Mary Anointed Jesus with very costly and very precious oil. Biblically oil is a symbol of acceptance. To anoint someone is to accept them, to accept them for who and for what they are. Judas on the other hand did not want to bother with anointing Jesus. He didn't even want to be bothered with other people anointing Him. Mary was accepting Jesus. She had accepted that He had come to die for her in her place and was anointing Jesus for His coming burial. The cross of Jesus was something that even the disciples had not yet been able to come to grips with yet Mary had and Mary acknowledged and accepted Jesus for it. Having accepted the gift from Jesus that He was to die in her place for her sins she had now entered into a place of rest and comfort. Rest in that she did not have to work to amend for her own sins and comfort in that all things would be taken care of for her through God who is also King, her King Jesus.

As we begin our walk with Jesus let's pause and reflect (Selah) about acceptance ... are there people in our own lives who we need to anoint and to accept even though we don't understand them? How much could our fellowships gain by this one simple act of anointing one another in the simple affection of acceptance. Anointing others with the precious oil of acceptance can only come from our own rest and security through the knowledge of what Jesus Himself has done and will do for us in our lives.

Are we anointing and accepting of ourselves? Biblically people are allowed to anoint - refresh themselves with oil (Matthew 6:17, "But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face..." ). In fact it is crucial that we accept ourselves. God has already accepted us. He created us and He is for us. How is it that we can reject what God has already accepted?

Are we anointing and accepting of Jesus? Even today we can anoint Jesus with His precious costly oil of acceptance by accepting His accomplishments in His sacrificial death and eternal resurrection life for us and by trusting in His authority and Kingly rule over and in our lives.

We would like to be bold enough to take the steps to walk where Jesus walks, but it is now evident even on this day, day one, that Jesus does not walk as a human walks but that He walks as God walks. For us to walk with Jesus we are going to have to be bold and remove our focus from others and place it on God.

Love, Blessings, and Prayers,

Pastor Pat Aman

Scripture: The NIV Bible

Timeline

 

This timeline is the same number of days as the traditional timeline view until the tomb where it includes the three days and three nights in the tomb. This third day moves the crucifixion back one day from Friday (Good Friday) to Thursday (Crucifixion Thursday) and likewise moves each of the preceding events back one day of the week so then backing up by one day the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem occurs on Saturday and not the traditional Sunday. However it is Saturday and not Sunday that is the better fit and the more appropriate day according to the Biblical description of the Triumphal entry of Jesus and it is Saturday that fulfills the Feast day of Sabbath.

 

Mark 11:10-11 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when He had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide [(3798) close of this Saturday Sabbath day] was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

 

Jesus is confining and framing His Triumphal Entry celebration into Jerusalem, including His entrance into the Temple grounds, into the framework of the one Saturday Sabbath Feast Day. The original Greek word in the Bible for "eventide" (3798) is in the Feminine form and not in the regular Masculine form and denotes that this is a particular observance day i.e. the Sabbath day.

I think what has happened is that somewhere in Church history the Church began to observe an abbreviated week of Holy week. It was easier for people to get time off from work and celebrate Friday - Sunday than the Thursday - Sunday of the Bible. Likewise shortening the events places the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Sunday instead of Saturday therefore making for another convenient Holiday as the Church is already routinely gathered for the Sunday Worship service. The events as we observe them in modern times are an abbreviated version of the Biblical times in which they occurred. It was never intended to replace the Biblical version as everyone knows that a Friday crucifixion does not equal the three days and three nights in the tomb. The Thursday crucifixion does and it also supports all of the events of the Bible.

Due to the vast amount of attention given to Holy Week in each of the four Gospels, deriving a timeline of the Holy Week events is fairly easy. The Bible provides much information about the last week of Jesus' walk here on earth, giving us much more information than for example the birth date (Christmas) of Jesus, because the mission of Jesus is the Passover so the Bible keys in on it.

 

Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

 

In the Book of Genesis (Genesis 1:5), God prescribed the day to be sunlight and the new day to begin at Sundown. Following God's commandment the Jews start a new day at Sundown while the Gentile starts a new day a little later at 12:00 midnight. For example after the Lord's Passover is eaten at evening time (then at sundown) it would technically be a new day for the Jews and therefore the events after sundown, the going out to the Garden of Gethsemane, are a part of the next days feast the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Yet it is before Midnight so to the Gentile it is still the same day. We do have to consider that we have two slightly different timelines, the Jewish and the Gentile timelines, within the four Gospels to mesh together to get the events that occurred during the Holy Week. Fortunately at most each day is only an offset of a couple of hours and it is just as easy to follow the events that happened during each day and during each night to accurately derive a timeline of the Holy Week events.

