Happy Holy Week!
Holy week actually started last Sunday, the Sunday before Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday marks the humble entry of Jesus on a donkey into Jerusalem. Crowds in Jerusalem for Passover warmly welcomed Jesus by waving palm branches, proclaiming Him the Messiah.
Today is Passover, one of the most important religious festivals in Judaism. I do not know much about the celebration of Passover. God passed over the homes of Jews who placed blood on their doorways when He was killing the firstborn of Egypt. It is in remembrance of God delivering the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and how they became the Israelites, People of God.
Thursday or Maundy Thursday is the last day before Jesus was arrested. Jesus ate His last supper with His disciples and Communion.
Good Friday or Holy Friday is to remember Jesus’s arrest, trial, suffering, crucifixion, death and burial. And remember the joy of Jesus resurrection is coming on Sunday.
Holy Saturday is the day of wait when Jesus was in the tomb. Can you imagine a world without Jesus and the hope of God?
And then of course we celebrate Jesus conquering death on Easter Sunday. Hope, life, and the Truth is through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!
Many Christian churches offer services for Holy week on Thursday night, Good Friday, and Sunday. Each church may do something a little different each day. I am excited to go to the services this Holy week, I usually just go to Easter Sunday service. Holy week is a wonderful time to really appreciate the fact that Jesus died for our sins and raised from the dead, so we could have everlasting life in heaven.
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.1 John 4:9,10 (NIV)