The Pivotal Week of Human History
April 8, 2009 (Wednesday)
I have noticed that some Baptists in recent years have gradually given more emphasis to liturgy, ceremony and observance of special seasons that have long been regular observances of other religious groups. In case you might be interested in knowing more, I suggest you go to this site on the internet: http://www.cresourcei.org/index.html where you will find much information.
This is Wednesday of Holy Week, the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. On this day Jesus seems to have stayed away from Jerusalem, choosing instead to spend the day with Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany, where they were joined by the Disciples and many others. It seems to me it would have been the logical thing to do, because He found that fellowship to be spiritual preparation for the vitally important events of Thursday and Friday, when He would be arrested, tried and crucified. If you would like to read a scholarly presentation of the events of this special week, please see the essay on this subject by Dennis Bratcher:
http://www.cresourcei.org/cyholyweek.html
If you like, you can do a search in your browser for “Harmony of the Gospels,” and from the list of articles presented to you, you can select one of your choice. You may choose one that suits your taste in the way the material is presented. Matthew, Mark and Luke are very similar to each other, but John takes a different approach. The attempt to put them all together and present one continuous story is a difficult but rewarding task. In your search, you may find many ways to do this. It’s worth the effort.
Be aware as you search the internet for Biblical materials, that the search will produce references to sites that ridicule and mock God’s Holy Word. You will also find materials that sound friendly but in reality are subtle attacks on the integrity of Holy Scripture. Please don’t let that deter you in your search for helpful materials. Ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment.