in Jesus Christ and follow him. Wherever they gathered was a temple, even if there was no building. Faith, rather than ritual, was the defining factor in service to God. 

Jesus gave a dramatic example: "Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

HOLY MONDAY

 Holy Monday

Matthew 21:12-17

Passover was coming. Jews flooded into Jerusalem in advance of the day of celebration. They needed animals for the sacrifices . They needed Jewish coins for the temple tax. 

So, a market developed at the temple to sell animals. Moneychangers were there to convert Roman coins into Jewish coins. Exorbitant fees were charged, taking advantage of the pilgrims. Thus they made the temple a den of robbers. 

These businesses were conducted in the Court of the Gentiles, the only place at the temple where Gentiles could come and pray. Hence the term “house of prayer” used by Jesus. It was noisy. Imagine the sounds of animals and birds in cages or tied up. Image the loud conversations between vendors and buyers. The place of worship of God and prayer to God had been turned into a place of commerce. Instead of being a light to the Gentiles, these Jews had become an obstruction. They had profaned the temple. 

Enter Jesus, whose house the temple was. Matthew writes:

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” This is a quote from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. 

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. The blind and lame could only gather in the court of the Gentiles. Once Jesus drove out the merchants, they came to him. He ministered to them, doing the work of the Messiah, and healing those who needed it. 

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read: 

    “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies

        you have prepared praise’?” This likely comes from Psalm 8:2. Jesus never discounted children. And here they were praising him and asking for salvation. The Hebrew word for hosanna is a request for salvation. 

The chief priests and scribes stand in stark contrast to the children. The children praise and pray, acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah\Christ. The chief priests and scribes resent the interruption to their money making and their control over the temple. They were satisfied with the heartless ritual, whereas Jesus required genuine worship and prayer.

    And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. Jesus left the business of the city for the peace and quiet of the village. Maybe he stayed with his great friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. He would recharge, rest, and get ready to go again the next day. 

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday 

Palm Sunday is the day of the Triumphal Entry. All the gospels record it. This is Matthew’s account:

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 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. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 

This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

“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.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 

They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 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!” 

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21)

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem showed the was the Messiah and king, now making an open claim to it. As Matthew pointed out, his riding the young donkey, a colt, specifically fulfilled Zechariah 9:9. The crowd recognized this and proclaimed it. They called him Son of David, acknowledging that the king would be a descendant of David in fulfillment of God’s promise to David. They threw their cloaks onto the road in front of his donkey, an acknowledgement of this kingship. The spreading of cloaks was an act of homage for royalty, as we saw in 2 Kings 9:13. Others cut palm branches and laid them on the road. That it why we call this day Palm Sunday.  

Yet, the donkey symbolized the king’s coming in humility. He did not ride in a chariot or on a white horse, as a Roman might have done. He was not the Messiah they expected, one who would fight the Romans with the sword and expel them from the land. 

Nonetheless, he is the king and he rules. When he returns as king, he will have the kingly accouterments. There will be the blast of the trumpet. There will be the shout of a herald, in the form of an angel. And he will come in glory.  

What Is Holy Week?

Holy Week is the last week of Lent for those who observe it. It is the week before Easter Sunday. It begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Holy Saturday. 

Some denominations recognize three holy days: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. It is called the Triduum. They have services and liturgy for those days. For many, this week is devoted to prayer and meditation of the events of the last week of Jesus’ life in preparation for Easter. 

THE "FIRST" WILL BE THE FIRST TO GO - AMOS 6

 

Amos 6

Historical & Literary Context 

As a reminder:

Amos: 8th-century BCE prophet from Tekoa during the reign of Jeroboam II; prophesied to the northern kingdom (Israel) amid material prosperity and social injustice. 

This is a Prophetic oracle, a poetic denunciation and warning. It is the last of the “oracles against Israel” cycle (Amos 1–6). 

It contrasts a complacent elite with forthcoming judgment.

Woe to the Complacent

6:1-7

In this section, Amos again confronts those who are wealthy and comfortable, saying “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria”. Zion stands for Jerusalem, the capital of Judah and Samaria is the capital of Israel. So, Amos prophesied against both Judah and Israel, even though his primary calling was to speak to Israel. 

