Beginning this Sunday, Palm Sunday, we have the opportunity to revisit the sacred events that changed the world. Whether or not you are Christian, these events were pivotal enough to alter the way we measure time and dates.
I've noticed a shift in society toward disbelief and skepticism. I understand it. I too have doubt and certainly questions that remain unanswered. Nonetheless, I choose to believe. It offers me hope. I challenge myself to hold to something that others talk themselves out of. The Easter season reminds me to feel the feels that led me to Jesus in the first place.
I've spent the last ten hours reviewing the art of Jaques (James) Tissot, the renowned French painter. He was known for his portraiture of refined aristocrats. At some point in his career he had a profound conversion that led him to visit Jerusalem and dedicate his future paintings to the life of Christ. He has left us with over 400 paintings depicting the life of Jesus Christ, most of which are on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
PALM SUNDAY Jesus sends his disciples to Bethphage to retrieve a horse and her previously unridden foal. He mounts the foal and rides to the border of Jerusalem, where he overlooks the Holy City and weeps. Luke 19: 41-44
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| And beholding the city, he wept over it |
Crowds of people have gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of the passover. When they hear the miracle worker is coming into town they rush to see him. They lay their cloaks and shawls down in the street before him and wave palm leaves in praise, shouting Hosanna.
Matt 21: 9-11 |
| thE procession in the streets of Jerusalem |
Pharisees warn Jesus to silence the crowds, but he refuses. Jewish chief priests warn Roman leaders of possible uprising if they do not stop Jesus before the Holy Passover begins. Mark 11:18
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The chief priests take counsel together against Jesus
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HOLY MONDAY Having spent the night two miles away in Bethany, Jesus and his apostles walk toward the temple in Jerusalem. On the way he is hungry, and finds a fig tree that has no fruit. His apostles hear him tell the tree no one will ever eat fruit from it again.
Mark 11: 19-25 |
| The accursed fig tree |
As the enters the temple city, Jesus is angered at what he sees as desecration of a holy place. He drives the merchants who are selling their wares from the temple grounds.
Mark 11: 15-17 |
| Christ driving out them that sold and bought from the temple |
Then he blesses and heals the lame and blind in the temple. The chief priests accuse him of blasphemy.
Matt 21: 14-16 |
| Jesus heals the lame in the temple |
Jesus and his disciples return to Bethany that night.
Matt 21:17  |
| Jesus goes out to Bethany at night |
HOLY TUESDAY Jesus and his apostles return to Jerusalem. On their journey they notice the fig tree is withered. Jesus teaches his brethren about faith. Mark 11:20-26
Among the many visitors to the Holy City of Jerusalem are some Greek Gentiles, who have noticed all the commotion and ask to see Jesus. Phillip and Andrew approach Jesus with the request.
John 12: 20-26 |
| The Gentiles ask to see Jesus |
Jesus replies that the hour has come for him to be glorified. He alludes to a kernel of wheat, that if it will not die it cannot sprout and produce more wheat. He appears before the crowd and calls to the Father to glorify his name. The crowd heard a voice like thunder from heaven announcing "I have glorified it, and will grorify it again."
John 12: 27-33 |
| The voice from heaven |
While in the temple, the priests question the authority of Jesus. Jesus responds in parables.
Mark 11:27-33 |
| The chief priests ask "By what authority doest thou these things? |
The priests continue to try and trick Jesus into condemning himself. He tells them to "Render to Caesar that which is Caesars".
Matt 22:15-22 |
| The tribute money |
Jesus answers a questioning Pharasee tthat he two great commandments are Love God and Love thy neighbor.
Mark 12:28-34 |
| The Pharisees question Jesus |
Jesus stops speaking in parables and lets the unrighteous leaders have it! (This basically seals his fate)
Matt 23 |
| Woe to you scribes and pharisees |
Jesus taught daily from the temple. As the days progressed, so did the boldness of his declarations. Matt 23: 37-39
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| Jerusalem, Jerusalem |
Jesus, watching people giving their offerings in the temple, witnesses a woman offering all she had. He teaches the value of a widow's mite. Mark 12:41-44
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| The widow's mite |
Jesus spent his mornings teaching in the temple, and his evenings on the Mount of Olives.
