Holy Week: Jesus Heals and Blesses

Holy Week: Jesus Heals and Blesses 
   

In my last two blog posts we witnessed Jesus’ warm and enthusiastic welcome into Jerusalem, (Palm Sunday), and then saw Him shock some folks when He came down on the scoundrels for dishonoring God and the Temple. He had already been annoying the Sanhedrin, Pharisees, and Temple authorities and His latest actions only deepened their anger. 


Let’s now move on with Him further into the temple complex. 


After cleansing the temple, Matthew tells us, “Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant and said to him, ‘Do You hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes. Have you never read, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise?”’ (Matthew 21:14-16 NKJV). 

Illustration by Lesley James, from 

The Lord Has Need of  YOU, by Connie Wohlford

Speaking of children, Jesus was known to love and respect the young ones. In Matthew 19:13-14, Jesus rebuked His disciples for trying to shoo away children who were brought to Him. Also, He made quite a strong statement, which is recorded in Matthew 18:5-6. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (NKJV)




One of my very favorite illustrations in my book, The Lord Has Need of YOU, is the one showing Jesus with the children and the crippled man whom He had healed. 


It reads, “Jesus and His disciples walked further into the Temple complex. Blind and crippled people came to Jesus, and He healed them. Several children ran to see Him, and He greeted and blessed each one.”*


According to Matthew, Jesus and His disciples then went to Bethany for the night. Over the next four days they were back and forth between Jerusalem and Bethany, spending most of the daytime in Jerusalem. At night, they probably lodged in the home of their dear friends, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. 

Illustration by Lesley James, from 

The Lord Has Need of YOU, by Connie Wohlford

In my book, it’s described this way: “For the next few days, Jesus stayed in the area of Jerusalem, spending much time in the Temple. People listened to Him teach about God and were amazed at His wisdom and His power to heal the sick. The crowds loved to listen to His stories, which helped them understand what the Kingdom of God is like.


“But some of the Jewish leaders were jealous and angry because many of their fellow Jews chose to Follow Jesus.”*  


Tension was building among the Jewish leaders and their disdain for Jesus was growing. Jesus was well aware of their feelings as well as their scheming to kill Him.


As in my previous posts in this Holy Week, I want to encourage you to read in your Bible about the last few days of Jesus’ life. This phase of Jesus’ time on earth begins with His Triumphal Entry, known as Palm Sunday. I posted about that Sunday and on Monday about Him disrupting the temple merchants. If you didn’t read those, I invite you to do so. 


Quite a bit happens in these few days. See for yourself. Begin your reading at these points: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19:28, and John 12:12. Go ahead and read through to the end of each of the Gospels between now and Easter Sunday. Be blessed with me as we learn Jesus. 


Each day this week, I’m posting just a few highlights from those amazing days in history. Also, I’m using some of the pictures and quotes from my book titled, The Lord has Need of YOU.* The illustrations are watercolor paintings by artist, Lesley James.


Thank you for traveling with me through these amazing days. God bless you. 


*The Lord Has Need of YOU, by Connie Wohlford. Copyright Connie Wohlford, 2019, Hoot Books Publishing.

*The Lord Has Need of YOU can be purchased directly from me via email author@conniewohlford.com or through Amazon,  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1687536104/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0


©Copyright 2020 Connie Wohlford

Rejoice, your King is coming!

Rejoice, your King is coming!                


“Rejoice, greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9 NKJV).


As Christians, we rejoice in reading the accounts of Jesus riding the foal of a donkey into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. His Triumphal Entry into the city was prophesied by Zechariah, about 400 years before the actual occurrence. Then it is recorded in all four of the Gospels. We can read about it in Matthew 21:1-9, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.


My favorite is Matthew’s account: 


“Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, “The Lord has need of them,” and immediately he will send them.’


“All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying; ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.”’

Illustration by Lesley James in book, 

The Lord Has Need of YOU, by Connie Wohlford

“So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then 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 11:1-9 NKJV).




The people were excited to welcome their Messiah—the promised One. They believed He would deliver them from the terrible oppression of the Roman government. In shouting “Hosanna,” which means “save now” they joyfully anticipated freedom now that this promised descendant of King David had finally arrived.     
             

But Jesus, (Yeshua, in Hebrew), had arrived on the scene to do more—much more. 


Have you ever wondered what the owner of the two donkeys thought when the disciples appeared and started untying them? I have. 


Mark says, “But some of those who stood there said to them, ‘What are you doing loosing the colt?’ And they spoke to then just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go” (Mark 11:5-6 NKJV).  

Illustration by Lesley James in book, 

The Lord Has Need of YOU, by Connie Wohlford

Luke says: “But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, ‘Why are you loosing the colt?’ And they said, ‘The Lord has need of him.’ Then they brought him to Jesus” (Luke 19:33-35a NKJV). 



We have no indication that the owner of the donkeys knew Jesus or His disciples. Perhaps he did, but maybe not. That point really doesn’t matter. God was moving His plan along, working through every detail along the way. The disciples simply did as Jesus instructed. Likewise, as we follow through with Jesus’ instructions to us, He will work out details along the way.



Another interesting point about the colt is that he had never been ridden. Vessels and sacrifices used in worship were to be new, flawless, and often “first fruits,” depending on the occasion. The little donkey here had not been previously used (ridden) and was himself carried the Sacrifice.  

Illustration by Lesley James in book, 

The Lord Has Need of YOU, by Connie Wohlford

As we begin Holy Week today with Jesus Triumphal Entry, I encourage you to read in your Bible about the last few days of Jesus’ life. Here is where this phase of Jesus’ time on earth begins. Quite a bit happens in this one week, as you will see, starting here: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19:28, and John 12:12. Go ahead and read through to the end of each of the Gospels between now and Easter Sunday. Be blessed with me as we learn Jesus.  





Each day this week, I plan to post highlights from those amazing few days in history. Also, I will use some of the pictures from my book titled, The Lord has Need of YOU*. These illustrations are watercolor paintings by artist, Lesley James.



*The Lord Has Need of YOU can be purchased directly from me via email author@conniewohlford.com or through Amazon,  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1687536104/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0


©Copyright 2020 Connie Wohlford