This Week
It's Holy Week and yet it describes every day in the life of a Jesus follower.
Holy Week is an especially poignant time in the life of a Christian.
And, this week really describes what it means to follow Jesus every single day, both the joys and the challenges.
On Palm Sunday, we begin in rest, abiding in Jesus. An opportunity to worship, praise and glorify the King of Kings. We cry “Hosanna - Save us” as we confess our sins and receive forgiveness through remembering our baptism and receiving the Lord’s Supper. We hear the Word of God and a message to help us apply it to our daily walk with Jesus.
“36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
- Luke 19:36-38 ESV
On Holy Monday, we quickly forget and are back to our old ways. We are selling goods in the temple, and breaking Jesus’ heart as we carry out self-righteous acts and focus on ourselves instead of everyone around us.
12 “And Jesus entered the temple[b] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
- Matthew 21:12-13 ESV
On Holy Tuesday, we re-engage with Jesus’ teaching in our daily devotions. We wrestle with His words and argue with religious leaders on how to interpret and live out what he has taught us.
27 “And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority
I do these things.”
- Mark 11:27-33 NIV
On Spy Wednesday, we give into temptations, just as Judas did. We barter for what we think is worth more than our relationship with Jesus.
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. 3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. - Luke 22:1-6 ESV
On Maundy (Holy) Thursday, we remember.
We remember Christ’s humility as he washed his disciples feet.
We remember to love one another just as Christ loved us.
We remember a new meal, instituted by Christ, a sacrifice of himself.
We remember and immediately deny a relationship with him, because it’s too risky in this earthly life. We live in fear of power instead of revering God, who is all powerful.
3 “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” - John 13:3-5 ESV
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the[c] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”
- Matthew 26:26-29
On Good Friday, we are bewildered by all that has occurred. Our sinful behavior has caused all of this. Our Lord and Savior is hanging on the tree. How did we get here? My actions put him to death. My words betrayed him. Yet, he died for me. He died for the sins of the world.
So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.[d] But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,
“They divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”
So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” - John 19:16-30 ESV
On Holy Saturday, we sit in grief. We sit in the quiet as we wonder what could have been. We hope, even in the silence of death. We wait for the sun to rise again. We wait for the day that will change everything.
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.” - Luke 23:56 ESV
