Jesus knew the time had come. This was His final week on earth. The mission that seemed impossible was drawing closer. Still, He would pack as much as He could into these final days. Lessons in the form of parables continued. Many were directed at the Pharisees and Sadducees. Members of the church leadership were wheedling their way into the crowds and presenting questions to Jesus in hopes of tripping Him up. Jesus had an answer for each one of them. Plans were set in motion for ways to make HIm look like a fake – to put Him to the test – to make the crowds wonder about Him.

Being fully aware of His pending death, He continued to preach the truth of the prophets – the fulfillment of them – parables and lessons for living. He was leaving His legacy in words and deeds. He knew God, His Father, was fulfilling the work that had to be done for the forgiveness of all people. His humanity was tugging at Him fiercely. Still, He went on talking to the crowds about faith, patience, perseverance and forgiveness to prepare them for the things to come. It must’ve seemed like an impossible situation, but Jesus is also God, so His divinity was making it possible to see it through. His humanity was being put to the test.

By this time, Judas had already thought about betrayal. He was having his own doubts. He was driven by a lust for money and the hand of Satan to go to the Sanhedrin and make a deal to deliver Jesus to them. Later that week, Judas would lead a group of those intending to kill the Savior. The devil had a powerful hold on Judas. We should never understand his ability to draw us away from Christ. His power was conquered a few days later – when Jesus overcame death and rose to life again.

As we walk through Holy Week, Tuesday may seem an insignificant day in the scheme of things, but it was setting the stage for the final act. Through these moments, Christ is revealed to His followers as the true Son of God. He stood up for His Father by reminding the church leaders what their job was. He continued to preach without fear. He was followed by many. He was preparing to finish what He came to earth to do.

The crowds were questioning whether this whole thing was a huge scam. Many fell away, but others continued to follow Jesus through the days to come and beyond. When our faith is in question, think about this day in the life of Jesus. Ask God to strengthen you through His Word and through the power of the Holy Spirit. His final sacrifice would soon take place so that we could reap the benefits of eternal life.

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR ANOTHER DAY!