Also regarding the Jewish-Hebrew custom of counting days it is said after eight days or after six days but for the gentile it would be during the eighth day or during the sixth day.

For example:

 

John 20:26 And after eight days again His disciples were within [the upper room], and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace be unto you".

 

The time period referenced is Sunday through Sunday, eight days total and not an additional ninth day. The time period is the original resurrection Sunday and then the eight day later is the next Sunday while the “disciples were within” the upper room to commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus the previous Sunday.

This timeline accounts for all of the Biblical events of Holy Week. It does not leave out any event nor does it create any gaps in any of the events.

 

6 Days before the Passover

 

John 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead.

6 - [Friday] Having departed the city of Jericho, Jesus and the disciples arrive at the small village of Bethany near Jerusalem on Mount Olivet. Jesus is anointed by Mary (John 12:1).

 

5 - [Saturday][Sabbath Feast, Leviticus 23:3] "On the next day" (John 12:12) Palm Saturday, this is the day that Jesus enters Jerusalem and presents Himself to the people as their King and Messiah. Fulfilling the Sabbath Feast Day. We the people can now enter into Rest as we now have Jesus as our Righteous and Just King. Jesus enters the Temple looks around and then departs at evening time (Mark 11:11) at the close of the day, completing the Sabbath day.

 

4 - [Sunday] "On the marrow" (Day after Palm Saturday, Mark 11:12) Jesus sees the Fig Tree that it is without fruit and curses it. Jesus then enters the Temple, cleanses the Temple of moneychangers and while giving a full day of teaching in the Temple, Jesus declares that the Temple is "a house of prayer."

 

3 - [Monday] "and in the morning" (next morning Mark 11:20) They see the Fig Tree is withered. Jesus teaches in the Temple and the Pharisees and Scribes dispute the authority of Jesus. Jesus departs the Temple for the last time (Matthew 24:1) and then proceeds to Mt. Olivet and delivers the End Time teaching called the "Mt. Olivet Discourse."

 

Matthew 26:1-2 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings (Mt. Olivet Discourse), He said unto His disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified.

 

2 Days before the Passover

 

2 - [Tuesday] In Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, Jesus is again anointed by another woman, (Matthew 26:6). Judas agrees to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16).

 

1 - [Wednesday][Lord's Passover Feast, Leviticus 23:5] Passover - Last Supper - Communion Feast is Celebrated and fulfilled as the New Covenant between God and Man is established in Jesus. The covenant that God Himself will pay the price of Death for man's sins, therefore making sin void and opening the new way to a personal relationship between humans and God. This feast is the only prescribed feast day that is not also a "Rest-Sabbath" day and therefore there is not the rest-curfew prohibiting the going outside after dark, enabling Jesus and the now 11 disciples to depart after dark and proceed to the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

 

The Cross, Tomb and Resurrection

 

Let's examine Thursday - Sunday by looking at a couple of verses in the Gospel of Mark and in the Gospel of Luke.

Mark 16:1-2 And when the Sabbath [Thursday][Crucifixion day] (feast of unleavened bread) was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought (purchased) sweet spices, [Friday] [normal Day] that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day [Sunday][Resurrection Day] of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Luke 23:52-24:1 [Thursday][Crucifixion day] "This man, Joseph of Arimathaea, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down [from the cross] and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulcher (tomb) that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation [preparation for the evening Sabbath of Unleavened Bread], and the Sabbath [Unleavened Bread, evening Sabbath curfew] drew on. And the women also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld (observed) the sepulcher, and how His body was laid. And they returned (home) and [Friday] [normal Day] prepared (worked & labored) spices and ointments; and rested the [Saturday][Sabbath Day] Sabbath day according to the commandment [the 4th of the 10 commandments, the weekly Saturday Sabbath]. Now upon the first day of the week [Sunday][Resurrection Day], very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them."

1 - [Thursday][Unleavened Bread Feast, Leviticus 23:6] Arrest, Trials and Crucifixion of Jesus. The Jewish leaders hand Jesus over to the Romans but do not enter into the same room with the Romans (Gentiles) because it is a Feast Day, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (John 18:28). The Feast of Unleavened Bread is fulfilled as Jesus, with His life pays for the sins (leaven) of the world. Note "The Lord's Passover" + "Feast of Unleavened Bread" = "Passover." This Feast is a routine Rest-Sabbath Feast where the participants are required to be inside at sundown therefore the two thieves crucified alongside of Jesus have their legs broken - to hasten their death before sundown. This is the first day and first night of death as death began for Jesus on the cross at about 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon (Luke 23:44-46).

