KNOW YOUR FAITH – THE FIRST EASTER

The events of Holy Week and Easter are known and yet, not known. We all know of the events, and yet sometimes we find it difficult to put them in any order, and some seem to conflict with each other. So let us look at the events as Scripture unfolds them and how they fit into a sequence.

Among the disciples there was a strong belief that Jesus was “The Messiah” – “The Chosen One”. He, they believed, would establish a Kingdom in Israel. Thus it was in Jewish ideology that they approached Jerusalem that Sunday (Palm Sunday). Two of them (James and John) had already asked for the chief ministries in the new government. Now they were entering the city in triumph – the crowd cheering their every step.

Next day Jesus cleanses the Temple – He had now seized the centre of Judaism and the leaders of the Jews were powerless to stop Him – even their questions He rebutted. If Sunday, Monday and Tuesday had been days of triumph Wednesday was an anti-climax. Jesus did nothing. Judas Iscariot, probably the most Nationalist of the disciples was, to put it mildly, thoroughly fed-up. If all is going your way you keep up the momentum, not do nothing. That evening then is the event of the ointment being poured over Jesus. Judas, not in the best of moods, makes a sharp comment concerning waste and is told by Jesus that this ointment is for His burial. Judas now makes arrangements to force Jesus’ hand by the most extreme method of betrayal.

So the Thursday, in which again Jesus does little in a day of activity for Judas. At the Last Supper Jesus shows he knows Judas’ plan, but does nothing to stop him. Judas has Jesus arrested at the place he knew He would stop for prayer on His way home to Bethany – The Garden of Gethsemane. His plans come to naught when Jesus’ hand is not forced and he realises that Jesus is going to die on the cross. Judas, therefore goes and hangs himself in despair.

The events of the trials, first in the night before Annas, the Father-in-law of the High Priest (and the power behind the throne), and then at dawn before Ciaphas, the High Priest, lead onto hearings before Pilate and Herod, before Pilate capitulates and passes the death sentence.

So with 10 of the disciples in hiding – and Judas dead – Jesus dies on the cross in the presence of only John, His Mother, and some other women friends. The disciples are terrified that they too will face the same and so they are not prepared to venture to the tomb on that first Sunday morning.

The women set off to do for Jesus the last offices, worried about, not their own safety, but who will move the stone in front of the tomb. They are amazed to find the stone moved, but shocked to find the body gone and angels declaring “He is risen”. Mary of Magdala, probably the youngest of the group, runs for help to Peter and John, who having inspected the tomb leaves her alone in the garden. It is then that she sees the vision of the gardener and then when she hears the word ‘Mary’ that tells her that the angels are right – Jesus is alive.

When she tells the disciples of this they believe that the tragic events of the last few days have distorted her mind – so they do not believe her. It is not until evening when we read of the events on the Emmaus Road, and later of the events in the Upper Room that 10 of the disciples know Jesus is alive. For the eleventh, Thomas, it is too good to be true. He has to wait another week until he is shown the truth by Jesus.