Both cities are centers of political power, wealth, and religious worship. Those who are wealthy and powerful feel secure as the nations have been prosperous. They had self-satisfaction. The notable men were the rich and powerful. They felt like their countries were at the top, the first of the nations. They believed in Israelite Exceptionalism to use modern terms.

But Amos bids them to look around at once powerful kingdoms around them that have now fallen. He asked, rhetorically, are Judah and Israel really better than those kingdoms? (2) He sarcastically calls them those who put away the day of disaster, meaning they did not believe the prophets word that they would soon be conquered. 

Jesus used this same theme in the parable of the rich fool. He was a successful farmer building bigger barns for his harvests. He decided to eat, drink, and be merry. But God said his soul would be required that night and he would not take any of his goods with him. Jesus called him a fool because he was not “rich toward God”. (Luke 12:13-21) He tried to put far aways the day of disaster as did the rich Israelites.

Prosperity often breeds spiritual apathy. Humans are vulnerable to pride and feelings of invulnerability when things are going well.  

Portrait of Luxury and Neglect

6:4–7

Verse 4 begins the second woe. Amos describes them as rich and self indulgent. Beds of ivory were wooden beds inlaid with ivory. They were very expensive and would be today. They had a lot of leisure time, so they could lay around on couches while eating extravagant meals. They listened to music and even made instruments for their entertainment. (5-6)  

We like our entertainment also. Americans spend an average of roughly 3 to 4.5 hours per day watching television, with total daily screen time often exceeding 5 hours when including streaming and connected devices. The average American eats out or orders takeout approximately 5 to 6 times per week.

The Israelites  drank a lot. They drank from bowls instead of cups. They could afford expensive oils to put in their hair and on their skin. 

Meanwhile, in the midst of luxury and indulgence, the spiritual life of Israel has disintegrated. But, they are happy with their lives and do not mourn this; they are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph. (6)

As Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and money”. (Luke 16:13)

Joseph here stands for the northern kingdom of Israel. Two of the largest tribes in Israel were Ephraim and Manasseh, named after Joseph’s sons. 

So Amos delivers a woe to them: those who think of themselves at the first of nations and first of this nation will be the first to go into exile. All of their comfort and indulgence will pass away. 

Divine Oath and Certainty of Judgment

6:8

The Lord God (YHWH Adonay) swore by himself. God swears by himself because there is no one greater by whom to swear. (Hebrews 6:13) He did this when he made a promise to Abraham. (Genesis 22:16)

God’s oath tells us the seriousness and inevitability of judgment. This is a serious as it gets. He swore that he would deliver up Israel and all that was in it because he abhorred its pride and self-sufficiency\arrogance. (8)

False Sense of Security in Leadership and Wealth

6:9–10

God despises Israel’s pride. We should not be surprised at this since the Bible has a multitude of condemnations of pride. It is in fact part of one of the covenant curses. God said: “And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins and I will break the pride of your power…” (Leviticus 26:18-19) 

Even the small remnants of people will be killed. Very few will be left. Since God has brought this judgment upon them, they cannot call upon him for rescue or relief. (10)

From Peaceful Origins to Violent Ends

6:11–14

Amos tells Israel the devastation of judgment will be all inclusive, the rich and the poor shall be struck down. (11) This is because they have perverted the justice system and devalued righteousness. (12)

He again criticizes Israel’s pride in claiming to have won victories in their own strength. (13) To show them this is not the case, God decrees an invasion. He will raise up a nation which will defeat them and oppress them from the northern boundary (Lebo-Hamath) to the southern boundary (Brook of the Arabah). (14)

Takeaways

Prosperity often breeds spiritual apathy. Humans are vulnerable to pride and feelings of invulnerability when things are going well.  

Sin has communal consequences; motivate corporate repentance and structural reform. These are  concrete consequences: loss of material wealth, forced labor or exile, ecological failure. Amos sketches the collapse of the social and religious fabric.

Disobedience brings real, historical consequences; God’s redemptive aim includes removing what hides idolatry.