In a message titled “One Busy Week” that I preached on Palm Sunday of this year, I addressed what all the Bible tells us that Jesus did in the last week of His earthly life. This was truly one busy week, for each day was filled to the brim with activity.
In fact, nearly half of the New Testament Gospel of Mark’s sixteen total chapters (chapters 10-16) are devoted to the final week of Jesus’ earthly life!
I also pointed out in that message that it was not only the last week of Jesus’ earthly life that was filled with activity. Indeed, His entire three-and-a-half year public ministry was busy. At that time, I noted the following list of things that the Gospels tell us specifically that Jesus did:
-He Visited At Least 30 Different Places
-He Performed At Least 35 Different Miracles
-He Taught At Least 40 Different Parables
-He Preached At Least 10 Different Sermons
-He Prayed At Least 19 Different Prayers
I further noted that these were not the only things Jesus did. They are only the things specifically recorded by the Gospel writers. Indeed, the Apostle John concludes his New Testament Gospel (chapter 21, verse 25) with these words:
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
We see an example of this in chapter 7, verse 21 of Luke’s New Testament Gospel, which tells us that:
“At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.”
Here, we obviously see examples of what John was alluding to in the conclusion of his gospel. We know that Jesus did these things. We just do not have the specifics.
I share these things here today in light of my message this past Sunday (part of a series titled Meet the Savior) on the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus clearly made the most of His time in this world. He took advantage of every opportunity that came His way to make a difference in the lives of people.
As His followers, it behooves us to do the same. We who have been called to minister in His name must also make the most of our time in this world. To accomplish this, we must learn to treat every single opportunity that God gives us to minister in His name as a divine appointment, trusting that every such occasion also gives us the means to make an eternal difference in the life of some person or persons.
For as Jesus Himself reminded us (also in the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 9, verse 4, NLT) :
“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us. For the night is coming, and then no one can work!”
BIBLE SOURCES: http://biblehub.com/.
NOTE: An excellent summary of the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ can be found in H.L. Willmington’s The Life of Christ (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale house Publishers, 1991). This book is part of a six volume set titled “The Complete Guide to Bible Knowledge”, which includes the following titles: Old Testament Survey, Old Testament People, New Testament Survey, New Testament People, The Life of Christ, and Introduction to Theology.
In fact, nearly half of the New Testament Gospel of Mark’s sixteen total chapters (chapters 10-16) are devoted to the final week of Jesus’ earthly life!
I also pointed out in that message that it was not only the last week of Jesus’ earthly life that was filled with activity. Indeed, His entire three-and-a-half year public ministry was busy. At that time, I noted the following list of things that the Gospels tell us specifically that Jesus did:
-He Visited At Least 30 Different Places
-He Performed At Least 35 Different Miracles
-He Taught At Least 40 Different Parables
-He Preached At Least 10 Different Sermons
-He Prayed At Least 19 Different Prayers
I further noted that these were not the only things Jesus did. They are only the things specifically recorded by the Gospel writers. Indeed, the Apostle John concludes his New Testament Gospel (chapter 21, verse 25) with these words:
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
We see an example of this in chapter 7, verse 21 of Luke’s New Testament Gospel, which tells us that:
“At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.”
Here, we obviously see examples of what John was alluding to in the conclusion of his gospel. We know that Jesus did these things. We just do not have the specifics.
I share these things here today in light of my message this past Sunday (part of a series titled Meet the Savior) on the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus clearly made the most of His time in this world. He took advantage of every opportunity that came His way to make a difference in the lives of people.
As His followers, it behooves us to do the same. We who have been called to minister in His name must also make the most of our time in this world. To accomplish this, we must learn to treat every single opportunity that God gives us to minister in His name as a divine appointment, trusting that every such occasion also gives us the means to make an eternal difference in the life of some person or persons.
For as Jesus Himself reminded us (also in the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 9, verse 4, NLT) :
“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us. For the night is coming, and then no one can work!”
BIBLE SOURCES: http://biblehub.com/.
NOTE: An excellent summary of the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ can be found in H.L. Willmington’s The Life of Christ (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale house Publishers, 1991). This book is part of a six volume set titled “The Complete Guide to Bible Knowledge”, which includes the following titles: Old Testament Survey, Old Testament People, New Testament Survey, New Testament People, The Life of Christ, and Introduction to Theology.
