Holy Week...moment by moment

Holy Week began on the last day of March, A.D. 30. On that Sunday, Jesus led a procession from the "Mount of Olives" to the Temple of Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. A great crowd welcomed Him, laying palm fronds in His path. It was the first "Palm Sunday". When Jesus reached the Temple, He was disgusted by the presence of a sacrifice-animal market inside the Temple. He improvised a whip from some ropes on the floor and chased the animals and merchants out of the "House of God". When Jesus returned on Monday morning, the sacrifice-animal market was back in business. He cleaned the Temple again. Tuesday evening, Jesus ate a Passover Dinner with His 12 Apostles, 1 day early. He washed the feet of His men. And, He instituted the "Lord's Supper" ceremony. When Judas heard that they were going to the "Garden of Gethsemane" to pray, he slipped out and told the High Priest where Jesus could be arrested. The Priest send Judas and a squad of Temple guards to take Jesus. He was tried and condemned by the Jewish Senate, the Sanhedrin. After protracted negotiations, Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, ordered Jesus Crucified, early Wednesday morning. Jesus was savagely lashed and then nailed to His Cross. At noon, God blotted out all light on Earth for 3 hours. During this blackout, all the sins of all believers of all times were transferred to Jesus. He became the Ultimate, Sin-Sacrifice victim. When the lights came on at 3, Jesus said, "It is finished," and died. In the dusk, He was buried. He was in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights. During dusk on Saturday, as the Jewish first day of the week was unfolding, Jesus revived. He was glorified and miraculously floated free from His Tomb. In the morning, when angels rolled back the stone at the entrance to the Tomb, Jesus was not there.