COMPosition 21
HOLY WEEK
March 28th - April 3rd, 2021
Holy Week, also known as Passion Week, is the week immediately preceding Easter and the last week of Lent. It is a traditional observance dating back to the 3rd & 4th century, where people would reflect and reenact the last scenes of Jesus’ life in pilgrimages and dramas to focus attention on the “passion” or suffering of Jesus; the perfect Son of God, who came to earth, lived a sinless life, and willingly died for the sins of the world. Holy Week covers the 7 days, from Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday, to his crucifixion at Golgotha on what we call Good Friday and the grieving darkness of Holy Saturday.
To help us prepare and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, April 4th I invite you to join me in reading and reflecting on the events and significance of each day.
PALM SUNDAY: Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Read Matt. 21:1–11 / Mark 11:1–11 / Luke 19:28–44 / John 12:12–19
On the first day of the week Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling an ancient prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. The crowd welcomed him with shouts of praise and the waving of palm branches. This is the reception that Jesus deserves. There is excitement & anticipation in the air. He leaves the city to spend the night in Bethany.
HOLY MONDAY: Jesus clearing of the Temple
Read Matt. 21:12–17 / Mark 11:15–18 / Luke 19:45–48
As he returns to Jerusalem, Jesus curses the barren fig tree and weeps over Jerusalem. When He arrives at the Temple, He finds the court of the Gentiles full of traders and money changers making large profits as they sell animals and exchange “pagan” money for Jewish coins. After teaching the crowds and offending the Chief Priests & Teachers of the Law,….Jesus and the disciples return to Bethany. A sense of confusion & concern begins to set in.
HOLY TUESDAY: Teaching and controversy with the religious leaders
READ Matt. 21:23–24:51 / Mark 11:27–13:37 / Luke 20:1–21:36
Jesus inspects the Temple,…..evading the traps set by His enemies. Outside of Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives overlooking the city, Jesus teaches in parables and warned the people against the Pharisees. They return to Bethany for the night. There is a growing sense of fear & uncertainty!
SPY WEDNESDAY: Judas arranges to betray Jesus
READ Matt. 26:3-16 / Mark 14:1-11 / Luke 21:37-22:6
The leading priests and teachers of the Law were looking for a way to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. Jesus and his disciples were eating in the home of Simon the leper when a woman anointed him with expensive perfume. After a heated discussion about the waste and witness, Judas left to arrange his betrayal.
MAUNDY THURSDAY: Jesus celebrates the Passover meal and institutes the Lord’s Supper
READ Matt. 26:17–30 / Mark 14:12–26 / Luke 22:7–23 / John 13:1–30
In an upper room, Jesus prepared both himself and his disciples for his death, washing their feet and giving the Passover meal a new meaning. The word “Maundy” is built off the Latin word for “command or mandate” which is why some churches have foot washing as part of their Maundy Thursday service. After singing a hymn they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony, knowing what lay ahead of him. (John 17)
GOOD FRIDAY: The scourging and crucifixion of Jesus
READ Matt. 27:1–61 / Mark 15:1–47 / Luke 22:66–23:56 / John 18:28–19:37
It may seem odd to call this GOOD Friday. Betrayal is not good. Suffering is not good. Death is not good. But what these things accomplished for us,…is good news! Jesus took on our sins, and then hung in our place, paying the price for our sins so that we could be forgiven and we can be restore to our right relationship with God.
HOLY SATURDAY: A day of confusion and grief
READ Matt. 27:62-66 / Mark 16:1
The Jewish Sabbath in which the confused and grieving disciples waited to complete the proper embalming and burial ceremonies on Sunday. Today, Jesus’ disciples wait in joyful anticipation of His glorious resurrection celebration. A solemn time of prayer and fasting to meditate on Jesus’ sinless life and perfect sacrifice.
On October 16, 1987 Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed on take-off in Detroit, Michigan killing all but 1 of the 156 passengers & crew on board. Only 4 year old Cecilia survived as she was found walking among the wreckage. Just prior to the crash, Cecilia’s mother, Paula, unbuckled her seat belt, knelt in front of Cecilia, & warped her arms around her daughter. Paula took the impact of the crash in her own body and Cecilia lived. Her loved saved her daughter from certain death.