This set is an expansion of his very popular earlier book: Willmington’s Guide to the Bible (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale house Publishers, 1981). At 1009 pages, this exhaustive book is lovingly referred to by the author as his “five pounder”.
Dr. Harold L. Willmington is one of my favorite authors. His published books, vast in scope, began as material he prepared as an instructor decades ago in what was then known as the Liberty Home Bible Institute (now known as the Willmington School of the Bible). Later, this material evolved into Liberty’s School of Lifelong Learning, before being eventually absorbed into the curriculum of Liberty University itself, where Dr. Willmington finished his long and distinguished ministry career as Vice-President and Board member.
Cf: http://www.liberty.edu/academics/catalogs/index.cfm?PID=27529.
See also: https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2012/04/eighty-years-dedicated-to-god/.
FINALLY, HERE IS THE "TO DO LIST" FOR THE LAST WEEK OF JESUS' BUSY EARTHLY LIFE…
DAY ONE (SUNDAY):
1. Make triumphal entry into Jerusalem
2. Make brief visit to Temple Complex
3. Return to Bethany
DAY TWO (MONDAY):
1. Depart Bethany for Jerusalem
2. Curse fig tree on way into city
3. Weep over Jerusalem
4. Cleanse the Temple
5. Return to Bethany for the night
DAY THREE (TUESDAY):
1. Depart Bethany for Jerusalem
2. Use withered fig tree to teach on faith
3. Return to Temple; confound and pronounce woes upon enemies
4. Leave city; stop and deliver Olivet Discourse on way back to Bethany
5. Do all above without revealing knowledge of Judas’ plans for betrayal
6. Return to Bethany for the night
DAY FOUR (WEDNESDAY):
1. Remain in Bethany throughout the day
2. Spend time silently preparing for unfolding agony coming during remainder of week
DAY FIVE (THURSDAY):
1. Send Peter and John sent to make preparations for Passover meal
2. After sunset, eat meal with the twelve disciples
3. Wash disciples’ feet
4. See Judas depart, setting in motion the events of the rest of the night and following day
5. Institute the Lord's Supper
6. Visit Garden of Gethsemane to agonize in prayer
7. Experience disappointment from disciples
8. Experience betrayal by Judas
9. Heal servant’s ear
10. Be arrested by Sanhedrin
11. Undergo imprisonment in house of High Priest
12. Experience successive denials of Simon Peter
13. Experience abandonment by all remaining disciples
DAY SIX (FRIDAY):
1. Undergo first (illegal) trial, before Annas [nighttime hours]
2. Undergo second (illegal) trial before Sanhedrin, experience condemnation and abuse
3. Undergo third (illegal) trial, immediately at dawn with further condemnation and abuse
4. Be taken to Romans
5. Undergo fourth trial before Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate
6. Undergo fifth trial before Herod
7. Undergo sixth trial before Pilate
8. Undergo scourging with cat of nine tails
9. Undergo seventh and final trial before Jewish people of Jerusalem
10. Carry cross outside city to Golgotha
11. Be mocked by Roman soldiers
12. Have crown of thorns pressed into head13. Undergo horror of crucifixion
14. Utter seven carefully chosen last statements from the cross
• "Father, forgive them..."
• "Today...with me in paradise"
• "Woman, behold thy son..."
• "My God, My God..."
• "I thirst"
• "It is finished"
• "Into Thy hands..."
15. Hang on the cross, suffering for six full hours
16. Experience death for the vicarious sacrifice on behalf of the sins of all mankind
17. Be taken from cross to be buried in a borrowed tomb by sundown
DAY SEVEN (SATURDAY):
-Descend to “lowest parts of the earth” (Eph. 4:9)
-Preach to “spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:19)
DAY EIGHT (SUNDAY):
1. Rise from the dead well before dawn
2. Make first of five total appearances this day (to Mary Magdalene for her to give a message to the disciples)
3. Make second of five total appearances this day to the other women who come to the tomb, intending to complete the burial preparation of body
4. Make third of five total appearances this day to two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, setting their hearts on fire by expounding scriptures to them.
5. Make fourth of five total appearances this day to Simon Peter (as later alluded to in Luke 24:33 and 1 Corinthians 1:5)
6. Make fifth and final of five appearances this day to the astonished disciples
7. Contemplate timing of and agenda for remaining appearances over next forty days
-Whew! Now, any way you look at it, that is one busy week!
