After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. ~ John 19:38-42

It’s hard for us to understand the devastation that the disciples must have felt after Jesus was buried. They had been so sure that He was the Messiah, the Christ. They expected Him to conquer their enemies and raise up His Kingdom. Instead, He had died the tortuous death of the worst of criminals, humiliated before people who mocked Him. Their dreams had died—but so had their dear Friend whom they loved. They were doubly in grief and felt all was lost. Let us put ourselves in their places on this Holy Saturday. Let us experience the depth of their pain today so we can experience the depth of their joy tomorrow.

Heavenly Father, I know the end of the story, but let me feel the grief that the disciples felt on Saturday so I can experience the joy they experienced on Sunday. Make me deeply aware that all Jesus went through—His arrest, torture, death on the cross, time in Hell while He was buried—was for me. Let me feel the pain today to make the joy tomorrow even greater. In His name. Amen.

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Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face. Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!” So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”

Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.

They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” ~ John 19:1-37

Everything that happened on the day of Crucifixion led up to the final words of Jesus, “It is finished.” When Jesus said those words, He was saying that He had accomplished everything He came to earth to do. He had taken on the sins of the world hanging on that cross and by His sacrifice, He brought salvation and eternal life to all who believe. Unlike the animal sacrifices of earlier times that had to be repeated, His sacrifice was once and for all—finished forever. All we have to do is accept what He offers, take up our cross and follow Him.

Heavenly Father, I am in awe at what Jesus did for my sake. As unbelievable as it is, I know if I were the only sinner in the world, He would have made the same sacrifice for me alone. How can I begin to appreciate how much He and You love me? Guide me by the Holy Spirit to live the life You want me to live. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. ~ Matthew 26:26-30, 36-50

So much happened on Thursday night! Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover, and Jesus instituted Holy Communion. In the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Jesus and His disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane, where the disciples fall asleep while Jesus is praying. He asked the Father to let the coming ordeal pass from him. He knew exactly what would happen—physical torture, humiliation, death. Worst of all, He would take all the sin of the world—past, present, and future—upon Himself, and the Father would turn His face away from Him. That separation—the only moment in all of eternity when They would be apart—was far more agonizing than anything else. Yet, Jesus continued, “not as I will, but as You will.” He knew what would happen. He dreaded it—but He accepted it.

Lord, I can’t fathom the love that motivated the Father and the Son to be separated, even if for an infinitely small amount of time. And it was all for me—for me and every other sinner who will accept Your gift of grace and salvation. We don’t deserve Your great mercy, Lord, but You are full of love, mercy, grace, and peace. Please make me as willing as Jesus to do Your will. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.

But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. ~ Luke 23:11-25

Pilate knew Jesus had done nothing worthy of death, but he was too concerned about appeasing the crowd to do the right thing. Instead, he turned an innocent man over to persecution and execution to save himself trouble.

Lord God, I never want to be a Pontius Pilate—so focused on my own selfish interests that I fail to do the right thing. Especially I ask for the courage and strength to always proudly proclaim my love for Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen.

Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him, and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, “Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?” And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.

When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.” ~ Luke 22:63-71

We know what came later; we know who Jesus is. It’s easy to condemn the Jewish religious leaders for thinking Jesus blasphemed, but we would have responded any differently if someone claimed to be the Son of God? They were selfishly trying to protect their own power and prestige. But even without their selfish motivations, the chief priests and scribes would have found it incredible that an itinerant preacher with a ragtag following and no power base could be the Son of God.

Thank You, Lord, that I know the rest of the story. I know that Jesus is the Son of God, King of kings, Lord of lords, God of gods. He gave His life to cleanse me of my sins and to give me eternal life. I can never be grateful enough, but I ask that You guide my life in the way You want me to live. In His name. Amen.

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. ~ Luke 22:39-62

Peter was one of Jesus’ inner circle, the first disciple to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and one of the strongest leaders in the early church. Most of us would like to be like Peter. Yet when Jesus needed him the most, Peter denied Jesus—not once but three times! Even Jesus’ closest disciples failed him, but their failures didn’t cause the spread of the Gospel to fail. And our failures won’t, either.

Thank You, Lord, that You use people who fail You, broken people, imperfect people. I am broken and imperfect, and I fail You far too often, but please use me for Your glory. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold your King is coming to you,
Gentle, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest!”
When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”
And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”
~ Matthew 21:1-16

Jesus rode into Jerusalem humbly on a donkey and proceeded to drive the moneychangers out of the Temple. He received adulation from the people, but He didn’t care that He antagonized the religious leaders. Those who exchanged money and sold animals for sacrifice were profiting from the people who came to worship and make sacrifices, turning the temple from a place of worship into a marketplace.

Lord God, give me strength and courage to be forceful like Jesus in standing for truth and righteousness. In His name. Amen.

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Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
~ Zechariah 9:9

As prophesied in the Old Testament, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and was hailed as a king. The King of kings, Lord of lords, and God of gods didn’t arrive mounted on a magnificent steed followed by magnificent armies. Even a donkey was a step up from His usual mode of transportation—walking. He lived humbly and simply, serving rather than being served.

Heavenly Father, give me the humility of Jesus. Make me a servant rather than one who expects to be served. Keep me simple and humble as Jesus. In His name. Amen.