In a similar manner, Jesus stretched His arms out and took the full impact of God’s punishment for sin in His body, so that we might be saved and live. Our merits do not enhance God’s love and our failures do not diminish it! There is nothing you can do that would make God love you anymore and there is nothing you can do that would make God love you any less. The cross is the perfect expression of God’s holiness and love.
For His Glory, Pastor Greg
To help us prepare and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, April 4th I invite you to join me in reading and reflecting on the events and significance of each day.
PALM SUNDAY: Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Read Matt. 21:1–11 / Mark 11:1–11 / Luke 19:28–44 / John 12:12–19
On the first day of the week Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling an ancient prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. The crowd welcomed him with shouts of praise and the waving of palm branches. This is the reception that Jesus deserves. There is excitement & anticipation in the air. He leaves the city to spend the night in Bethany.
HOLY MONDAY: Jesus clearing of the Temple
Read Matt. 21:12–17 / Mark 11:15–18 / Luke 19:45–48
As he returns to Jerusalem, Jesus curses the barren fig tree and weeps over Jerusalem. When He arrives at the Temple, He finds the court of the Gentiles full of traders and money changers making large profits as they sell animals and exchange “pagan” money for Jewish coins. After teaching the crowds and offending the Chief Priests & Teachers of the Law,….Jesus and the disciples return to Bethany. A sense of confusion & concern begins to set in.
HOLY TUESDAY: Teaching and controversy with the religious leaders
READ Matt. 21:23–24:51 / Mark 11:27–13:37 / Luke 20:1–21:36
Jesus inspects the Temple,…..evading the traps set by His enemies. Outside of Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives overlooking the city, Jesus teaches in parables and warned the people against the Pharisees. They return to Bethany for the night. There is a growing sense of fear & uncertainty!
SPY WEDNESDAY: Judas arranges to betray Jesus
READ Matt. 26:3-16 / Mark 14:1-11 / Luke 21:37-22:6
The leading priests and teachers of the Law were looking for a way to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. Jesus and his disciples were eating in the home of Simon the leper when a woman anointed him with expensive perfume. After a heated discussion about the waste and witness, Judas left to arrange his betrayal.
MAUNDY THURSDAY: Jesus celebrates the Passover meal and institutes the Lord’s Supper
READ Matt. 26:17–30 / Mark 14:12–26 / Luke 22:7–23 / John 13:1–30
In an upper room, Jesus prepared both himself and his disciples for his death, washing their feet and giving the Passover meal a new meaning. The word “Maundy” is built off the Latin word for “command or mandate” which is why some churches have foot washing as part of their Maundy Thursday service. After singing a hymn they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony, knowing what lay ahead of him. (John 17)
GOOD FRIDAY: The scourging and crucifixion of Jesus
READ Matt. 27:1–61 / Mark 15:1–47 / Luke 22:66–23:56 / John 18:28–19:37
It may seem odd to call this GOOD Friday. Betrayal is not good. Suffering is not good. Death is not good. But what these things accomplished for us,…is good news! Jesus took on our sins, and then hung in our place, paying the price for our sins so that we could be forgiven and we can be restore to our right relationship with God.
HOLY SATURDAY: A day of confusion and grief
READ Matt. 27:62-66 / Mark 16:1
The Jewish Sabbath in which the confused and grieving disciples waited to complete the proper embalming and burial ceremonies on Sunday. Today, Jesus’ disciples wait in joyful anticipation of His glorious resurrection celebration. A solemn time of prayer and fasting to meditate on Jesus’ sinless life and perfect sacrifice.
On October 16, 1987 Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed on take-off in Detroit, Michigan killing all but 1 of the 156 passengers & crew on board. Only 4 year old Cecilia survived as she was found walking among the wreckage. Just prior to the crash, Cecilia’s mother, Paula, unbuckled her seat belt, knelt in front of Cecilia, & warped her arms around her daughter. Paula took the impact of the crash in her own body and Cecilia lived. Her loved saved her daughter from certain death.
In a similar manner, Jesus stretched His arms out and took the full impact of God’s punishment for sin in His body, so that we might be saved and live. Our merits do not enhance God’s love and our failures do not diminish it! There is nothing you can do that would make God love you anymore and there is nothing you can do that would make God love you any less. The cross is the perfect expression of God’s holiness and love.
For His Glory, Pastor Greg
Recent
Archive
2021
Categories
no categories
1 Comment
Thank you for laying this out in such detail, and including the scripture to reference. So helpful!!