 

2 - [Friday] The tomb is sealed, the Jewish leaders again negotiate with the Romans about Jesus. This time it is a contract with the Romans asking them to seal the tomb and to set a guard at the tomb. The Romans agree to the contract and set the seal, but this time the Jewish leaders do Not remain outside of the room while they dialogue with the Romans because today is a regular day and not a feast day so there is no requirement to remain apart from the Romans (Matthew 27:62). Because it is a regular day shopping and working can take place therefore ointments and spices are purchased and mixed together to further anoint the body of Jesus (Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56). It is the 2nd day and 2nd night in the tomb.

 

3 - [Saturday] Sabbath day the routine Saturday Jewish Sabbath, no work can take place on this day. It is the day of rest and the Third Day and Third Night in the tomb of Jesus (Luke 23:56).

 

4 - [Sunday][First Fruits Feast, Leviticus 23:10,11] Resurrection day "the Re-Birth of Life." Jesus Resurrects just prior to Sunrise. If He remained dead it would be a fourth daylight day (Matthew 28:1). On Resurrection Day Jesus begins to Breath (Baptize) the Holy Spirit Life into each of His disciples giving a New Spiritual Life to His followers and creating the "Born Again" Church. This is just the First Fruits of the Holy Spirit with much more to come.

 

6 + 4 = 10 days with Jesus

Another consideration is that the Jewish and Roman leaders of the day had their various agendas and desires regarding what to do about Jesus, yet it is the prophecies of God that were carried out during those crucial 10 days.

 

Mark 14:1,2 … and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him (Jesus) by craft, and put Him to death. But they said, Not on a feast day, least there be an uproar of the people.

 

 

John 19:36,37 For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him (Jesus) shall not be broken. And again another Scripture saith, They shall look on Him (Jesus) whom they pierced.

 

Three Days and Three Nights

When challenged about His Deity and Authority Jesus responded to the Scribes and the Pharisees that to authenticate who He is and what He came to do that He would spend three days in Death and Resurrect prior to the fourth day according to His own ability to conquer death at any moment He desired.

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah {the Prophet} was Three Days and Three Nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man be Three Days and Three Nights in the heart of the earth.

The Prophecy is about how long Jesus would remain dead and does not specifically involve how long Jesus would be in the tomb as Jesus died on the cross it is the cross where Jesus "gave up the ghost" and began the three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Determining when Jesus was specifically buried in the tomb is irrelevant to the prophecy as death for Jesus is established at about 3:00 p.m..

 

Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.

 

In authenticating His death of three days and three nights Jesus is using the Original time frame that He set out in Genesis 1:5 which is specific periods of daylight and darkness. This timeframe removes local customs and references to marking days and is universal to all mankind. Therefore, all mankind will be able to establish and identify with the authority of Jesus.

Jesus generally referred to the doctrines and teachings of early Genesis including the passage about marriage in Matthew 19:3-8 where Jesus responds by quoting Genesis 1:27.

Therefore we have the Three Days and Three Nights established as

• Thursday death on the cross at 3:00 p.m. Daylight - Day 1

• Thursday night - Night 1

• Friday daylight - Day 2

• Friday night - Night 2

• Saturday daylight - Day 3

• Saturday night - Night 3

*Note Sunday daylight would be the Forth day in the tomb and I don't think that Sunday is eligible as a "death day" as Sunday is counted as the "Resurrection Day" and therefore cannot be double counted as both a "death day" and as the Resurrection Day in fulfilling the three day prophecy.

 

Luke 24:18-23 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto Him (Jesus) [not knowing it was the resurrected Jesus], Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And He (Jesus) said unto them, What things? And they said unto Him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and have crucified Him. But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, *today (4594) [Literal: having already been closed - completed] is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that He was alive.

*The Greek word (4594) translated "today" in the Bible is in the Neuter gender and Nominative case form and denotes that the three days are previously completed prior to this, the current day of Sunday. It would require that the word (4594) was in the Genitive case form to begin to make the connection that the current day of Sunday is to be counted in the three days being discussed. Therefore the three days of arrest, trial, crucifixion and death are unmistakably the Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Matthew 28:1 In the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn {just prior to becoming daylight} toward the first day (Sunday) of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.