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During Holy Week, Christians follow the footsteps of
Jesus from his entry into Jerusalem
on Palm Sunday, through the
Last Supper on Maundy Thursday
to his death on Good Friday.
Holy Week is the last week of Lent.
At the end of Holy Week, Easter
marks Christ's resurrection.
The
Suffering of Christ and Anti-Semitism
For several months prior to its release there has been a storm of
controversy surrounding it amid concerns that it will stir feelings
of anti-Semitism. Such concerns must always be taken seriously by
Christians given the tragedy of the Holocaust and reports of increased
anti-Semitism that are appearing throughout the West. more...
I
love a parade
Jesus led the parade from Palm Sunday to the cross. He began with
a crowd of followers, but ended up all alone. A few months ago in
Jerusalem I walked the Via Dolorosa (the way of the cross). I was
stunned into silence, and tears ran down my face as I asked myself,
"Would I have taken up my cross and followed him through those narrow
streets and out to the place of the skull to be crucified?"
-- The Rev. Rosemary Brown reflects on the journey that begins with
Palm Sunday. more...
An ancient
ritual for Maundy Thursday
They came by the dozens. We invited everyone to 
participate, and to our surprise, most of those gathered for this
Maundy Thursday service came forward. They sat and took off their
foot coverings, and we washed their feet while the people sang.
At first we were awkward... more...
...and
what it means for us
Part of the example Jesus was giving his disciples was one of setting
aside the current worldly understanding of social status. Loving
like Jesus means giving up the image of ourselves as being powerful
or important in favor of sharing Jesus' unconditional love with
another human soul. more...
He dies.
But it was not the end.
He dies. Nothing here to imitate or admire. His disciples betray
him, deny him, forsake him and flee. He is despised and rejected,
"as one from whom we hide our faces" (Isaiah 53:3). He dies for
us. That is all he can do. But it was not the end. more...
Reconstructing
Holy Week from Scripture
Thursday
The disciples arranged for the Passover meal, which took place after
sundown. After sundown, it was Friday by Jewish reckoning.
Friday: Preparation Day, the Passover
The day began on what we would call Thursday evening. Jesus and
the disciples ate the Passover in the upper room. Judas left during
the meal. Jesus and the remaining disciples adjourned to the Garden
of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed and the disciples kept falling
asleep. Judas arrived and betrayed Jesus, who spent the rest of
the night being tried by the Sanhedrin and by Pilate. The following
morning, which was still the same day by Jewish reckoning, the Crucifixion
took place.
Matthew 27:62, Mark 15:42, Luke 23:55-56, and John 19:31 all inform
us that this was Preparation Day, which is the Jewish name for Friday.
Mark and John explain that the next day is the Sabbath. Thus Jesus,
the Lamb of God, was sacrificed for our sins on Passover, and His
blood protects us from the angel of death. Jesus died on the cross
and was buried before sunset. So this was first day that Jesus lay
in the tomb.
Saturday: the Jewish Sabbath
Jesus rested in the tomb on the Sabbath. According to Matthew 28:1,
Mark 16:1-3, and Luke 23:56-24:3, the day before the Resurrection
was a Sabbath. This is the second day that Jesus lay in the tomb.
Sunday: the first day of the week, the Festival of First Fruits
On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave. It was the first day
of the week and the day after the Sabbath, according to Matthew
28:1, Mark 16:1-3, Luke 23:56-24:3. John 20:1 says the Resurrection
took place on the first day of the week. He does not explicitly
say that the previous day was the Sabbath, but there is no room
in his narrative for any intervening days. The first day of
the week is the Jewish name for Sunday. Sunday is also the eighth
day after the creation in Genesis, so Paul describes Jesus’ Resurrection
as the first fruits of the new creation in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.
more from KenCollins.com...
Holy week glossary
Palm or Passion Sunday is a day of change from the joyful celebration of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the solemn knowledge of what lies ahead for him in the coming week. The custom of waving olive twigs in the procession began in the fourth century. It was not until about 400 years later that palm branches were first used, and they continue to be used today.
Maundy Thursday (from the Latin word "mandatum" or "commandment") focuses on the Lord's Supper and the new commandment. This refers to the command Jesus gave his disciples after washing their feet. He said: "A new commandment I give you: love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34)
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Good Friday was probably first called God's Friday. On this day we remember Christ's suffering and death on the cross.
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Easter and the seven weeks following is the oldest, celebrated liturgical season of the church year. The season of Easter ends with the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after Easter.
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