It’s Sunday afternoon. It’s called Pasion Week. On this day around 2000 yrs ago Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. He faced a death that was combined with intense suffering, yet He marched on.
“When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ ” The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.”
Matthew 21:10-17 NIV
http://bible.com/111/mat.21.10-17.
The vultures are gathering. His enemies are seething. They couldn’t believe their eyes as they watched Jesus drive out money changers.
Take some time today and try to place yourself in the Temple on that day. What are your thoughts?
After this, Jesus went back out the gates of Jerusalem. Traveling to Bethany by the Mount of Olives, He spent the night there. The smell of Olive oil permeated the air.
Olives have to be pressed and crushed before they will release their oil. Before Jesus was pressed and crushed for our iniquities, He slept by the Mount of Olives.
Tonight as you lay your head down, consider what the disciples might have been thinking on this night so long ago. For that matter, what do you think might have been Jesus’ meditations on this night?