EIGHT DAYS IN
Jerusalem
EIGHT DAYS IN
Jerusalem A 40-Day Easter Devotional
Compiled by
MARGIE WILLIAMSON
Birmingham, Alabama
New Hope® Publishers 100 Missionary Ridge Birmingham, AL 35242 NewHopePublishers.com An imprint of Iron Stream Media IronStreamMedia.com © 2021 by Iron Stream Media All rights reserved. First printing 2021 Printed in the United States of America No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher. New Hope Publishers serves its authors as they express their views, which may not express the views of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been filed Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV ® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ISBN-13: 978-1-56309-329-6 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-56309-330-2 1 2 3 4 5—24 23 22 21 20
Dedication Over the years I have worked as an editor, I’ve been privileged to work with lots of writers, some of whom were experienced and well-established, and some of whom were enthusiastic beginners in producing biblical commentaries, biblical teaching plans, and devotions. They all have blessed my life and my ministry in the written work. They all taught me something about the work we do and the call of God to the ministry of writing. Although their work may not be included in this volume, those writers are here in spirit. I dedicate this book to all those who have shared their talents and risked their egos in being transparent through the written word. Being a writer isn’t easy, especially when dealing with the holy Word of God. May God continue to use all those who are willing to follow Him along on this journey. Margie Williamson
Contents Ways to Use Eight Days in Jerusalem .....................................................................................11 Introduction: The Final Days.........................................................................................13
WEEK 1: BEFORE JERUSALEM Verse 1 Verse 2 Verse 3 Verse 4 Verse 5 Verse 6
The Image of God .........................................................................................17 Hebrews 1:3a The Coming Days .........................................................................................19 Jeremiah 23:5 The Greatest Hero ........................................................................................21 Isaiah 53:11 The King Is Coming .....................................................................................23 Zechariah 9:9b Becoming Like Us ........................................................................................25 Hebrews 2:17 Up to Jerusalem..............................................................................................27 Matthew 20:18
WEEK 2: DAYS 1-2 Sunday, Jesus’ First Day in Jerusalem Weeping over Jerusalem ..............................................................................31 Luke 19:41 Verse 8 Celebrate the King! .......................................................................................33 Luke 19:37b-38 Verse 9 Jesus’ Anticipated Arrival ............................................................................35 John 12:13 Verse 10 Responding in Simple Praise ......................................................................37 Matthew 21:16c Verse 7
Monday, Jesus’ Second Day in Jerusalem Verse 11 The Cursed Fig Tree .....................................................................................39 Matthew 21:19 Verse 12 God’s House of Prayer .................................................................................41 Matthew 21:13 Verse 13 Jesus’ Authority ............................................................................................43 Luke 20:8
WEEK 3: DAYS 3-4 Tuesday, Jesus’ Third Day in Jerusalem Verse 14 What Are the Signs? ......................................................................................47 Matthew 24:3 Verse 15 God’s Details Are in the Plan ......................................................................49 Matthew 24:31 Verse 16 Stay Ready .....................................................................................................51 Matthew 24:44 Verse 17 Acts of Service ...............................................................................................53 John 13:5 Verse 18 Abide in My Love .........................................................................................55 John 15:9 Verse 19 The Coming of the Holy Spirit ..................................................................57 John 16:13 Wednesday, Jesus’ Fourth Day in Jerusalem Verse 20 Leaving with a Purpose ...............................................................................59 John 14:3
WEEK 4: DAYS 5-6 Wednesday, Jesus’ Fifth Day in Jerusalem Verse 21 The Final Meal ...............................................................................................63 Luke 22:19-20 Verse 22 Dealing with Dread ......................................................................................65 Matthew 26:39 Verse 23 Fear and Panic ...............................................................................................67 Matthew 26:75
Thursday, Jesus’ Sixth Day in Jerusalem Verse 24 Crucify Him! ..................................................................................................69 Mark 15:12 Verse 25 Jesus Was Mocked ........................................................................................71 Mark 15:18 Verse 26 Jesus’ Promise to the Thief ..........................................................................73 Luke 23:42-43 Verse 27 It Is Finished ..................................................................................................75 John 19:30
