Before the ResurrectionSample

There are major events we remember during Holy Week. Palm Sunday is a big day. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are weekdays that we have church services, so we know those are big deals. Easter Sunday, of course, is the biggest day of all, as it should be. These events are  major events, and it is good and right we remember and celebrate them in worship. But what about the “regular days?” What about the days for Jesus when there was not some  “big event” like the Last Supper or turning over tables in the temple? What happened on those days?

Well, first, we don’t exactly have everything broken down into specific days. Some events are identified by days and some are not. If we look at Scripture between the cleansing of the temple and Maundy Thursday, we see what Jesus focuses on during the last week of His life, when no “major events” happen. If I were to sum up the focus of Jesus as he walked through the “normal” days of Holy Week, I would say He focused on the Kingdom. Much of Jesus’ teaching is about the Kingdom: the Parable of the Landowner, the Parable of the Marriage Feast, the Parable of the Fig Tree, the Parable of the Ten Virgins, and many other teachings all have a Kingdom focus. Jesus specifically talks about the “End Times” during these days, of the signs of His coming, of the Final Judgement, all of which have a Kingdom focus. Jesus is focused on the Kingdom and seems to be making sure those around Him have a Kingdom focus as well. From the beginning, Jesus came proclaiming the Kingdom, but if possible, the intensity is amplified as the end of His earthly life draws near.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? If the time is short, spend it focusing on the Kingdom. If Gethsemane is just ahead, a Kingdom focus is crucial. If the Cross is looming, better focus on the Kingdom.  And if there are those in need of the Kingdom, then what else could the final days of earthly ministry be about?

One thing Jesus says, perhaps on that Tuesday, is, “And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Our focus, for all the normal, regular days of our lives should be on proclaiming the Gospel to the whole world. If we bear the Name of our Savior, and His Spirit lives in us, then what else could our focus be? As long as there are those in need of His redemption, we must focus on proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom to all the nations.