Why is THIS week, the most important week in all of human history?
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Devotionals for each day of Holy Week:
The Bible is not primarily about God’s people: it is about Jesus.
From waving palm branches in the air celebrating an arrival, to the bewilderment of Silent or Holy Saturday, when God lay dead inside of the earth... this week commemorates the passion, that is, the suffering and extent of patient endurance that God underwent on humanity's behalf. This week memorializes how much Jesus loves His creation... that he willingly sacrifices his life for those He calls friends (John 15:13).
From waving palm branches in the air celebrating an arrival, to the bewilderment of Silent or Holy Saturday, when God lay dead inside of the earth... this week commemorates the passion, that is, the suffering and extent of patient endurance that God underwent on humanity's behalf. This week memorializes how much Jesus loves His creation... that he willingly sacrifices his life for those He calls friends (John 15:13).
So why is this such a big deal to Christians?
Repeating truth, reinforces faith.
As Candace Lucey puts it, "Yearly patterns of worship can help to reinforce daily habits and bring them alive for the believer who tries to picture what it was like to live with Jesus, to lose him, and then to see him alive again."
As Candace Lucey puts it, "Yearly patterns of worship can help to reinforce daily habits and bring them alive for the believer who tries to picture what it was like to live with Jesus, to lose him, and then to see him alive again."
Palm Sunday reminds us of Old Testament prophecies, and how Jesus fulfilled them. “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).
One might ponder the meaning of “temple” as portrayed in the temple cleansing and the cursing of the fig tree. Jesus “was telegraphing the upcoming transition from the temple as a place to the temple as a people,” wrote Leonard Sweet.
He “confronted a culture of consumption, reflected in that fruitless and unreproductive fig tree, with a culture of conception.” The temple cleansing and the withered fig tree reflect a cultural emphasis on materialism and production.
The Pharisees believed they were holy because they kept the law and they prayed frequently. They gave long religious speeches and performed many religious duties.
They were, however, fruitless; they were not leading people’s hearts towards their Father in Heaven and their own hearts were hard. A religious building did not make them or their transactions holy, and religion which does not lead to God is fruitless; worthless.
“He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me” (John 13:18). Remarkably, Jesus foresaw Judas’ betrayal yet still called him “disciple.” We as Christians are invited to take comfort in the depth of Christ’s willingness to forgive and are reminded by these words that God’s plan was always in place.
“His heel” takes us all the way back to Genesis 3:15, where God promised enmity between Satan and human beings: “he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.” Yet, Judas could have repented and asked to be forgiven.
He certainly regretted his actions, but this was not enough to save him. Billy Graham wrote that “being sorry for our sins isn’t the same as repenting of them and asking God to forgive us — and Judas never took that step.”
As Graham pointed out, Peter represents the alternative. He asked Jesus to forgive him, and Christ not only did so; he gave him a tremendous responsibility: “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17).
The Last Supper is remembered on Maundy Thursday, which is also the day Christians remember that Christ washed the disciples’ feet. Jesus taught that a disciples’ life was one of service to the Lord.
He himself came to obey God and save the world by giving his life. Christ taught the importance of regular repentance, but that one need not go through baptism every time he sins, stressing that the saving work would be done by him.
They ate their final meal together, where Jesus made a new covenant. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Jesus painted a picture, which the disciples would only understand in retrospect.
Remembering these events provided the disciples with comfort and confidence in their Savior. Those lessons from Holy Week would inform their teaching as they risked their lives to live out and share the gospel.
These lessons still do this for us today.
I encourage you to seek out a church that may offer different services this week that will help cultivate and nurture a heart that longs to connect in a new way, perhaps for the first time, to Jesus. He identifies with our longings, sufferings, and needs... and He offers comfort in our best and worst of times.
This isn't some religious experiment, nor should it be done in some way to "win points" toward some pious goal. As the Book of Common Prayer reminds us, we are accepted by, "not weighing our merits, but rather pardoning our offenses."
May this week remind you of your worth in God's eyes.
One might ponder the meaning of “temple” as portrayed in the temple cleansing and the cursing of the fig tree. Jesus “was telegraphing the upcoming transition from the temple as a place to the temple as a people,” wrote Leonard Sweet.
He “confronted a culture of consumption, reflected in that fruitless and unreproductive fig tree, with a culture of conception.” The temple cleansing and the withered fig tree reflect a cultural emphasis on materialism and production.
The Pharisees believed they were holy because they kept the law and they prayed frequently. They gave long religious speeches and performed many religious duties.
They were, however, fruitless; they were not leading people’s hearts towards their Father in Heaven and their own hearts were hard. A religious building did not make them or their transactions holy, and religion which does not lead to God is fruitless; worthless.
“He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me” (John 13:18). Remarkably, Jesus foresaw Judas’ betrayal yet still called him “disciple.” We as Christians are invited to take comfort in the depth of Christ’s willingness to forgive and are reminded by these words that God’s plan was always in place.
“His heel” takes us all the way back to Genesis 3:15, where God promised enmity between Satan and human beings: “he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.” Yet, Judas could have repented and asked to be forgiven.
He certainly regretted his actions, but this was not enough to save him. Billy Graham wrote that “being sorry for our sins isn’t the same as repenting of them and asking God to forgive us — and Judas never took that step.”
As Graham pointed out, Peter represents the alternative. He asked Jesus to forgive him, and Christ not only did so; he gave him a tremendous responsibility: “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17).
The Last Supper is remembered on Maundy Thursday, which is also the day Christians remember that Christ washed the disciples’ feet. Jesus taught that a disciples’ life was one of service to the Lord.
He himself came to obey God and save the world by giving his life. Christ taught the importance of regular repentance, but that one need not go through baptism every time he sins, stressing that the saving work would be done by him.
They ate their final meal together, where Jesus made a new covenant. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Jesus painted a picture, which the disciples would only understand in retrospect.
Remembering these events provided the disciples with comfort and confidence in their Savior. Those lessons from Holy Week would inform their teaching as they risked their lives to live out and share the gospel.
These lessons still do this for us today.
I encourage you to seek out a church that may offer different services this week that will help cultivate and nurture a heart that longs to connect in a new way, perhaps for the first time, to Jesus. He identifies with our longings, sufferings, and needs... and He offers comfort in our best and worst of times.
This isn't some religious experiment, nor should it be done in some way to "win points" toward some pious goal. As the Book of Common Prayer reminds us, we are accepted by, "not weighing our merits, but rather pardoning our offenses."
May this week remind you of your worth in God's eyes.