Apr 3
2021
Holy Week Devotional: Jesus in the Tomb
The Jewish leaders insisted that Pilate secure the tomb with soldiers stating that Jesus' disciples might steal his body away and claim that He'd been resurrected. They asserted that this second "deception"-resurrection- would be worse than the first- believing Jesus to be the Messiah. Pilate, perhaps with a hint of sarcasm, deflected the request back at them saying "you have your own soldiers, go and make it a secure as you can", likely referring to the detachment of Roman guards in the Fortress Antonia adjacent to the Jewish temple who were assigned to guard it.
Behind the covering of the blood-soaked purple cloak and the excruciating punctures of the thorns that adorned his head, was the embodiment of Almighty God - the Creator of all things. At a moment’s notice, a single word from the Most High would have removed Him from this heinous act and return Him to his rightful position in the presence of the Father. Yet, He remained silent as it had been foretold 700 years prior...
In the garden of Gethsemane, we find Jesus with a heavy heart, “greatly distressed and troubled.” Going to pray, Jesus confided in His disciples that His soul was “very sorrowful, even to death.” (Mark 14:33-34) Luke tells us our Lord was in such anguish that while praying in the garden He began to sweat blood. (Luke 22:44)
Have you ever said or done something that was driven by ulterior motives or ignorance? Jesus surrounded himself with people who made these choices, imperfect like us. He patiently endures and expects our shortcomings. And like a shepherd, He gently corrects in a way that directs the focus of the problem from the behavior to the heart.
When Jesus entered the temple and began driving out the money changers, He was not alone in His anger on the historic occasion. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus spoke from the prophets, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of robbers.” These words were not lost on the chief priests and the scribes.