Jesus' Last Week on Earth



As we embark on the week leading up to Resurrection Sunday, I believe as Christians it’s important to reflect on the events leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross on Good Friday and rising from the dead two days later.

Halley’sBible Handbook has a nice overview of the life of Jesus.  In Period 7 of 8, it provides summary information regarding the events of his last week, movements on his last night, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection.

Below are two excerpts:

The Last Week of Jesus’ Life on Earth1
Saturday: Arrives in Bethany (John 12:1)
Sunday: The Triumphal Entry as Jesus weeps over Jerusalem
Monday: The fig tree cursed.  Merchants are thrown out of the temple
Tuesday: Jesus’ last day in the temple, Judas bargains with the priests (or next day)
Wednesday: Day of quiet at Bethany
Thursday: The Last Supper and agony at Gethsemane
Friday: Trial and crucifixion
Sunday: Jesus rises from the dead

Jesus Resurrection2
If the four accounts of the Resurrection had all been identical, we might suspect that the four Gospel writers all used a single, agreed –upon story.  As it is, the four accounts bear all the marks of eyewitness accounts of an over-whelming experience. 
A glance at the accounts as presented in the four Gospels shows how different the perspective of each is. 

Matthew:
The women visit the tomb
Jesus appears to the women
The guards are bribed
Jesus appears to the Eleven in Galilee

Mark:
The woman visit the tomb
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene
Jesus appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus
Jesus appears to the Eleven in Jerusalem on the first evening
The Ascension

Luke:
The women visit the tomb
Peter runs to the tomb
Jesus appears to the two; and to Peter
Jesus appears to the Eleven in Jerusalem on the first evening
Final appearance, 40 days later
The Ascension

John:
Mary Magdalene visits the tomb
Peter and John run to the tomb
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene
Jesus appears to the Eleven on the first evening; Thomas is absent
Jesus appears to the Eleven a week later; Thomas is present
Jesus appears to the Seven at the Sea of Galilee

God Bless,

Footnotes:
1: Halley’s Bible Handbook with the New International Version p. 539

2: Ibid p. 542

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