Week of Destiny
By Ron E. M. Clouzet

A Commentary on the Sabbath School Lesson for January 29–February 4, 2005, "The Passion Week"

Brian Jones, the author of this quarter’s lessons, states of the week leading to Christ’s crucifixion that "no week in human history has been so full of defining moments and definitive results." He is right because what happened on that Friday at Calvary was the highlight of the message of the Bible. John reminds us that Jesus knew all things had been accomplished at the cross "in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John 19:28).

It might be instructive for us to take one incident in that week that illustrates just how true John’s statement was.

The week began with Sunday’s triumphal entry of Jesus in Jerusalem. The people most radically blessed throughout his ministry were easily noticed: the formerly blind led the way, those once dumb shouted the loudest hosannas, the crippled jumped to break branches for the messianic procession, those once possessed by spirits praised the Savior.1 But in contrast to such unbridled joy was what took place on Monday morning, on the way from Bethany to the Jerusalem temple. Christ outright cursed a fig tree, which withered to death by the next morning (Mark 11:12–14, 20).

We can accept that the tree was "an acted parable" of the state of Israel’s leadership at the time, but we must agree with the "astonished" disciples that it seems out of character for Christ to be–or appear to be–so capricious.2 Questions linger: What made Jesus realize this particular fig tree represented Jerusalem’s leadership? And how did he know this particular day, as opposed to any other, was the day the tree should be cursed? The easy answer is to say, Because Jesus is God and he knows everything. But this is simplistic.

While on Earth, Christ functioned in dependence of Another just like all human beings can and must (Heb 2:14, 17). He even said as much: "the Son can do nothing of Himself," and "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge…because [I seek] the will of Him who sent Me" (John 5:19, 30).

Though forecast by the prophets, the events of the final week of Christ leading to the cross were not forced upon him but were actually fulfilled because Christ himself depended greatly on his knowledge of Scripture.

Let’s go back to Sunday to understand Monday morning’s startling curse by the road. Sunday’s parade was a fulfillment of Scripture, not only regarding the animal he was to ride (Zech 9:9), but also regarding the reason why he rode it. Sunday sunset began the tenth day of the month of Nisan. We know this because Christ died on Friday before sunset (Luke 23:46, 50–54), and that Friday was the fourteenth of Nisan, the day all Passovers were to be celebrated.

From Exodus 12, we know that it was on the tenth that Passover lambs were to be selected by each household. But why should they do so if the lambs were not killed until the fourteenth (Exod. 12:3, 6)? Evidently, they were to be on display those four days, a sort of conversation subject drawing attention to the meaning of Passover among family members and others.

Christ was selected as the Passover Lamb that Sunday evening, the tenth of Nisan, and was constantly "on display" for the rest of the week—the kingly entrance, the cleansing of the temple, the axiomatic public tète-a-tète with Jewish religious leaders in the temple courts—to the streaming thousands pouring into Jerusalem for the feast. All eyes were on Jesus. He was the subject of conversation.

That Sunday night, Jerusalem’s leadership decided once and for all that he had to go. When at the end of the joyful procession Christ saw the temple, he began to weep uncontrollably, knowing that when the sun should set "Jerusalem’s day of grace would be ended." Such was Jesus’ agony for Jerusalem’s leadership that he spent the entire night in prayer.3 The Jewish leaders "picked" Jesus that night, and his heart of love would not let them go.

Then came the following morning. With the loss of Jerusalem in mind, Christ mournfully made his way from Bethany to the temple again until he saw fig trees ahead. Hoping to get fed, he aimed for the only tree with leaves—clear evidence among fig trees that fruit must be already be available. To his surprise, there was nothing but leaves. Then, stepping back, he thought about the events that just transpired, looked up to the tree once again, and exclaimed, "May you never bear fruit again!" (Matt. 21:19 NIV). Jerusalem’s leadership provided high expectations but never delivered. And no one would get anything from them again.

Christ knew his Bible. Hundreds of years before, Jeremiah had penned a prophecy applicable to that day, which, no doubt, he knew:

Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.…Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD. How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?…I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them (Jer. 8:5–13 NIV, emphasis supplied).

For Christ, this was a week of destiny forecast by the Word that he learned as a man. He was certain the Father’s purposes would be accomplished.

Questions