One of the most powerful ways to observe Passion Week is to reflect on the events that took place during each of Jesus’ last few days before the crucifixion. While some days of Holy Week such as Palm Sunday and Good Friday are discussed in great detail in Scripture, there are some other days, such as Holy Tuesday that are a bit more mysterious.
Thankfully, over the years, faithful men and women who have committed themselves to piecing together some of the mysteries of Scripture have put together which events of the first Holy Week took place on each day.
Holy Tuesday is widely considered the day of Holy Week that we have the least information about. With that in mind, it’s easy to assume that this was the “least important” day of the week leading up to the first Easter, but that’s simply not the case. Some of the interactions and conversations that Christ had with people on this day give us great insight into what He was facing, how He was feeling, and how we can apply these teachings to our own lives.
Today, spend some time reflecting on these # passages that history teaches us took place on the first Holy Tuesday.
The Widow’s Offering
Luke 21:1-4 (NIV)
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
We often look at these brief stories recounted in the Gospels and brush right past them. After all, Jesus didn’t go up to this woman and supernaturally make her wealthy. We don’t know how long her husband had been gone, but Jesus didn’t offer to raise him from the dead so that she could experience not only the love of a husband, but also the financial security that being married provided in Biblical times. Instead, Christ simply sat there and watched her give all that she had to her local temple.
The two most powerful parts of this story are the woman’s willingness to give, and Christ’s response to her faithfulness. Jesus wasn’t impressed with the wealthy people who had flooded Jerusalem for the Passover celebration throwing in a few coins out of their abundance. It’s not that He had something against them, but He knew that their giving wasn’t really going to cost them anything.
There is also a historical context to consider here. The temple, the same one that Christ ran the moneychangers out of on Holy Monday, had become a business. Some of the elite, wealthy religious leaders had made the decision to place the baskets that were used to collect the offering in right at the door. This allowed them to make a public showing of their own offerings.
The widow who put in two small copper coins. Christ hadn’t provided any commentary on anyone else’s giving, but her decision to give moved Him. It wasn’t because God needed the money. Instead, it was because her willingness to give revealed her trust in God’s ability to provide for her.
Without having a conversation with her, Jesus knew that she was a widow and that the two coins were all that she had. That’s not a surprise, as He knows everything about each of us.
This story provides us with two powerful truths. First of all, God is not moved by the amount that we give, but rather, that we trust Him in all things. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, God sees you. You’re not forgotten, and you are not forsaken.
Jesus is Approached by the Greeks
John 12:20-22 (NIV)
Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.”
For more than a thousand years, the Israelites were God’s chosen people. While there were steps that Gentiles could take to integrate themselves into the Jewish people, it simply wasn’t something that happened often. This divide among racial lines continued even after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
The presence of these Greek men at the festival was unusual, but not completely unheard of. However, they had seen and heard enough about Christ to recognize that there was something to His claims of Messiahship. They went to Philip, one of the disciples, and told him that they would like to meet Jesus.
While Scripture stops recording the interaction after Philip tells Andrew about their request, this brief story contains a powerful truth about Christ’s mission. The death, burial, and resurrection, which the entire Passion Week revolves around, was and is for everyone.
The gift of Salvation, which God offered to the entire planet when He allowed His Son to be sacrificed, is for everyone. There are no prerequisites or requirements that we need to fulfill before we can accept the gift. You don’t have to look a certain way or be of a certain class in order to receive this gift. God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice transcends the boundaries that we often set up around ourselves.
The Olivet Discourse
Luke 5:21:7 (NIV)
“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will the sign that they are about to take the place?”
The Olivet Discourse is recorded in three of the four Gospel accounts. You can find it in Matthew 24:1-25:46, Mark 13:1-37, and Luke 21:5-36. The central theme to this last sermon from Christ is the end of time. In fact, it is widely considered the most exhaustive teaching that Christ ever provided about the last days.
Historians and scholars widely agree that Christ presented the Olivet Discourse on Holy Tuesday. He climbed the Mount of Olives, a mountainous grove of olive trees in Jerusalem, and overlooked the city. The temple, which was the hub of the entire town, caught His eye.
Over the course of this sermon, Jesus spoke about many things that will happen in the last days. Wars will take place all around the world, earthquakes and violent storms will become more and more common, and animosity and hatred will become more prevalent between people, even those within the same family.
However, Christ’s most “mysterious” comment revolved around the destruction of the temple. History teaches us that this process started taking place less than four decades after Christ prophesied the destruction of the temple to its very foundation.
In 70 AD, Josephus, a Jewish historian, witnessed Rome attacking Jerusalem and destroying most of the city. You can find his firsthand account of the onslaught in his writings online or in books of his writings that continue to be published. Around 60 years after the first attack, Roman Emperor Hadrian finished what his predecessor had started, and destroyed most of Israel, killing roughly 600,000 Jews and razing approximately 1,000 separate villages.
Christ’s prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem came to pass, which means all the other prophecies in the Olivet Discourse will come to pass, too. As God’s people, we can be aware of these signs, but we know that we don’t have to fear the last days. Instead, we know that when it seems like everything is falling apart, God is pulling everything together before He brings His children home.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for seeing me like You saw the widow who gave what she had. Thank You for offering salvation to everyone, regardless of their background. Help me to be aware of the signs of Your Son’s return, but not to be fearful when I see them happening. In Christ’s name, Amen.