As we look forward to our Good Friday service tomorrow night at 6:30 and our Resurrection Sunday service, it will do us good to also recall the events of that Thursday of the final week of Jesus's life before His death and resurrection.
There is so much that happened on that Thursday. Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare for the Passover meal. In fact, we could call that Thursday 'Preparation Thursday' not only because Jesus and His disciples prepared to partake of the Passover meal together, but also because Jesus prepares His disciples for His death and resurrection, for life without His physical presence, for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and for persecution from the world. Jesus also prepares them (John 17) and Himself in prayer (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46) as Crucifixion Friday approaches.
Below are the Thursday-Saturday readings for Holy Week. Perhaps you've been busy and haven't slowed enough to ponder the final days of Jesus before the cross and the empty tomb. Take some time now to listen to Him, to hang on His every word. As you do, you'll notice the themes of service, love, obedience, and joy. All of these perfected in our Savior. All of these ours in Him.
THURSDAY
Jesus instructs his disciples Peter and John to secure a large upper room in a house in Jerusalem and to prepare for the Passover meal
Matt. 26:17–19; Mark 14:12–16; Luke 22:7–13
In the evening Jesus eats the Passover meal with the Twelve, tells them of the coming betrayal, and institutes the Lord’s Supper
Matt. 26:20–29; Mark 14:17–23; Luke 22:14–30
During supper Jesus washes the disciples’ feet, interacts with them, and delivers the Upper Room Discourse (Farewell Discourse)
John 13:1–17:26
Jesus and the disciples sing a hymn together, then depart to the Mount of Olives
Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26; Luke 22:39
Jesus predicts Peter’s denials
Matt. 26:31–35; Mark 14:27–31; Luke 22:31–34
Jesus issues final practical commands about supplies and provisions
Luke 22:35–38
Jesus and the disciples go to Gethsemane, where he struggles in prayer and they struggle to stay awake late into the night
Matt. 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:40–46
FRIDAY
Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested by the authorities (perhaps after midnight, early Friday morning)
Matt. 26:47–56; Mark 14:43–52; Luke 22:47–53; John 18:2–12
Jesus has an informal hearing before Annas (former high priest and Caiaphas’s father-in-law)
Matt. 26:57, 59–68; Mark 14:53, 55–65; Luke 22:63–71
As predicted, Peter denies Jesus and the rooster crows
Matt. 26:58, 69–75; Mark 14:54, 66–72; Luke 22:54b–62; John 18:15–18, 25–27
After sunrise on Friday the final consultation of the full Sanhedrin condemns Jesus to death and sends him to Pontius Pilate
Matt. 27:1–2; Mark 15:1
Judas changes his mind, returns the silver, and hangs himself
Matt. 27:3–10
Pilate questions Jesus and sends him to Herod Antipas
Matt. 27:11–14; Mark 15:2–5; Luke 23:1–7; John 18:28–38
Herod questions Jesus and sends him back to Pilate
Luke 23:8–12
Jesus appears before Pilate a second time and is condemned to die
Matt. 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; Luke 23:13–25; John 18:38b–19:16
Jesus is mocked and marched to Golgotha
Matt. 27:27–34; Mark 15:16–23; Luke 23:26–49; John 19:17
Jesus is crucified between two thieves
Matt. 27:35–44; Mark 15:24–32; Luke 23:33–43; John 19:18–27
Jesus breathes his last
Matt. 27:45–56; Mark 15:33–41; Luke 23:44–49; John 19:28–37
Joseph of Arimathea buries Jesus in a new tomb
Matt. 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; Luke 23:50–56; John 19:38–42
SATURDAY
The chief priests and Pharisees place guards at the tomb with Pilate’s permission
Matt. 27:62–66
- table excerpted from Andreas J. Köstenberger, Justin Taylor, and Alexander Stewart, The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014), 24–25.