Dr. Harold L. Willmington is one of my favorite authors. His published books, vast in scope, began as material he prepared as an instructor decades ago in what was then known as the Liberty Home Bible Institute (now known as the Willmington School of the Bible). Later, this material evolved into Liberty’s School of Lifelong Learning, before being eventually absorbed into the curriculum of Liberty University itself, where Dr. Willmington finished his long and distinguished ministry career as Vice-President and Board member.
Cf: http://www.liberty.edu/academics/catalogs/index.cfm?PID=27529.
See also: https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2012/04/eighty-years-dedicated-to-god/.
FINALLY, HERE IS THE "TO DO LIST" FOR THE LAST WEEK OF JESUS' BUSY EARTHLY LIFE…
DAY ONE (SUNDAY):
1. Make triumphal entry into Jerusalem
2. Make brief visit to Temple Complex
3. Return to Bethany
DAY TWO (MONDAY):
1. Depart Bethany for Jerusalem
2. Curse fig tree on way into city
3. Weep over Jerusalem
4. Cleanse the Temple
5. Return to Bethany for the night
DAY THREE (TUESDAY):
1. Depart Bethany for Jerusalem
2. Use withered fig tree to teach on faith
3. Return to Temple; confound and pronounce woes upon enemies
4. Leave city; stop and deliver Olivet Discourse on way back to Bethany
5. Do all above without revealing knowledge of Judas’ plans for betrayal
6. Return to Bethany for the night
DAY FOUR (WEDNESDAY):
1. Remain in Bethany throughout the day
2. Spend time silently preparing for unfolding agony coming during remainder of week
DAY FIVE (THURSDAY):
1. Send Peter and John sent to make preparations for Passover meal
2. After sunset, eat meal with the twelve disciples
3. Wash disciples’ feet
4. See Judas depart, setting in motion the events of the rest of the night and following day
5. Institute the Lord's Supper
6. Visit Garden of Gethsemane to agonize in prayer
7. Experience disappointment from disciples
8. Experience betrayal by Judas
9. Heal servant’s ear
10. Be arrested by Sanhedrin
11. Undergo imprisonment in house of High Priest
12. Experience successive denials of Simon Peter
13. Experience abandonment by all remaining disciples
DAY SIX (FRIDAY):
1. Undergo first (illegal) trial, before Annas [nighttime hours]
2. Undergo second (illegal) trial before Sanhedrin, experience condemnation and abuse
3. Undergo third (illegal) trial, immediately at dawn with further condemnation and abuse
4. Be taken to Romans
5. Undergo fourth trial before Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate
6. Undergo fifth trial before Herod
7. Undergo sixth trial before Pilate
8. Undergo scourging with cat of nine tails
9. Undergo seventh and final trial before Jewish people of Jerusalem
10. Carry cross outside city to Golgotha
11. Be mocked by Roman soldiers
12. Have crown of thorns pressed into head13. Undergo horror of crucifixion
14. Utter seven carefully chosen last statements from the cross
• "Father, forgive them..."
• "Today...with me in paradise"
• "Woman, behold thy son..."
• "My God, My God..."
• "I thirst"
• "It is finished"
• "Into Thy hands..."
15. Hang on the cross, suffering for six full hours
16. Experience death for the vicarious sacrifice on behalf of the sins of all mankind
17. Be taken from cross to be buried in a borrowed tomb by sundown
DAY SEVEN (SATURDAY):
-Descend to “lowest parts of the earth” (Eph. 4:9)
-Preach to “spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:19)
DAY EIGHT (SUNDAY):
1. Rise from the dead well before dawn
2. Make first of five total appearances this day (to Mary Magdalene for her to give a message to the disciples)
3. Make second of five total appearances this day to the other women who come to the tomb, intending to complete the burial preparation of body
4. Make third of five total appearances this day to two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, setting their hearts on fire by expounding scriptures to them.
5. Make fourth of five total appearances this day to Simon Peter (as later alluded to in Luke 24:33 and 1 Corinthians 1:5)
6. Make fifth and final of five appearances this day to the astonished disciples
7. Contemplate timing of and agenda for remaining appearances over next forty days
-Whew! Now, any way you look at it, that is one busy week!