WEEK 5: DAYS 7-8 Saturday, Jesus’ Seventh Day in Jerusalem Verse 28 As Secure as Possible ...................................................................................79 Matthew 27:65-66 Sunday, Jesus’ Eighth Day in Jerusalem Verse 29 Jesus Has Risen, as He Said ........................................................................81 Matthew 28:5-6a Verse 30 The Lies Against the Resurrection ............................................................83 Matthew 28:13,15 Verse 31 What Jesus Told His Disciples ...................................................................85 Luke 24:6b-7 Verse 32 I Have Seen the Lord ...................................................................................87 John 20:18 Verse 33 Jesus Appeared to His Disciples ................................................................89 Luke 24:38 Verse 34 Completing the Mission ..............................................................................91 Luke 24:46-47
WEEK 6: BEYOND THE RESURRECTION Verse 35 Jesus Has All Authority ...............................................................................95 Matthew 28:18 Verse 36 Our Faith Is Not in Vain ..............................................................................97 1 Corinthians 15:14 Verse 37 Christ Is the Firstfruits ................................................................................99 1 Corinthians 15:20
Verse 38 Victory in Jesus ............................................................................................101 1 Corinthians 15:54 Verse 39 Jesus’ Transforming Presence ...................................................................103 Colossians 3:4 Verse 40 Confessing Jesus Is Lord ...........................................................................105 Romans 10:9 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................107 About the Authors .........................................................................................................109
Ways to Study Eight Days in Jerusalem How can you get the most out of this study for Lent? This study in designed to guide you through the forty days of Lent. It also has a four-week Bible-study curriculum that accompanies it. As you study, consider using at least one of these suggestions to deepen your study. . . 1. Read the devotions provided for each week of Lent. Daily Bible study and personal reflection can give you the opportunity to mourn over Jesus’ suffering and celebrate His resurrection. 2. Memorize the verse included with each devotion. 3. Respond to the questions that accompany the devotions either in writing or mentally. 4. Enlist a study partner (or several) to join you on the journey. 5. Pray daily that God will allow this journey to teach you something new about Jesus, so that you might renew your commitment to Him.
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The Final Days Eight Days in Jerusalem—Jesus’ final eight days in Jerusalem changed history, the world, and all of mankind, one person at a time. Studying Jesus’ last eight days in chronological order can help us put all the pieces of His identity as God’s Son, His role as Messiah, and His crucifixion as our Sacrificial Lamb in perspective. The study can also help us see Jesus’ relationship with His disciples with new understanding and show us just how deep His love is for each of us. And chronologically studying His resurrection can help us celebrate our resurrected life in Him. During His final Eight Days in Jerusalem, Jesus proclaimed His identity as the Son of God and His mission as the promised Messiah. He revealed His role as Prophet in the preparations for His triumphant entry into Jerusalem; He traveled into the city as the King; He received the shouted praises of the people as the Messiah, the One who had come to save them. This study follows Jesus’ journey through Bethany and down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem, and then through key moments in those last days. Each day brought Jesus closer to the cross. Each moment contained a message for His followers. And before the week was over, everyone had to make a decision about who Jesus was. Note that not all Biblical scholars lay out this chronology the same way. For the purposes of this study, we’ve used “A Timeline of Holy Week, Passion Week” from Christianity.com as our chronological guide. Even today, people tend to interpret what they know about Jesus according to what they want Him to be. And in so doing, they can lose sight of who Jesus is . . . the only Son of God who intentionally came to be with us, to love us, and to die for us, so that we could be restored in relationship with God. As you begin this study, use this opportunity to observe Jesus during His final Eight Days in Jerusalem through His actions and His words as you clarify your understanding of Jesus’ identity and His mission. Margie Williamson
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Week 1 Before Jerusalem I’ve been able to go to Israel numerous times, and it’s always an inspiring opportunity. We usually tour southern Israel first, then go up to the area of Galilee, and conclude our journey in Jerusalem. In Galilee, the pace is slow and gentle. The hills around the Sea of Galilee are pastoral and beautiful. It’s hard to look over the sea and not be able to visualize Jesus and His disciples moving through the area. But moving on to Jerusalem changes everything. The old city is crowded with people and tourists jostling to move through the narrow alleys within the walled area. The noise of the traffic is loud and somewhat disconcerting after the peace of Galilee. Someone on a trip with me once said, “I like Jesus in Galilee better than Jesus in Jerusalem.” Jesus spent most of His ministry in Judea around the Sea of Galilee. There, He lived out His calling daily, teaching the radical message of God’s love and salvation, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and casting out demons. His words and actions were miraculous and divine. But Scripture is clear that Jerusalem was His final destination. When His time had come, Jesus turned His face and His disciples toward Jerusalem. It’s easy to embrace Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, but difficult to fully comprehend all He went through in Jerusalem. All He went through for us . . . Jesus’ last week—His final eight days—were filled with special moments. This week’s devotions focus on why Jesus went to Jerusalem and an overview of what He went to Jerusalem to do. As you study and read this week, ask God to allow you to see and experience Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem anew.
