Jesus is what God has to say and the crucifixion is inseparable from the identity of Jesus. All this is important to showing us a new way of living - we are called to be the Cruciform Ecclesia - the people whose lives are shaped by the cross. 

Trent concludes the series "The Week That Was" as we survey the power and the beauty of the cross. 

Jesus final night was spent in one of his favourite places where he would go often to pray – the garden of Gethsemane.

Gethsemane means "oil press" and it is here that the Anointed (the Christ) comes under immense pressure. It is here that we most clearly see the humanity of Jesus as he struggles with the will of the Father. And it is here that Jesus takes his stand for a peace that will only come through co-suffering love.

All four Gospels give an account of Jesus being anointed by a woman as an act of worship. Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus’ feet and wipes them with her hair as an act of worship. In all four accounts the woman is criticized by someone for her extravagant worship, yet defended and commended by Jesus. This prophetic act is part of Jesus final week journey to the cross.

The mommas and the papas sang a song back in 1966 called “Monday, Monday” which has one line that says “Oh Monday mornin’ you gave me no warning of what was to be”

On the Monday of the last week Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem and undertook what was possibly his greatest prophetic action of his ministry – it was certainly his most provocative. Jesus closed down the temple. What was he telling us?

THE WEEK THAT WAS begins with the arrival of the King. This King does not come on a mighty warhorse declaring power and domination, He comes as a lowly servant on the back of the donkey.
He has come to be crowned King and inaugurate the Kingdom of God. Jesus will stand before all three representatives of the principalities and powers of this world (Caiaphas the High Priest, Herod the King of Judea, and Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor.) as his coronation and passion are played out.

Jesus preaches to the new converts a sermon of blessings and woes. The gospel can be good news or can be not so good news. The choice is yours.

John presents Jesus as the son of God and in doing so he answers the question of the ages- How do we know exactly what God is like?

John makes it so clear: God is like Jesus. Jesus is the definition of God. Jesus is the self-revelation of the complete character of God. There is no Kingdom of God without Jesus Christ at the centre as the King

We continue our birds-eye view of the gospels as we see them declaring the glory and reality of Jesus. We need all four Gospels just like we need the whole body of Christ. Luke, the third Gospel written, gives us the most human picture of Jesus. Through the eyes of Luke we consider 10 powerful effects of the cross.

Gods thoughts and ways are not the same as ours.  We need ongoing illumination from the Holy Spirit through the mind of Christ, so we can move over to His better life giving perspective.