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| Christ going at night on a mountain |
SILENT WEDNESDAY also known as SPY WEDNESDAY
Scripture does not tell us specifically what Jesus did on Wednesday, though we do know where he was. If the place we are most comfortable and secure is our safe place, then Jesus was in his safe place in Bethany, at the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, his safe people. Here he received love and comfort. The power of the silence the scriptures hold in this matter is touching to me.
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| Jesus at Bethany with Mary Magdalene and Martha |
Meanwhile, the apostle Judas Iscariot decides to betray Jesus and approaches the chief priests.
Luke 22: 1-6
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| Judas goes to the chief priests and sells his master |
MAUNDY THURSDAY Jesus leaves Bethany for the last time. At the behest of their master, his apostles have secured the upper room of a home to hold the Passover Feast at sundown. He gathers with his twelve apostles around the Passover table. Luke 22: 14-16
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| The Jewish Passover, The Last Supper |
After supper he teaches his apostles, and speaks of one who would betray him. John 13: 18-27
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| The Last Supper: Judas dipping his hand in the dish |
Judas leaves. After supper Jesus gathers his remaining disciples and washes their feet.
John 13:3-17 |
| The washing of the feet |
He initiates the ordinance of the Holy Sacrament. Matt 26:26-29
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| The Communion of the Apostles |
Jesus offers his last teaching to his most trusted disciples, leaving them with a new commandment, which supercedes the Law of Moses. Love One Another, As I Have Loved You. In essence, "Live as I have lived, and teach what I have taught."
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| The Last Sermon |
After singing a hymn, Jesus and his remaining apostles go out to the Mount of Olives, as they have done every night this week. Jesus tells Peter he will soon disown his master. Specifically, three times. Peter declares "Never!" All the disciples claim they would never leave their master. (I like to think that perhaps Christ was telling Peter he "must" deny a relationship with Christ, so that his gospel could move forward. I imagine that when this was fulfilled, Peter was broken-hearted at what he had to do, but was not necessarily unfaithful in his deed.) Matt 26:30-35
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| St. Peter Protests: Although all shall fall away, yet I will not |
As they approach the Mount of Olives, Jesus begins to feel a great troubling. He asks his apostles to wait and pray for him, and then takes Peter, James and John in to the edge of the Garden of Gethsemane. He asks Peter, James and John to keep watch for him. He travels on alone, then falls to the ground, overwhelmed. He calls to his Father, "Abba, please remove this cup from me."
And then, "Nevertheless, Thy will be done."
Mark 14: 32-36
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| My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, unto death |
Collapsed under the weight of his suffering, Christ bleeds from every pore. He receives angelic comfort.
Luke 22: 41-44
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| Jesus in agony in the Garden |
Three times Jesus rises and goes to his three disciples, who have fallen asleep. He asks them if they could not watch with him one hour? (in this I suspect He is calling to all of us to try a little harder to rise above our human instincts)
Mark 14: 37-42
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| You could not watch one hour with me |
Leading a large band of people, including guards and soldiers, Judas comes to the Mount of Olives. He indicates which of the disciples is Jesus by kissing his cheek, pretending to greet him as a friend.
John 18: 2-3 & Matt 26: 48-50 |
| Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss |
The crowd takes Jesus. Peter tries to protect him by drawing his kife. Hecuts off the ear of one of the servants of the high priest, whose name is Malchus. Jesus restores the ear to the servant's head. This would be his last miracle... performed for an "enemy". Luke 22: 50, 51
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| Jesus heals Malchus, the high priest's servant |
The apostles flee (perhaps at the request of Jesus). Peter and John secretly follow him to see where they are taking him.
John 18:15 | | St Peter and St John follow from afar |
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TO BE CONTINUED - GOOD FRIDAY THROUGH EASTER SUNDAY WILL BE POSTED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE DATES this coming week.
A bit about the painter:
Born in France, James Tissot (1836 - 1902) was a well respected and successful painter in Paris and London in the mid to late 1800's. While visiting the Church of St Sulpice he experienced a spiritual vision, after which he abandoned his former subjects and embarked on an ambitious project to illustrate important events from the New Testament. He travelled to the Middle East to examine the landscape, architecture, historical sites, architecture, human attrubutes, historic costumes and customs of the Holy Land. He took photographs and made exquisite notes and sketches about all of these. Tissot would be one of the first to depict holy scenes as historically accurate as well as emotionally moving.
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| James Tissot |