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Verse 1 The Image of God He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.—Hebrews 1:3a Looking over the Grand Canyon is awe-inspiring. The colors, the vistas, the depth, the sky—these are all complex images when seen in person. But photos taken at the scene come up lacking. In general, very few photographs can capture the true beauty of God’s nature. Even award-winning photographs pale in comparison to seeing the beauty of God’s creation personally. That beauty can seem somewhat dimmed when seen through a camera lens. Read Hebrews 1:1–6. God had spoken to the nation of Israel, His people, “at many times and in many ways” throughout their history, most notably through His prophets. The prophets foretold the birth of the Messiah, the One who would rule forever over Israel. Their predictions were fulfilled in the birth of Jesus and through His death. The writer of Hebrews emphasized that Jesus was the “exact imprint” of God’s nature. The Greek word translated “imprint” has been defined as “the exact expression (the image) of any person or thing, marked likeness, precise reproduction in every respect.”1 When Jesus appeared on earth, He perfectly and precisely revealed the glory, the power, and the character of God. And when Jesus fulfilled God the Father’s plan for His life, He took His place at His Father’s side in heaven where He continues to receive the praise of angels. The Jews had many expectations of the promised Messiah, but they didn’t expect Him to be the exact expression of God’s glory and character. They didn’t understand that God would send His Son into the world to reveal the magnitude of His love for all people. We also live in a world that has many preconceived ideas about who Jesus is, but Scripture tells us that He revealed to us the fullness of God’s glory and love. He is no “lacking” image but is the exact representation of God.
1 “Character, Strong’s G5481,” BlueLetterBible.org; available at https://www.blueletterbible. org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5481&t=ESV.
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What does your understanding of Jesus teach you about God?
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How did Jesus’ life and ministry on earth reflect the character of God?
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As you move through the season of Lent, how can focusing on Jesus as the perfect image of God help you view Easter through a new lens?
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Verse 2 The Coming Days “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.—Jeremiah 23:5 Evangelist Billy Graham preached to nearly a quarter of a billion people in almost two hundred different countries. Early in Graham’s ministry, he sat down with close friends and discussed ways they could help one another live above reproach. For example, since some evangelists at that time had been caught misusing the money from tithe donations, Graham and his friends agreed on strict guidelines in order to ensure the appropriate distribution of money raised from offerings.1 Read Jeremiah 23:5–6. The house of David suffered a great deal of strife and turmoil following the reign of David—his offspring weren’t known for their sense of justice or uprightness. So, it was no small matter when the Lord declared that a righteous branch would rise from the house of David. This righteous Branch, of course, would be the Messiah. The kingdom of the Lord, which reigns now in our hearts and forever in eternity, brings justice, righteousness, and salvation. The Lord is just, and He teaches us to be just. The Lord is righteous, and He gives us His righteousness to replace the guilt of our sin. The Lord offers us salvation, but we must also take His salvation to the rest of the world. Tragically, like David’s descendants, some people in power use their authority for their own benefit, rather than for the good of the people. Billy Graham and his team realized that, as their influence as evangelists grew, their newfound notoriety would come with newfound temptations, pitfalls, and opportunities for public disgrace. Sadly, David’s offspring fell into these very pitfalls. But our Lord, the righteous Branch from the house of David, lived His life in wisdom, justice, and righteousness. And to our great joy, He brought salvation and He will rule in peace forever. 1 “What’s ‘the Billy Graham Rule’?”; available at https://billygraham.org/story/ the-modesto-manifesto-a-declaration-of-biblical-integrity/.
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When have you been tempted to use your influence for selfish pursuits?
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How are you currently using your influence or position to glorify God and serve others?
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In what ways have you witnessed the justice and righteousness of God in your own life?
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