- Sunday of Passion Week: Entered Jerusalem
- Monday of Passion Week: Cursed the Fruitless Fig Tree and Cleansed the Temple
- Tuesday–Wednesday of Passion Week: Continued to Teach Through Prophecies and Parables
- Thursday of Passion Week: Kept His Last Passover and Arrested by the Crowd
- Friday of Passion Week: Suffered and Died on the Cross
The life of Jesus Christ, who came to this earth according to the prophecy of the Bible, was a prophecy itself. However, the Israelites were caught up in the fixed idea that the Messiah in the Bible would come in the form of glory, so they did not recognize God who they valued more than their lives, and crucified Him.
Passion Week refers to the week from the day Jesus entered Jerusalem, riding on a colt, to His death on the cross. During this week, Jesus kept His last Passover with His disciples, was arrested that night, and suffered hardships until the next day. According to the prophecy of Isaiah, He was pierced, crushed, wounded, oppressed, and judged, but He endured all this silently. The love of Jesus Christ who sacrificed even to the point of death for the salvation of humankind is engraved in the work of Passion Week.
Sunday of Passion Week: Entered Jerusalem
At the end of the three-year ministry, before His last Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem with His disciples to fulfill the prophecy. When Jesus arrived at Bethphage and Bethany at the foot of the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem, Jesus sent two disciples to the village to bring a colt to Him (Mt 21:1–2; Mk 11:1–2). The disciples brought the colt and placed their cloaks on its back, and Jesus sat on it. Then, the crowd who followed Jesus spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road; they waved palm branches and shouted.
“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
The people welcomed Jesus as He entered Jerusalem. Thus, the Old Testament prophecy that the king of Zion would ride on a colt was fulfilled (Zec 9:9). At the end of the day, Jesus went out of the city to Bethany with the Twelve.
Monday of Passion Week: Cursed the Fruitless Fig Tree and Cleansed the Temple
The next morning, on the way back from Bethany to Jerusalem, Jesus and His companions saw a fig tree with leaves. Jesus was hungry and came near to it, but there was no fruit on the tree because it was not the season for figs. Jesus told the fig tree that it would never bear fruit again.
When He entered the temple, it was noisy with those who were selling. Jesus was angry when He saw the commercial activities to make money in God’s temple. He rebuked people, saying, “You are making My house a den of robbers,” and drove them from the temple. In the evening, He left the city again and went to Bethany.
Tuesday–Wednesday of Passion Week: Continued to Teach Through Prophecies and Parables
1. Arguments With Religious Leaders
Early the next morning, when they went back into the city, the disciples were surprised to see that the fig tree Jesus had spoken about was withered from its roots. This was a lesson that Israel, which was compared to the fig tree, would be cursed and destroyed. When Jesus entered the temple, religious leaders in those days tried to test Him with various arguments. The Pharisees asked if it was right to pay taxes to the Roman emperor in order to trap Jesus. At this, Jesus stopped them with His answer, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” When the Sadducees, who believed that there was no resurrection, argued about resurrection, Jesus said, “God is not the God of the dead but of the living.” In this way, Jesus defeated all their interruption with His wise answers. He also likened the teachers of the law and the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs, who appear righteous on the outside but are full of lawlessness on the inside, and warned that they would never escape being condemned to hell.
2. Prophecy of the Last Days and His Second Coming
As He left the temple, a disciple pointed to the temple building and admired its grandness. Jesus prophesied that not one stone would be left on another and that everyone would be thrown down. When He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples carefully asked Him about when this would happen and what the signs would be at the end of the age and His coming.
Jesus prophesied that wars, famines, and earthquakes would be the beginning of birth pains, that many false Christs and false prophets would appear to deceive many, and that because of the increase of wickedness, love would grow cold. As for the signs of His second coming, He said, “Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” He also told the parable of the faithful servant and the wicked servant, the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the talents, the parable of the sheep and the goats, etc. Through these parables, He taught about the faith that God’s people should have in the last days. He spoke of these two days before the Passover.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders, who regarded Jesus as a thorn in their eyes, gathered at the palace of the high priest Caiaphas and plotted to kill Jesus. At that time, Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, secretly came to them. He was greedy for riches that he had been angry with the woman who had poured out expensive perfume and shown respect to Jesus. He asked the chief priests how much money they would give him if he handed Jesus over to them. They willingly gave him thirty silver coins, and from then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand Him over.
Thursday of Passion Week: Kept His Last Passover and Arrested by the Crowd
1. The Passover Celebrated With His Disciples
Finally, the Passover day came. Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare the Passover, saying, “My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” The disciples prepared the Passover as Jesus had directed them (Mt 26:17–19; Mk 14:12–16; Lk 22:7–13).
When evening came, Jesus and the disciples gathered in a large upper room. Before the Passover Supper, Jesus got up, wrapped a towel around His waist, and washed His disciples’ feet with water in a basin (Jn 13:1–5). It is a servant’s job to wash his master’s feet, so Peter refused to have his feet washed. Then Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Startled by Jesus’ words, Peter asked Jesus to wash his hands and his head as well, but Jesus said that he who had a bath, that is, he who was baptized, needed only to wash his feet. After washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
Jesus said to the disciples, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” Saying that the Passover bread and wine are His flesh and blood, He told them to eat and drink it. He let them eat and drink His flesh and blood so that they may receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. He also said that the Passover is the New Covenant in His blood, and He commanded them to do it in remembrance of Him. Just as God Jehovah in the Old Testament freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt on the Passover, Jesus in the New Testament freed His people who were slaves to sin and death through the Passover of the New Covenant (Jn 8:32–34; Rev 1:5). Jesus commanded the disciples who became one body in Christ through the Passover, saying, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (Jn 13:34).
