Holy Week in Real Time: Monday
Open Your Bible
Matthew 21:12-22, Isaiah 56:1-8
BY Guest Writer
Text: Matthew 21:12-22, Isaiah 56:1-8
Today is the second day of the portion of the church calendar commonly known as Holy Week.
In the coming days, we will slow our pace, walking through the events that took place between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Rather than offer personal, written responses to each day’s Scripture reading, we’ve asked our friend, Pastor Russ Ramsey, to provide a real-time summary of the week’s events. Our prayer is that this more descriptive approach will usher you into the narrative and allow space for you to fully engage the beauty and ache of Holy Week.
Take this week slowly and reverently. It is a somber time, but let us never forget: Sunday is coming.
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On the Monday of Holy Week, Jesus asserted His authority in the temple.
If Jerusalem was a beehive, with His triumphal entry the day before, Jesus hit it with a stick. You could hear the buzz grow as the anger within the religious leadership got organized. With that kingly arrival on Sunday, Jesus had made a strong declaration about His authority over all the conventions of man.
On Monday He returned for more, this time to declare the failure of His own people to live up to the covenantal mandate God had given them to be a blessing to the world (Matthew 21:12-13).
Much of what the Gospels tell us about Monday centers on the theme of Jesus’ authority—both over the created world and in His right to pass judgment upon it. Everything Jesus did He did with authority.
So when He woke His disciples Monday saying He wanted go back into Jerusalem to teach in the temple, as risky as it sounded, it wasn’t surprising. But everyone sensed something stirring, as if Jesus had rounded a corner and His end was coming fast. He was a marked man.
When Jesus saw the commotion, commerce, and chaos going on in the temple, He was indignant. The way the Sanhedrin led Israel was not how God’s people were supposed to be led. The temple was a sacred space, and worship was a holy matter. The propriety and dignity of approaching the presence of God had found an advocate in this visiting rabbi. And so, on the Monday before His crucifixion, Jesus went into the temple and overturned the money changers’ tables (Mark 11:15-19).
This was not the first time Jesus had done this. He had cleared the temple like this once earlier, back before anyone knew His name. Then He had warned the merchants to remove the money-changers’ tables and stop making His Father’s house into a den of thieves (John 2:13-17).
If the first time Jesus cleared the temple served as a warning; this time it served as a judgment. This was not an eruption of sudden anger. Jesus saw nothing on that Monday He hadn’t seen many other times. He had even stood in this very place as recently as the day before, so nothing He saw came as a surprise. Jesus simply did what He planned to do.
Jesus’ provocative actions in overturning the money changers’ tables spoke to His deep concern for the way God’s people had traded the work of loving God for a religion of economy. And ever since, He remains involved in the provocative work of overturning idolatrous hearts, calling them back to the dignity and sanctity for which they were intended.
written by Russ Ramsey
adapted from Behold the King of Glory
96 thoughts on "Holy Week in Real Time: Monday"
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Can everyone pray with me and agree over my finances today please ? I’m believing God is going to use today to deliver me out of some things I’ve been struggling with. Financially and spiritually. I’ ok
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Joining you in prayer dear sister…that the Lord’s will be done where your finances are concerned…He is with you…Amen.. God bless you..x
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Yes. Praying for you this morning Sanaya. Keep clinging to Him!
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Can everyone pray in agreeable over my finances with me today please ? I’m believing God is going to use today to deliver me out of some things I’ve been struggling with. Financially and spiritually. I’ ok
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I some time I am not a good wife because I put my self down self esteem in some I do no how to bring my back up oh my god so please praying for me thank you listener
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God loves you so much that he sacrificed his only son who he loved so so extremely much!! What do you love ??? Imagine giving that up for something else and how much love that would take … Tell yourself that everyday even if you have to think of new ways to retell youself about how God loves you so so much and go spread that self sacrificing love with others!!
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A quick question for Russ or She Reads Truth (or anyone who might know). When I read the account in Matthew, it appears that the Temple cleansing occurred the same day as the Triumphal entry. But in Mark’s account, it’s clearly the day after. While this is not a major issue, my linear brain is extremely curious. Any insight would be appreciated.
