Never in all the history of the world has a day started so sad and ended so joyfully! This is the day that the world has been waiting for.
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It is Saturday morning. Jesus is dead and laid in the tomb, wrapped in linen cloths, his face marred more than any man’s visage has ever been marred (Isaiah 52:14).
We call it “Good Friday.” It was humans who assigned this term to the event. That is significant because it is “good” for us; it was not “good” for Jesus or for God.
I want to preface the events of Thursday by noting that there are three different schools of thoughts regarding on exactly which day Jesus was crucified. The traditional, accepted school of thought is that Jesus was crucified on Friday. Some, however, hold that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday and some hold that Jesus was crucified on Thursday. This is all complicated by the fact that the Jewish day did not run from midnight to midnight like we are used to today.
On Tuesday evening, Jesus had gone out to the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37) likely with his disciples after a day filled with teaching. The Bible is strangely silent regarding Jesus’ activities on Wednesday. It is possible (though not confirmed by scripture) that Jesus spent this day resting after two exhausting days of teaching and spent time with his disciples. It is likely from what we know of Jesus that this time was also spent in prayer.
Jesus spent Monday night outside the city of Jerusalem (Mark 11:19) most likely in the little village of Bethany. Tuesday morning, we find Jesus wending his way back into the city of Jerusalem (Mark 11:20) that should have welcomed Him as their King but instead would crucify him as a criminal yet their Savior three days hence.
Today is known as “Holy Monday.” On the day prior (Palm Sunday), Jesus had come into Jerusalem. On Sunday evening, Jesus went back out of the city of Jerusalem to the little village of Bethany where he stayed the night (Matt. 21:17; Mark 11:11), most likely with his friends, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha (although scripture does not confirm with whom he stayed). On Monday morning, Jesus left the little village of Bethany and as he made his way to Jerusalem (Matt.