Holy Week | Tuesday

INTRODUCTION

Holy Week (or Passion Week) begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday). These are some of the most sacred days on the Christian calendar. I will release a blog post each day this week for you to use as a devotional guide. These posts will contain Bible readings, critical explanations of the text, devotional thoughts, and a prayer. So, please join me as we examine what Jesus was up to during Holy Week.

View previous posts in this series: Palm Sunday, Monday

TUESDAY

You can read about Tuesday of Holy Week in the following passages: Matthew 21:23-26:5, Mark 11:27-14:2, Luke 20:1-22:2, John 12:37-50.

On Tuesday morning, Jesus and his disciples head back to Jerusalem, back into the Temple Court. Jesus taught the crowd with three lengthy parables. These parables reveal God’s judgment on the leaders for not leading the people to accept Jesus’ invitation to the kingdom of heaven. The leaders realize that Jesus is talking about them and they are outraged but remain cautious in their pursuit to arrest Jesus because the crowds perceive him to be a prophet. 

So, the Pharisees and Scribes challenge Jesus with a series of questions (Matt 22:15-40): 
“Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” “According to OT law, whose wife will the widow of seven brothers be in heaven?” “What is the greatest commandment?” 

Jesus has a wonderful way of revealing truth to his instigators. If they gave him only options “A” and “B”, he would show them option “C”. He gave them answers like these quite often: “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” “In the resurrection they will neither marry nor are given in marriage.” And, one of my personal favorites, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments sum up all the Law and the Prophets.” Each one of Jesus’ answers left the Pharisees and Scribes in silence and astonished the crowds.

Then Jesus really unleashes the truth on them. In a real life “come to Jesus” meeting, Jesus turns to the crowds and his disciples and reveals to them the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Scribes through a series of accusations. Then, just in case the Pharisees and Scribes aren’t comprehending what is happening, he turns back to them and issues seven “Woe to you” addresses. Each time he exposes them as hypocrites and blind guides. 

In one of the most explicit addresses, he says, “You are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are fill of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matt 23:27-28) Yikes! He did not pull punches at all.

But do not for one second think that Jesus lacked compassion and mercy for these leaders and the crowds. Compassion and mercy are at the epicenter of who Jesus is (Matt 11:28-30). It’s precisely his compassion and mercy that lead him to address false teachings and wrong beliefs about God. 

Jesus reveals his heart for them as he prepares to leave the temple, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Leaving the temple, Jesus takes his disciples up to the Mount of Olives and explains to them the things that will happen at the end of the age through both explicit statements and parables. He ends this Olivet Discourse by saying, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” Friday is coming.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS AND A PRAYER

Tuesday was a very busy day for our Lord. And, most likely, Tuesdays are typically a busy day for you. But this time of isolation affords us the opportunity to pause and ponder what the Pharisees and Scribes must have thought, how the crowds are amazed at Jesus’ teaching, what the disciples must have felt upon hearing Christ was going to be crucified in a few days. What do these words of Christ mean for your life?

When John the Apostle describes Jesus in John 1:14, he says, “We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” On what most assumed would be a normal Tuesday, Jesus shows up and reveals his glory to the masses. We too have seen it, right here in God’s Word. He really is full of grace and truth. Though the sins of Jerusalem and the world are many, the mercy of Jesus is more—“The Son of Man will be crucified.”

Friend, your sins and mine are too many to number but the good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ took the sins of all who believe in him on himself at the cross, so that we might become the righteousness of God. If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be Saved (Rom 10:9). Fellow believer, never “outgrow” this good news, lest you also become a whitewashed tomb.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you the grace and truth that Christ has revealed to us. You are holy, just, merciful, and mighty to save. Help me to believe the gospel afresh today that the joy of my salvation may be restored. Please lead me in love toward my neighbors, especially during this time. May you be glorified by my works and words today. Amen.

For further learning, check out this video on Tuesday of Holy Week by The Gospel Coalition.