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I was thinking about the same thing and I’m sad to say it distracted me from the message, so I googled it and this was the first result http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=2813
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One aspect of Jesus’ life here on earth that I desperately love is that He was unapologetically devoted to the same 12 disciples for His whole ministry. Though He came to save all of humanity, he walked out His days among friends, His tribe if you will. The beautiful Greek work for devoted is Proskartereo. Finding your own tribe and loving them hard is what we are discussing over at A Word That Matters today. Won’t you join me and give a shout out to your own tribe.
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Praying for you, M.
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In this passage, I noticed that Jesus is feeling the full spectrum of His humanity during the Passion Week-frustration, indignation, lonliness, and eventually despair and pain. I desperately don’t like feeling upset- I feel like a burden to others and that I’m being ridiculous. Because I don’t open up I also don’t like turning to God because I know it’ll mean working through and feeling the pain. So I tend to turn to habitual sinful coping habits, like porn, using lust to ignore my real feelings. This Holy Week, I want to turn to Jesus instead and really work through my emotions, feeling the pain along with Him. Prayers would be appreciated, sisters!
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Praying for you M – that Jesus would draw near to you and that although there may be pain, you would be able to heal and live in the abundance that Jesus came to give us.
Have you thought about counselling? I’ve been going for just over a year and it has been really eye opening for me and extremely helpful in working thru things I didn’t know were there and letting go of what doesn’t need to be there. And in a weird way, it’s sometimes easier to unload the heavy stuff to a person who doesn’t know you that well, who don’t have any perceptions of how you “should” be. Just something to think about. Please know that you are not a burden and that you are made in the image of our Almighty God. You are a child of the King of Kings. Love and prayers to you!!-
Thank you so much Kim. I’ve been in therapy before and am considering going back. Just need to pluck up the courage
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Continuing to pray M! You’ve already shown courage by reaching out to this community. God is with you sister!! xo
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With God everything is possible! I will be praying for you.
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Praying for you, dear M.
Bless you for being so honest and seeking to turn to Jesus away from sin.
May God give you strength to say no as you go forward, may he carry you when you feel weak, and bring healing, deliverance, and restoration. Elle -
Sweet sister, you are not alone in any of your struggles, with sexual sin or with whatever pain you are trying to hide from. Your choice to reach out to this community of believers represents that you are fighting this, which is something you can only do by God’s grace. Don’t be discouraged with yourself, because it’s clear you haven’t given up. That is victory in and of itself. Like you said, Christ engaged with the full spectrum of human emotion, many of which are evoked by the sin and brokenness of our humanity. That means that Jesus has already experienced the pain and heartache that you are trying to avoid. He already experienced it for you and he already overcame it. He put the brokenness in your life to rest and now invites you to a safe place of grace and mercy within his arms. Turn to Jesus, but know that you won’t be turning to be condemned. Turn to Jesus and find rest. Turn to Jesus and find new life. Turn to Jesus and find the love that saved you from this hurt you feel long before it even began.
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Yes, praying along with the others, for you. So appreciate your honesty, your vulnerability and above all your desire to follow Jesus. He’s right there with you. No condemnation. Only grace.
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Thank you all so much for your kind words and support. Jesus has blessed me with this community just through your words and prayers and I’m eternally grateful
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M,
I’ve been there. In a very similar situation. The chains too heavy to remove. The pain overwhelming so I would run to the world for fulfillment. The temptation far too large to handle on my own. The weight that makes your load heavy. The battle against your own flesh… But let me tell you, Jesus, the ultimate healer, is SO much bigger than a “habit”. I am believing and expecting Jesus to do an amazing work in your life, where this “habit” becomes your past, and this sexual sin that feels consuming becomes something that you have overcome in Jesus’ name!!! I’m am praying hard for you!! I am praying that you put your passions in the right place. I am praying that when you feel like running from whatever is going on in your life that you choose to run straight to Jesus and his wonderful loving arms. Praying that you will lay this coping method at the foot of the cross. Give your pain, every ounce of it to Jesus. He is here to make your burden light!!!
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You are not alone. I don’t have answers but I can tell you I won’t stop trying. And desperately seeking to know more and learn more each day. I contains tangly feel like I’m praying the wrong way. Sometimes I just stop praying and start telling Him what I’m thankful for. I just finished Logan Wolfram’s book “Curious Faith”. Highly recommend it. Love your prayer for this week, I’ll be praying it right along with you.
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