I’m sitting here today reflecting on precisely what this week means and has meant for the past 2000 years. Many years ago, Jesus spent His last week before His death purposefully engaging in significant activities. Interestingly, he knew He would die within the week, so I’m sure He was highly intentional. Everything He did was for a purpose.

I wonder what things I might plan for myself if I knew I would die in 5 days. Have you ever thought about it? What intentional moves would you make? What broken relationship would you seek to heal? How many people would you finally forgive? How would you treat your spouse and family differently? What things would you finish that had been left undone?

Jesus had a laser focus on Jerusalem, the cross, and us that final week. As the day of His impending and cruel death approached, He remained focused on doing His Father’s will, our sins, His obedience, and on the cross. I’m not even sure I can adequately describe my emotions as I think through how unfocused I am at times. Or, maybe I’m just focused on the wrong things. I pray that God would continue to give me a heart of gratitude for Jesus and His focused obedience to even His death on the cross. I pray that we all would have a heart of gratitude as we focus on Jesus.

Yesterday, Sunday of Passion week, marked Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. This day was a day of seeming excitement and public acknowledgment that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the King of Kings, and the Savior of the world. The scene was surreal. As Jesus rode a previously unridden donkey into Jerusalem,

“a great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:8-9)

After spending the night in Bethany, Monday brought its own set of challenges as Jesus made His way to the city.

“Now the next day, when they had come out of Bethany, He was hungry. 13And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14In response, Jesus said to it, ‘Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.’ And His disciples heard it.” (Mark 11:12-14)

This story has always been curious to me. I mean, what does a fig tree have to do with Jesus’ death? The fig tree represented Israel and the fact that Israel would no longer be how God accomplished His purpose. It was a picture of Israel no longer bearing fruit. This prophecy from Jesus was significant and again a part of moving toward His impending suffering and death.

Following the fig tree experience, Jesus then moved again toward Jerusalem and could see the city from a distance.

I remember spending time in Paripe, Brazil, a few years ago. We were across the bay from Salvador in a mountainous region. As I looked many miles across the bay at the outline of the city, I couldn’t help but think that this was something like what Jesus saw. As He looked at the silhouette of the city and temple, He must have felt great pain for those who lived there. Scripture tells us that Jesus saw the city, wept over it, and said,

If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes. 43For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation. (Luke 19:42-44)

He wept because He knew the things to come. He wept because Jerusalem was not interested in the things of God and didn’t accept Him as the Messiah. He experienced real pain, the emotional struggle, and hurt over people who just didn’t get it. We live in a world just like that today. People were coming and going and doing their own things. People were not interested in the things of God but of man. People who replaced truth with a lie. I pray we have not failed to recognize Jesus and His real significance.

On Monday, the final thing Jesus did was to visit the temple, where He cleansed it for the second time during His ministry. Scripture tells us that Jesus “began to drive out those who bought and sold in it (temple), “saying to them, ‘It is written, My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’” (Luke 19:45-46) Jesus was passionate about His house. Jesus said that His house had become a refuge and home for the dishonest. It had become a haven for those who just wanted to go through the routine and indifferent religious practices with grand ceremony. He was passionate about seeking and saving those who were lost. He was, is, and always will be passionate about us. As I reread this passage, I have to ask myself, how would Jesus cleanse the Church today? How would He cleanse the church where you attend?

There are times in our lives when we need a little introspection. In light of this passage, I wonder what Jesus would cleanout in our lives? What have we allowed to take up residence in our hearts? What things in our own lives cause Him to weep? Do the things that cause Him to weep cause us to weep? Consider this question. Are we as passionate about Jesus as He is about us?

Monday was a very emotional day for Jesus as He interacted with His disciples, those in Jerusalem, and those in the temple. As frustrating and emotional as it must have been, He was still laser-focused on the cross and our sins. His love for us superseded any other emotion He experienced. Scripture finally tells us,

“He (Jesus) was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him” (Luke 19:47-48).

Jesus’ taught with great authority and understood that His death was quickly approaching. If you knew you would die in a few days, what would you want people to know?

As emotional as Monday was, Tuesday was going to be even more difficult……

Jesus is on His journey toward the cross. The days were quickly moving, and the cross was becoming more clear each day.