That night Jesus prophesied that one of His disciples would betray Him and that the disciples would all fall away. At His words, Peter said that even if all would fall away, he would not. But Jesus said that night before the rooster crowed, Peter would disown Him three times. All the disciples, including Peter, declared never to disown Jesus even if they had to die with Him.
2. Arrested After Praying in Gethsemane
After keeping the Passover, in the middle of the night, Jesus and His disciples went up the hill of Gethsemane. He took only Peter, John, and James of His disciples and said, “Stay here and keep watch with Me.” And going a little farther, He prayed earnestly, thinking of the impending suffering. After praying three times, Jesus returned to His disciples. Jesus had to suffer the terrible crucifixion soon, but the disciples who did not know this were sleeping. Waking up the sleeping disciples, He told them His betrayer was near.
Then a large crowd, sent from the chief priests and the elders, came with swords and clubs. Judas Iscariot kissed Jesus according to a signal arranged in advance, and they rushed and arrested Him. When Peter, who was standing next to Him, saw this, he cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus made it known that all these things happened according to the prophecy of the Bible, and He touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
While the crowd arrested Jesus and bound Him, the disciples all deserted Him and fled. Jesus was taken to Caiaphas, the high priest. The teachers of the law and the elders had assembled and were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any no matter how hard they tried. Then Caiaphas asked Jesus, “Are you the Christ, the Son of God?” Jesus answered yes. Hearing this, Caiaphas tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more evidence?” The enraged crowd shouted that Jesus was worthy of death, spat in His face, struck Him with their fists, and slapped Him.
Peter, who followed Jesus from a distance, was watching all this in the outer courtyard. Then a servant girl came to him and asked, “Aren’t you also the one who was with Jesus?” Troubled, Peter denied it and hurried out to the gateway, but another girl saw him and said to the people, “This fellow was with Jesus.” Then he denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.” He strongly denied that he really didn’t know Him, saying that he would be cursed if he was the man. Immediately a rooster crowed. When he saw Jesus turn and look straight at him, Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” He went outside and wept bitterly (Mt 26:69–75; Lk 22:54–62).
Friday of Passion Week: Suffered and Died on the Cross
1. Repeated Trial and Suffering
Early in the morning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the day after the Passover, the chief priests and the elders came to the decision to put Jesus to death and took Him to Pilate, the governor (Mt 27:1). When Judas Iscariot saw this, he repented of his betraying and returned the thirty silver coins he had received in exchange for betraying Jesus to the chief priests. But they refused to receive it, so he threw the money into the temple and went away, and hanged himself.
The chief priests and the elders brought Jesus before Pilate and accused Him, saying, “This man subverts our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be a king.” When Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews, Jesus answered yes. The chief priests and the elders accused Jesus of many things, but Jesus made no reply and Pilate was amazed by this. Pilate, who found no sin in Jesus, sent Him to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, who was in Jerusalem at that time. Herod questioned Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. Then Herod mocked Jesus and sent Him back to Pilate.
Finding no basis for condemning Jesus to death, Pilate considered the custom of releasing a prisoner on the Passover, and asked the crowd whether they wanted to release the murderer Barabbas or Jesus. When the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed, the crowd pointed at Jesus and shouted to crucify Him. Pilate asked again what crime this man had committed, but they urged Pilate, shouting all the louder, “Crucify him!”
Seeing the excited Jews and an uproar was starting, Pilate took water and washed his hands, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility!” All the people answered confidently, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” Eventually, Pilate released Barabbas, had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers took Jesus and whipped Him, put a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head, spit on Him, struck Him on the head with a staff, and mocked Him with all kinds of insults. After that, they put the cross on Jesus and led him to Golgotha.
2. Died on the Cross
Around 9 a.m., the soldiers nailed Jesus’ hands and feet to hang Him on the cross. Above His head, they placed the written charge against him: THE KING OF THE JEWS. Seeing Jesus suffering on the cross, people said, “Come down if you are the Son of God,” and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others, but he can’t save Himself.” People thought that Jesus was whipped and pierced and bled as a punishment deserved as a sinner, but in the Old Testament, it is written that all the affliction Jesus suffered was for our iniquities and transgressions (Isa 53:3–8). Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the Bible by accepting the punishment for our sins on our behalf.
Two robbers were crucified on both sides of Jesus, and one of them insulted Him and said, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” At that time, the robber on the right side of Jesus rebuked the other and said, “We are punished justly because we have sinned, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Hearing the request of the robber in His suffering, Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in paradise,” and promised him salvation.
At about noon, darkness came over the whole land. Jesus, who endured suffering for six hours on the cross from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., said lastly, “It is finished,” and gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. This day was the Feast of Unleavened Bread that had commemorated the afflictions of the Exodus from generation to generation, and it was also the day of Preparation for the Sabbath, that is, Friday.
That evening, a rich man named Joseph who followed Jesus, asked Pilate for Jesus’ body and took it. He wrapped the body in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock, and rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb (Mt 27:57–60). Jesus was crucified with the robber and was placed in the tomb of a rich man, fulfilling the prophecy of the Bible: “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death” (Isa 53:9).