Getting Ready for Holy Week
Holy Week (also known as “Passion Week”) is the week preceding Easter Sunday, beginning from Palm Sunday. It is a time for us to pause and ponder on the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s love for us, as we relive the events of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Palm Sunday
Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday when Christians commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
The people both young and old welcomed Jesus by spreading palm branches and their cloaks on the ground. And as Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, they followed Him waving palm leaves and shouting “Hosanna!”. The word “Hosanna” literally means “Save us now.” The people believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the One who would lead them in overthrowing their Roman oppressors and restoring the glorious Davidic Kingdom.
But when it became clear to them that Jesus’ mission was not one of political deliverance, their shouts of “Hosanna”, five days later, became shouts of “Crucify him! Crucify Him!”
Reflection: How different are we from the fickle crowd? Is Jesus Lord and King of our lives only when we are having mountaintop experiences, but not when we are in the valleys of life?
Maundy Thursday
The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word, mandatum, meaning “commandment”. It is so named because Jesus gave His disciples “a new commandment” on the night that He was arrested: to love one another (John 13:34).
On Maundy Thursday, we remember Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:20-30), Jesus washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17), Jesus’ agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas’ betrayal, and finally, Jesus’ subsequent arrest.
Reflection: Jesus’ willingness to serve others was not only evident in His feet-washing act but most importantly, in His total obedience and submission to His Father. “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Look at your spiritual journey. What struggles do you face in obeying and submitting to God’s will in your life?
Good Friday
On Good Friday, we commemorate the day of Jesus’ crucifixion and death on the cross. It is a day when God’s wrath and God’s mercy met at the cross, as He allowed His Son to take upon Himself the punishment that we deserve. This is a solemn day of reflection on the meaning of the cross in anticipation of Easter and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.
The cross was a tool of execution used by the Romans only for the most brutal of criminals. The agony of Jesus on the cross is the ultimate expression of God’s incredible love for a fallen world. Jesus willingly suffered and died as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
God on a cross! Humanity at its worst! Divinity at its best! The sacrifice at Cavalry – the greatest love story ever told.
Reflection: “… God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This is the King of kings and Lord of lords, yet He allowed Himself to be beaten, bruised, humiliated and crucified so that we can be forgiven and reconciled to the Father.
Easter
We thank God that Easter follows Good Friday. The story of Jesus does not end at the cross nor the tomb. Three days later, Jesus resurrected from the dead. The empty tomb proves that Jesus has conquered death (Luke 24:6) for all who are united to Him in faith.
This is a day of victory and resurrection – a confirmation of the hope that we have in our hearts.
Christ has risen! Hallelujah! We serve a living God who not only redeems us and reconciles us to Him in Christ, but who gives us hope for today and for tomorrow. In the midst of the struggles, heartache and pain in our lives and in the world, we can find confidence in Jesus who is our only hope.
CONCLUSION
The resurrection of Jesus brought tremendous joy to His followers, so much so that they could not keep silent about it. Despite the risk of being persecuted, the apostles bravely testified that Jesus had risen. Because of their boldness, the Gospel spread all over the world like wild fire. And likewise, as Jesus’ disciples, we should not keep the Good News to ourselves. We need to share it! Proclaim it! Don’t delay.
Christ has risen! Hallelujah!
Thomas Handoyo
