Thursday afternoon

Wednesday had been a difficult day in the city, so he was glad to spend the evening at a friend’s house in a small town a few kilometres outside the city.

Thursday morning he sent some friends to prepare for the evening in the city. But after that, we have no record of what he did all day Thursday until after sundown.

What we do know is that by Friday afternoon, he was dead.

What would a guy do all day Thursday if he knew he would die on Friday? That’s what I was wondering today as I was reading… what did Jesus do on Thursday?

What did he do?

We know he spent the entire evening with some of his closest friends. Perhaps he spent the day in Bethany with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, his close friends there.

Perhaps he spent time in prayer or in the synagogue reading the Scriptures.

Perhaps he went out to find some place to minister. Perhaps there were a few contacts he wanted to visit before he went to the city.

Perhaps he wanted to be alone.

Alone

I can imagine that he might have gone to some favourite little spot where no one would bother him so he could just be alone for a while. Maybe there were some things he had to sort through.

We know that this was an intense time for him emotionally. Within a few hours he would be kneeling in a nearby garden praying in agony of heart. Perhaps he was wrestling with temptation and dealing with the emotion of all that was to come.

A lamb

Perhaps he went up to the city a little early and found a quiet spot with a view of the temple. Perhaps he heard the trumpets blow and watched as the Passover lambs were slaughtered by the thousands. Perhaps he heard the terrified bleating of the lambs and sympathised more deeply than anyone ever has.

Perhaps he wept one more time over the city.

Perhaps he thought about what he wanted to say to his disciples that evening.

Perhaps he thought about his coming betrayal.